tial department.

New Con- appointment of a Chief Controller, who should have charge of all departments of supply (i.e., the Barrack service, the Commissariat service, the Purveying service, the Military Store department, and the Transport department, each of which had been previously administered by an independent head), and who should be in direct communication with the Commander-in-Chief, and with the Secretary of State for War. It also recommended the entire reorganisation of the administrative establishments of the army as a matter of imperative necessity. On June 6, 1867, the Secretary for War informed the House of Commons, that this report had been referred to the consideration of the various heads of departments in the War Office, some of whose departments were materially affected by it. When in possession of their views, he would decide whether to remit the whole subject to a parliamentary committee, or to a royal commission, for a thorough investigation into the most suitable organisation for the War department."

On December 19, 1867, the Secretary of State for War advised the Treasury of his intention to appoint Sir Henry Storks to the office of Controller-in-Chief, 'with a position equal, in every respect, to that of a permanent under-secretary of state, on a salary of 2,000l. per annum ;' requesting Treasury sanction thereto, which was given; though, as will presently appear, the position and salary of this officer were afterwards altered. On December 28, the Secretary again applied to the Treasury for their consent to the appointment of Major-General Balfour as Assistant Controller, with a salary of 1,000l. a year, as a temporary arrangement to assist in carrying on the measures of amalgamation and reform recommended by Lord Strathnairn's Committee.' This also was agreed to.

But before the new organisation was complete, a ques

For the Report see Commons
Papers, 1867, vol. xv. p. 343.

Hans. Deb. vol. clxxxvii. p. 1699; vol. clxxxviii. p. 586.

tion arose between the War Office and the Treasury, as Difficulties to the relative standing and powers of the new Controller its formaattending in the department. It became evident that there was a tion. disposition, on the part of the military authorities, that the military rather than the civil power should be predominant at the War Office, whilst the Treasury were equally determined to maintain the supremacy of the civil govern

ment.

On March 5, 1868, the Military Secretary at the War Office forwarded to the Treasury, for their consideration and approval, a memorandum of the proposed arrangement of the new Control department and its subdivisions, stating the rates of pay proposed for the officers therein. In reply, the Treasury objected to the scale of salaries, as being excessive, and asked for more information. This request was complied with, and on June 29, the Treasury again wrote to the War Office, reviewing all that had been recommended, since 1860, by Commissions or Committees, for the improvement of military departmental organisation, and expressing a decided opinion that the functions of the Controller-in-Chief, as head of the Supply department of the War Office, ought to be kept entirely distinct from those of the Financial department: that the heads of the Financial and of the Audit departments should be independent of the Controller-in-Chief; and that the Committee of Public Accounts should be consulted upon the regulation of these departments. Furthermore, the Treasury proposed that the War Office establishment should hereafter comprise the following principal officers, namely the Secretary of State, a parliamentary under-secretary, a permanent under-secretary, who shall be generally, if not always, a military man,' a Controller-in-Chief - without the rank of undersecretary, with a salary of 1,500l. a year, and who might be either a military man or a civilian-and of a principal financial officer, of equal rank and salary with the Controller, but who should be always a civilian.'

On June 30, the Secretary for War notified the Trea

Reserve
Forces.

Audit of military

accounts.

sury, that he concurred in the aforesaid proposals, though doubtful of their effect upon the position of the Controller. He also transmitted statements of the intended changes in the official arrangements in the War Office, and amended regulations for the new department of Control.

Meanwhile, on April 25, a royal warrant was issued, authorising the establishment of a Department of Control, to be superintended by a Comptroller-in-Chief, acting under the orders of the Secretary of State for War, and subject to such regulations as he may from time to time determine. The House of Commons was duly informed that this appointment had been conferred on Sir Henry Storks, and that of Assistant Controller on General Balfour, in furtherance of the recommendations of Lord Strathnairn's Committee for the consolidation of the departments of Supply and Transport under one head; the which, by placing in the hands of one person a control over the expenditure of the War Office, will, it is believed, conduce to greater economy and efficiency both in peace and war. They were also notified that another valuable administrative reform had been effected in the creation of an Inspector General of the Reserve Forces, who will take charge of the volunteer, yeomanry, and militia forces, the enrolled pensioners, and the army of reserve.

On June 22, 1868, Sir Henry Storks forwarded to the Secretary for War, a letter with a copy of proposed regulations for the Audit department of the War Office, intended to secure a thoroughly detailed departmental audit, of all military expenditure included in the accounts presented to Parliament." These papers were laid before the House of Commons, and referred to the Committee of Public Accounts. But in view of a speedy extension of the Appropriation Audit to Military and Naval Accounts -the expediency of which the Public Accounts committee recommend should be considered by an official committee

* Commons Papers, 1867-8, Nos. 373, 374-I. Hans. Deb. vol. cxci. pp. 50, 57, 280. Ibid. vol. cxciii.

pp. 1233, 1265. Queen's speech at close of session.

" Com. Papers, 1867-8, No. 428.

during the recess-they reported that it was not desirable to adopt any new regulations on this subject at present. They would be willing, however, to enter upon the examination of the proposed regulations at the commencement of the next session, after the enquiry by the official committee shall have been completed."

On July 9, 1868, it was moved in the House of Commons to resolve, that the Controller-in-Chief should be an under-secretary of state; and that the audit of the War Office accounts should be entirely independent of the War Office.' But the arrangements of the government being approved, in the main, by leading opposition members, any interference therewith was deprecated by the House; and the motion, after a long debate, was withdrawn.w

X

establish

As at present constituted, the department of the Se- War Office cretary of State for War consists of the principal Secretary ment. of State, a parliamentary Under-Secretary, and a permanent Under-Secretary, with an Assistant, both of whom are military men. There is also a Controller-in-Chief, and an Assistant Controller; likewise a Military Assistant, who is an officer of high rank, and is charged with the conduct of the military correspondence. As the office of Secretary for War is liable to change hands very frequently, and will in all probability be usually held by a civilian, it is the more desirable that several of those who belong to the permanent staff of superior officers, should be experienced military men. It is also expedient that either the political under-secretary or some other departmental officer in the House of Commons, should be professional, and capable of affording assistance to his chief in the discussion of military questions in Parliament." The War Office establishment includes all the civil

administrative departments of the army, whilst the military control is exercised through the Commander-in-Chief and his own immediate subordinates. In a return, presented to the House of Commons on August 14, 1867, the following departments are enumerated as being then consolidated under the Secretary of State for War, and the particular duties assigned to each department are described: (1) the Central department, including the general business connected with army administration, appointments, promotions, &c. &c., (2) Ordnance, (3) Contract, (4) Commissariat, (5) Militia, (6) Volunteer corps, (7) Stores, (8) Accounts, (9) Audit, (10) Solicitor's department, (11) Army Medical, (12) Purveyor's, (13) Clothing, (14) Barrack, (15) Works, (16) Surveys and Topographical department." Since the date of this return, as we have seen, the Barrack, Commissariat, Purveying, Stores, and Transport departments have been consolidated under a Controller-in-Chief.

The oversight of general business at the War office is divided between the parliamentary and permanent undersecretaries, according to convenience; except that all matters relating to the militia and volunteers are taken by the parliamentary under-secretary. This officer, being a political functionary, is appointed by the principal secretary for the time being, who has also the entire patronage of his department, and the approval of all appointments in the gift of the several heads of the manufacturing departments at Woolwich, and other out-stations, under the War Office.

The official staff of this branch of the public service is very numerous. It was stated in the House of Commons, in 1868, that there were 621 employés in the War department, and 156 in the Commander-in-Chief's depart

427.

*Commons Papers, 1867, No. the Statistical Society, vol. xxix. p. 541. For a comparison between the constitution of the war departments Rep. on Mil. Organis. 1860, pp. in England and France, see General 59, 138. Parkinson, Under Govt. Balfour's paper in the Journal of pp. 165, 169.