The Express.
London, England, 1849-05-14 00:00:00

;;I:er
ittith. • —lig& r

denten.
The best thing the company can do is to ascertain,
in the first place, the real value of their property, and
to have the courage •to set themselves down as the
owners of no more than they actually power. The
sough estimates that have been made of the compara-
tive amounts of their liabilities and meets have a for-
midable look. The railway is there, and the country,
with its traffic, through which it paws is there.
There is, therefore, a substantial and valua-
ble properly in existence ; but whether it le,
sr eau be made valuable to the present proprietors
remains to be men. They mutt first come to an
understanding with their creditors. The unbending
firmness and moral courage of Mr. MEEK, as shown,
inter dia, by his insisting upon the omission of that
part of Mr. CASH'S report which gave power to the
committee, appointed to nominate new directors for
the approbation of the shareholders, to fix their future
remuneration, disposes us to regard him as the wisest
and safest councillor by whom the company can be
guided in their present critical condition.
Wilful blindness to the delusiv ter e charac of Mr.
HUDSON'S breggadoeio promises, is at the bottom
of their misfortunes. The shareholders can no
more wash their hands of the culpability
of being accessary to their own losses than the
directors. The swaggering increase of the dividend im-
mediately after Mr. HUDSON was placed in the chair
was a stroke of policy that would have excited the
suspicion of any set of men who bad not in the ex-
citement of the game servl themtelves to run gam-
blers' hazards. It was an operation that might have
helped to " rig" the market, but it was sure to tide-
' riorate the property of the company. The shareholders
ventured far beyond their depth on blown bladders,
like foolish schoolboy, and the bladders have burst
ander them. There is no chance for them of recovering
even a part of what has been lost—no ultimate safety
for the company' or any individual shareholder—un-
less they resolutely determine to have done once and
for all with delusion, even he
most seemingly venial.
They must have enrage to taste the full bitter-
ness of the draught they have helped to brew for
themselves. ,

WREN the clerk of the House of Commons sent in
this year his estimate of the " ettras which would pro-
bably be required for the payment of salaries, ho.,
his department," the house, having the fear of a dis-
mission before their eyes, appointed " a ifelect Com-
mittee to consider how far those estimates were
framed in accordance with the recommendation
of the select committee on miscellaneous esti-
mates, who reported on the same last emeioa."
The committee was composed of 15 members
—8 conservatives and 7 liberals. The liberals were
not men particularly distinguished as financial coon:-
mutts. Two of the seven, Mr. PARKER and Mr.
VEntrote Stem, have been office-holders. Mr. Bac-
TRXRTON, Sir EDWARD COLEBROOK!, Mr.THORNILLT,
Sir JOHN GUEST, end Mr. ROCHE were the re-
maining five : and of these the last was discharged from
attendance, and his place supplied by Mr. Ciliates-
SEE EORTESCUR.
The "House of Commons officers committee " have
made their report, and as it is the first that has been
placed before the house by any recent committee
charged with the duty of recommending a plan of
economical reform, it is deserving the more attention.
The committee find that the estimate furnished by
the clerk of the house amounted altogether to
83,000/. for clerks' services, whilst the estimate
of the salaries and expenses in the Ser-
geant-at Arms' department amounted to 10,0211.,
or altogether 43,0001. a year for salaries in the
House of Commons. Of thin 43,0001., more than
one-third, namely 14,8191. (say 16,0001.), is taken
by ten individuals, as follows :
The clerk £8 500 ayes*.
The clerk's assistant 2,500 „
The sec ind ditto
The principal clerk
The clerk of the journals l,OOO „
The first committee click
Theeergeant-st.arms
The deputy ditto
The sexed at eergesat
The first dookesper ••• 874 „

1114,011

AZ-
! to

besltete_
a& 10e- -the most or*.
esittier,' however,_ do mot
soy of them. 'They leave third-part ef the
else* -entirely untouched. They apply
almeet.exKusiv to the stipends pie to
deb lathe differtnt.degmrtAlsnty with rellatd
they. are • ilialialest they Jig. to 'mar a
,pelts tf salariee,,to sabatitote fixed salaries
Felle7"eisia elloweMia.'llad toaatizaklitta the aka
M Wm:pit& domino:4as eporen.proaptinn lad'
The clerks' establishment, u tbi itommittie hale
arranged it, is pempeetively to consist of • 343 Cleats,
Arranged in Soar dames,
:with . salaries com-
.meacing at 1001. a year, jimmies% to 1,0001.,
'according to sentitede gad 'remotion. Upon
this side the maximum payment for such
service in the Home of Common' will be 19,7001., ex-
clusive of the salaries of the clerks at the table,
amouuting'at omelet to 7,0001. a year additlosal,.or
altogether, 26,7001. The average psyments.nedse
this wale ate estimated at 18,9001 a year, whial,
with the 7;0001 to the tires chief .officere,Will Make
a payment altogether el 28,9801. Now, the Meted
payment 84 peseitelj, the same services is 29,1101.,
so that the committee hate mead out a faturoiliving
of somewhere about 5,0001. per annum.
Of this swing of 5,000 k a year, the present gamma:
tion will sof obtafn the full unmet of benefit The
committee "feel that it would not be pato the vede-
ttes now employed to reduce their oetaial incomes at
ones within the limit of the salaries hereafter to be
soloed ; whilst, on the other hand, it would be as
1141 jest to the public to continue their extra men-
sent at an amount to whicb they may have beet
rabid during a period when there Was in °emotive
and unprecedented pressure of business which Ap-
peared to justify an increased vemuneration." If the
Arks' 'were paid extra • salaries for• extra khan
Wide is not now performed,' it seems dfftlediltafr die-
"eime the justice of saddling; the'publio pernmsibitly
With 'extra pay for such temprrery services. 'The
Imam ot the committee understood to be thus paid, by
v* of " emoluments,* is 3,0501: a year in addition
Ite the salaries. 5001. a year of this money will ge to
aeCalleer who i. mceivinsr a stipend of 8001., end 5001.
*MA clerk' who may, Very speedily eipect to be
sia the sante 'scale of salary. The remainder, how-
ever, goes to. `active clerks in receipt of the lowest
elides, and, therefore, is leer to be objected to.
Without these additional payments; the salaries.
Waal amount at the present time to 18,5801,
with them they amount to 21,8101.. Adding 7,5001
a-yeer to this for the salaries of the clerks at the
tab, and oirthe division Clerks, the payments for the
present year will amount to 29,1001., instead of
1 32,9251, as proposed by Mr. LEY. The immediate
saving to the public will, therefore, be 3,8251. per
mum.
So far so good: but is it not a valid ground of objec-
tion to the proceedings of this committee that whist
erranging all the minor details of the House of Com-
mons' establishment they have failed to make the
lightdt reference to the real consumers of the public
money ? It is no answer to say that the salaries of the
clerks at the table are fixed by an act of parliament,
Ind that they may underro some modification on the
occasion of future vocenciee. The committee have,
to a certain extent, interfered with the present
posemors of office in the lower grades: one
junior ch rk, we observe, will suffer a reduction of
nearly 100/ a year—or more than a fourth of his in-
come—under the new arrangement. Why not apply
the same principle throughout? Why deal ruthlessly
with the 3601. a eearof Mr. PALK, and be so extremely,
tender about the 3,5001. a year of Mr. LET P
Tree, the present arrangements exist under autho-
rity of ort act of parliament, 4 and 5 William IV., ch.
70, bat the committee wee not incompetent to deal
with that act. The act originated in the report of 0
committee, end the miscellaneous estimates committee
of last year, after an ineffectual attempt. of Dr. Bow-
BING to make a prospective reduction in the 6,0001.
a year paid to the clerk and clerk's assistant,
reported that it world be advisable to re-consider
that act whenever a vacancy ewe. We do
think the committee ought to have given
their attention to this subject, and we are sure the
public will be disappointed at finding it passed over
without an observation.
The same remark applies to the department of the
eergeant-at-arnis. If the value of the services of this
great officer is matter of grave doubt, mach more
doubtful is the value of the services of the deputy and
assistant sergeant, who receive 1,5751 a year
between them. The miscellaneous estimates
Committee recommeoded that these offices
should be combined at a salary of .8001 a year. At
the same time there was an officer called a Deputy
Housekeeper, at a salary of 5001. a year, and 300/ as
an allowance for servants ! The miscellaneous esti-
mates committee reported that the office of deputy
housekeep er ought to be at once abolished. They
expected so doubt to get rid of him and his
ittabliskseaat alt(gether—to bundle them out
.as unsaviseable sinecurists. Now see how these
'tatters am managed. The Serjeant-it-Arms in
hie estimate omits the depnty.honnekeeper
is to the report, and he omits the charge
far deputy-housekeeper's servants also. But we ob-
igen in the estimate a new item :
,Allewsues fee the keeper of refreshment room's
itu £3oo 0 0
domes
Bo that after all it seems we are to have the "servants"
under another guise. Pray, why should not the
keeper of the refreshment room—who doubtless sells
all his refreshments to the members at a good profit—
keep his own servants like say other refreshment
room keeper?
Mr. GOULBERN was chairman of this committee.
Its report will scarcely increase his reputation.

FRANCE.

PARIS. SATVEDAY, 6 I' 111.
The ministry bas escaped its difficulty. The order
of the day, that shifting_eand which swallows every-
thiug, has absorbed the Italian gut aim The present
chamber virtually expires to-day, and on the 14th a
new one will have been elected. Meanwhile the past
week'has been full of incident. The democrats and
socialists bad determined to crush the reactionists,
and ministers trembled in their seats at Om horrors
intended for them. Question followed question on
the affairs of. Italy, and impeachments were the
slightest of threats.
Yesterday there was great excitement in the
Amenably. It Was suspected that, were a hostile vote
Worded against the ministry on the Italian quads%
an Anode might follow. Two cavalry regiments
I had arrived from Versailles, and other troops from
direr, places wound Paris were coming in. Already
M. Marren had obtained two additional battalions
for the safety_ of the National Assembly itself. The
Minister of tbeintarice was consigned to his minis-
tire, frost ehence te keep watch over Paris. Odilloa
Barret with Then'. de Mays were in the Chamber.
M. Led= Rollin commenced the attack. It ap-
peared that General Changarnier had placed on the
ordre du four de larmee the letter of the President,
and thus given a political character to it whieliz
velment had previously disowned. M. l
Rollin saw in this, coupled with the coadact of the
Italianurpsdition, a breach of the constitution.
M. Bunt, in reply, spoke his fears of
civil war, and hoped the Assembly would be satisfied
with their previous vote on the Italian question.
M. Jules Fevre rose after him, holding in his hand
a letter, written by Avezzana, at
.home,
graying that
the French were indignant at having been led against
brother republicans,and that they had asked for arms,
to fight against the Austrians. In the confusion and
noise, the Assembly thought M. Jules Favre had said
the French had seized for arms, to fight against the
Faking. A great uproar ensued, and Gen. Ledo,
taking advantage of the effect produced, made a vehe-
ment speech about French honour, which may belied
to have carried the day.
A curious scene occurred at the font of the tribune,
as the vote for passing to the order of the day was
being taken. Napoleon Bonaparte came up to the
urn with a blue ticket (opposition) in his band. A
prolonged exclamation escaped from a hundred voices
around the tribune. Upon this Napoleon ascended
the rostrum, and with a face pale with emotion ex-
claimed that he hoped that out of the number of those
who had made the demonstration one man would be
courageous enough to give his name. Perfect silence
followed this request, and Napoleon descended from
the tribune. Thirty-seven votes only formed the majo-
rity in favour of ministers.
It would nom that in thin Italian affair M. Odillon
Barrett was quite guiltless of any instructions to Gen.
Oudinot, recommending the occupation of Rome at
all risks. It had been determined that the expedition