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tioned, will confist of the fubfift ence and arrears only; the pay will continue to be iffued under these two denominations, and the account of the full pay of a regiment, in the regimental account

applied, are these: the fubfiftence and arrears of the officers-the fubfiftence of the non-commiffioned of ficers the fubfiftence and returned poundage of the private men-the clothing of the non-commiffioned officers and private men-the re-book in the pay-office, will be com cruiting fund-and, the agency. These are services that immediately concern the regiment: the rest are more remote, and relate to the military fervice in general; as, the relief of the widows, Chelfea hofpital, and the other mifcellaneous fervices paid out of the poundage.

The establishment of a regiment would become more fimple and intelligible, if it were relieved from all thefe fervices, except the pay of the officers and private men; and if the divifions of the fums therein ftated were made conformable to the actual pay of the feveral ranks. To effect this, the fictitious men, both contingent and warrant men, mut be fuppreffed; the allowance to widows, and the deductions of the poundage and hofpital, must be abolifhed; feparate fpecific funds, formed upon eftimate, must be fubftituted for the clothing, the recruiting service, widows, Chelfea hofpital, and the other mifcellaneous fervices now paid out of the poundage; and diftinct accounts must be kept of the expenditure of each.

As it is not our intention to propofe any variation in the quantum of the pay actually received by any perfon in the establishment; fo neither do we mean to alter the quantum of the subsistence, but to keep it as it is now, diftinct from the full pay. There may be very good reafons for the prefent practice of retaining a certain portion of the pay for fome time, to be iffued afterwards at a proper feafon. The eftablishment, freed from the provifion for the fervices above men

prized in the fame two divifions only. But the calculation of the pay in the establishment must be varied: it is at present made upon an even integral fum by the day and the year; for inftance, the calcu lation for a marching regiment in the establishment of the year 1767 is this: forty-feven men, at 8d. each, is by the day 11. 118. 48.5 and for 365 days, 5711. 16s. 8d. The full pay of a private man, at Sd. a day, is 12l. 3s. 4d. by the year: this fum being fubject to the deductions of the poundage, and one day's pay, which amount to 12s. 10d. is reduced thereby to 111. 10s. 6d. ; a proportional deduction from 8d. the day's pay, will reduce it to 7d. and 114 three hundred fixty-fifth parts of a farthing; a fractional fum very inconvenient for multiples, and perplexing to the calculation. If the calculation in the establishment be made upon the fubfiftence as it is now regulat ed, and which is an even fum, and a third column be added for the ar rears, that is, for what remains due to them for their full year's pay, over and above their fubfiftence (the greatest part of which is now included in one fum in the clearings) the total of the column of arrears, added at the bottom to the total of the fubfiftence, will be the fum allotted for the year's pay of that regiment. The arrears of the com mifhoned officers (the colonel and captains excepted) will confift of the fame fums as are now calculated in the clearings, and paid to them by the agents; and the arrears of

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The fund for the clothing is the nett offreckonings, that is the difference between the fubfiftence of the non-commiffioned officers and private men and their full pay, after deducting the poundage, hofpital, and agency upon their full pay. Though the total fum allotted for a regiment is directed by the paywarrant to be paid to the colonel, and his agent indorfes it; yet this clothing fund is not applied by the colonel himfelf: the paymaster general is directed by the mutiny act to pay the offreckonings to fuch perion only as has a regular affignment of them; and, therefore, the colonel always afligns them, either to the clothier or to his own agent: the allignee receives them of the pay mafier-general, and thereout defrays the coft and all the expences attending the clothing; and for the retidue he accounts to the colonel.

We learn from Robert Quarme, efq. chief clerk in that branch of the office of the comptroller of the army accounts that relates to the clothing, in what manner this fervice is conducted. The clothing this part of the army is entrusted to the management of a certain number of general officers, called the clothing board, chofen annually by the board of general officers. This clothing board is governed by inftructions iffued in the fixth year of the reign of queen Anne. Upon a certain day appointed by the board, the clothiers produce to them patterns of the feveral fpecies of clothing after examination, thofe that are approved of are fealed with the feals of three of the hoard, and with the office feal, and delivered to the clothiers. After the clothing is made up, it is reviewed by one of

the board, appointed for that pur pole, taking care that no one reviews the clothing of his own regiment. Upon the certificate of the reviewing general, that he has found the clothing agreeable to the patterns, the clothing board join to the colonel's affignment their certificate to the paymatter-general, that the clothing has been viewed and approved, and defiring him to pay to the affignee the fum mentioned in the alignment.

The offreckonings being calculated upon the full establishment, including the non-effectives, contingent, and warrant men, and clothing being procured for the ef fectives only, a furplus muft accrue from this fund to the colonel; and the more defective the regiment, the greater will be that furplus, and therefore different in different regiments.

We do not mean to convey the most diftant idea, that we have the leaft reafon to imagine any undue advantage has been taken of this mode of clothing the army by any perfon whatfoever; but we are well grounded in fuggefting a reform, where an ufage is open to abufe.

The principles upon which cur regulations proceed, lead us to reduce this vague emolument to certainty and equality. From the produce of a given number of years, an average may be obtained of the profit accruing to the colonel from the clothing; a compenfation for which may be made a part of his pay, and increafe either his fubfist. ence or his arrears in the establishment, or both, in fuch proportions as may be confiftent with the regulations in ufe. A specific fund upon eftimate may be voted annually for clothing every corps that com pofes the army, without exception; and the clothing board may go one

Hep farther than they do at pre- mong the captains, provided it fall

fent: as they pafs their judgment upon the quality of the patterns, they are equally competent to judge of the price, and may therefore contract for the clothing of every corps; and when the contract is completed, they may, after infpection and approbation, direct the paymaster-general to pay the clothier the price fpecified in the contract, as they do now the fum mentioned in the affignment. One diftinct account will then be kept in the pay-office, of the clothing of the whole army, as there is now of the clothing of the militia, for which a fpecific fum is granted by parliament; and to which, as well as to the clothing of the invalids, the regulations we have above fuggetled may, with equal propriety, be extended.

The next to be provided for is the recruiting fervice: the fund at prefent applicable to that purpofe, is compounded of the fubfiftence of the non-effectives and of two of the warrant men. the difpofition of it is regulated by his majefty's war rant, dated the 19th of February 1766. Should it be thought expedient, as it feems reasonable, to iffue the fubfiftence, not upon the full establishment, but according to mufter, and to abolish the warrant men, this fund will be extinguish ed; and to fupply its place, a fpecific fund must be created, and voted annually upon eftimate, for the purpofe of recruiting the army; and a distinct account kept in the pay-office of the iflues under this head of fervice.

The warrant that regulates this recruiting fund directs, that the remaining balance upon the non-ef fective account of a marching regiment, after fetting apart a certain fum, fhall be divided every year a

not exceed twenty pounds to each. If their intereft in this fund has been productive, they are not to be deprived of it becaufe the fund is abolished: their arrears fhould be increased in the establishment, by a fum equal to their average receipt out of this fund, for a given number of years.

Every regiment and corps in the army will have an intereft in, and its fhare of, the two funds for the clothing and recruiting: foch fhares, when paid, will not be placed in the pay-office, to the feparate account of the regiment or corps, but to the general account of the fervice: what is iffued to the agent will be charged by him to the account of the corps to which it belong: the accounts of thefe funds will refemble the account of the contingent fund, as it is now kept in the pay-office. One diftinct fum for contingencies upon account, is inferted in the establishment: a payment out of that fund is made to most of the regiments and corps in the fervice; but every payment is placed to one account only, under the head of contingencies.

The fum that has hitherto been allotted for this fervice, is 20,000!. and if it has exceeded that fun, the over-payments have been carried to the account of the extraordinaries, becaufe not provided for in the eftablifhment. As the probable contingencies may be easily estimated, a fuflicient fum fhould be provided for that fervice. that the account may be preferved entire.

The first of the fervices provided for by contributions from the pay of the regiments and corps, is the relief of the widows: this fervice has no connection with the pay of a regiment. The propriety is apparent, of fubftituting one feparate

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nent philofopher aud statesman. She bore him two fons, Patritius and Hypatius.

To the happiness of poffeffing a lady of fuch uncommon merit, Boethius foon had the fatisfaction of obtaining the highest honour his country could bestow. He was made conful in the year 487, at the age of 32. Odoacer, king of the Heruli, reigned at that time in Italy, who, after having put to death Oreftes, and depofed his fon Auguftulus, the last emperor of the Weft, affumed the title of king of that country. Two years after Boethius's advancement to the dignity of conful, Theodorick, king of the Goths, invaded Italy; and, having conquered Odoacer and put him to death, he in a fhort time made himself master of that country, and fixed the feat of his government at Ravenna, as Odoacer and feveral of the later western em, perors had done before him. The Romans and the inhabitants of Italy were pleafed with the government of Theodorick, because he wifely ruled them by the fame laws, the fame polity, and the fame magiftrates they were accustomed to, under the emperors. In the eighth year of this prince's reign, Boethius had the fingular felicity of beholding his two fons, Patritius and Hypatius, raifed to the confular, dignity. During their continuance in office, Theodorick came to Rome,, where he had been long expected, and was received by the fenate and people with the greatest demonftrations of joy. Boethius made him an eloquent panegyrick in the fenate; which the king answered in the most obliging terms, declaring that he fhould ever have the greateit refpect for that auguft affembly, and would never encroach upon any of their privileges,

"Boethius was advanced a fecond time to the dignity of conful, in the eighteenth year of the reign of king Theodorick. Power and honour could not have been conferred upon a perfon more worthy of them: for he was both an excellent magiftrate and flatesman, as he faithfully and affiduously exccuted the duties of his office; and employed, upon every occafion, the great influence he had at court, in protecting the innocent, relieving the needy, and in procuring the redrefs of fuch grievances as gave juft caufe of complaint. The care of public affairs did not however engrofs his whole attention. This year, as he informs us himself, he wrote his Commentary upon the Predicaments, or the Ten Categories of Ariftotle. In imitation of Cato, Cicero, and Brutus, he devoted the whole of his time to the fervice of the commonwealth, and to the cultivation of the fciences. He published a variety of writings, in which he treated upon almost every branch of literature. I fhall mention the principal of them. Be fides the Commentary upon Ariftotle's Categories, noticed above, Boethius wrote an Explanation of that philofopher's Topics, in eight books; another, of his Sophifms, in two books; and Commentaries upon many other parts of his writings. He tranflated the whole of Plato's works: he wrote a Commentary, in fix books, upon Cicero's Topics; he commented also upon Porphyry's writings: he publifhed a Difcourfe on Rhetoric, in one book; a Treatife on Arithmetic, in two books; and another, in five books, upon Mufic: he wrote three books upon Geometry, the last of which is loft: he tranflated Euclid; and wrote a Treatife upon the Quadrature of the Circle; nei

ther

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