The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-22 00:00:00

THE MINT.

pub.
office

Flak
LtvEttPoot..—A numerous meeting of chartists was
held on the North Beach yesterday, but the peace remained
undisturbed.
MANCIIESTER.—The chartist meetings continue to
be held in Manchester almost dilly, but do not possess mach
interest. There was one at the Carpenters' Hall on Thurs•
day night ; another in Smithfield market yesterday one in

Our chief object in taking up the question of 'Mint re-
form is eventually to make that institution worthy of the age
in which we live, and to efface the stigma attached to it, justly
or unjustly, on the grounds of incompetency, carelessness,
and irregularity. This can only be effected by minute and
patient inquiry, and by the introduction of a new system of
administratioa ; for, according to the existing plan of inter-
nal government, laid down we believe by the late Lord
Marybomugh, it is not in the nature of things it should
work well for the public good. We do not believe there is
another example of this kind of government in the whole
world, in which each office has independent power and
action, and yet is supposed at the game time to be under the
rule of a head. Such a plan may look very pretty on paper,
as the infantile theory of some sanguine legislator,
more sanguine than wire ; but viewed practically, and
as men are constituted, it is abortive and absurd.
And so, experimentally, it has proved. It allows every
man in a measure to do just as he likes; to attend or not at-
tend just as he pleases ; it gives occasion for abuses and irre-
gularities of all kinds, ecause there is no adequate power to
check or abolish them ; aud, above all, by extravagant
largesse. it gives encouragement to negligence, absence, and
all the evils' arising from them. Now, we presume the ori-
ginal intention was, that each officer receiving the public
pay should personally attend to his duties, as is ordinarily
the case in most places; and that if he were found to neglect
those duties, and systematically absent him.elf, there should
be a power lodged somewhere to reprimand him. But we
ask, is this now the rule of the establishment ? It may be
said that, so far as the want of control is concerned, it is
more the fault of the system than any indisposition on the
part of individuals, which may be correct ; but such an ad-
mission necessitates a remedy, and it is clear the Mint autho•
rides have not been the first to suggest it.
To an energetic mind there is a certain degree of pleasure
attached to the exercise of power, but to an indolent and
easy mind the contrary is the cue ; and hence the sacrifice
of authority will be found equivalent to the indolence or in-
difference of the officer, and the irregularities, again, in
exact proportion to his neglect of the power of his effice.
Moreover, if custom or habitude has left no more than the
mere form or shadow of authority annexed to any particu-
lar office of check or control, it may be supposed the board
by which the Mint is ostensibly ruled would interfere and
correct any abuse ; but such, we have reason to believe, is
not the care. The esprit de corps is too strong, we presume,
to allow the board or individuals to interfere with others of
the same rank, and with, perhaps, larger incomes—their
jurisdiction extending, 11 at all, only to minor offenders.
It may naturally enough be asked by our readers, what,
then, can be the use of a Master of the Mint, if he neither
controls the expenses nor exercises jurisdiction over his sub-
ordinates ? In reply, we may say the office has almost fallen
into abeyance, and it might be abolished without any detri-
ment whatever to the public service. The independent
power it once had has gone from it, and what share of power
it now feebly exercises emanates originally from the Trea-
sury, or Chancellor of the Exchequer. As a minister the
Muter of the Mint is generally engrossed with other impor-
tant matters; and as a member of the House of Commons he
has no leisure to attend to the practical business of the Mint,
his chief duties now being to protect the crown from loss by
securities, and give the sanction of his name to
-üblic documents. As a minister he vacates his

the change of the

which we

on
all know has been frequently the case during the last
twenty years. Now we can conceive nothing so im-
politic and unwise as these constant ehiftings and changes in
an office which is supposed to be practically concerned in the
coinage of the country, the designation being " Matter and
Worker " of her Majesty's Mint ; the consequence of which
is, that no sooner does one master become acquainted with
the outline of his duties, and obtain a general notion of the
various operations of the establishment, than he is moved
I from the scene, and another is appointed in his place, to
undergo the same superficial and elementary tuition. And
from this cause it is that disputes and points of difficulty,
which naturally happen everywhere, are never decided or
settled, because there appears to be no power in the Mint to
do so, while the master for the time leing is too little
acquainted with the merits of the case to undertake the
omponsibility.
In lieu of this ministerial 'Bee, we sht,uld nfftr to tlo at-
tention of the " commission" the propriety of creating a per-
manent office under the same title—an alteration which would
confer a crest benefit on the country, if not on the govern-
ment. 'the office being now altogether under the Treasury,
so would it remain under a permanent officer, and the same
security might be enforced as at present, to protect the
crown from loss of any kind, connected with the coinage of
the country.
A situation of this kind, held by an officer selected for
energy and ability, would prove of essential service. By
possessing practical knowledge of the various processes of the
Mint, he could suggest red encourage improvements of all
kinds, and adapt that institution to the wants of the age by
twinging to beat whatever science and ingenuity may offer ;
by a knowledge of the currency and the wants of the people,
and all those laws by which money and currency are
eguleted, he might became an authority with every Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, more to be relied on than mere
mercantile Bank directors, who, if not ignorant, are gene-
rally narrow-minded, prejudiced, and interested. Besides,
with a proper sense of economy, and the power to enforce
his views, it ia incalculable hew much money he might save
to the country.
The simple fact that the machixery of the Mint, with one
exception, we believe stands now precisely as it stood more
than thirty years ago, in spite of all the immt nee strides
which skill and invention have made in mechanical science,
and in spite of all the efforts made in other countries to
simplify and improve the arts connected with coining, is a
significant instance of how much essential good might arise
from such an office.
la the evidence printed in the Mint report, the machinery
of the Mint is more than once called " stupendous;" but,
on inquiry, we tiud this great, stupendous result originates
in three mall steam-engines—one of 30, one of 16, and one
of 10-horse power ; so that we must consider the description
somewhat exaggerated..
We should likewise suggest the creation of another office
of greet importance to our plan, or the adaptation of one of
the existing offices to that end—namely, a comptroller, or
superintendent of all the practical operations, who should
attend in person, and not by deputy, exercise vigilance and
authority, promote discipline and regularity, correct all
abuses, and insist upon carefulness, attention, and economy
in veiny quarter. By his personal attendance and practical
knowledge, he would not only supervise the operations in •
beneral way, but daily examine the books, and satisfy him-
self of the correctness of every transaction. And upon these
conditions ben faithfully fulfilled, we cannot doubt his
salary, however liberal, would be amply repaid.
In the creation of these offices, we are of course assuming
that the present system of contracts be entirely abolished,
and that the permanent Minter of the Mint take the work
into his own hands, and under his own control and manage-
ment. This is the idea now predominant, and it ap-
pears to have also entered into the minds of some members
of the former committee. Whether this can be equitably
done at once,
moats is
nor do
rather
have no
of any
cerning
and seasons
Cases, we

"I.:;.l"S.,nce yesterday no doubt drawn together m toe expeFtaieni of the former committee. Whether this can De egwt.uq
had the rumoured meeting taken
reaping a little harvest„h done at once, in consideration of extant rights and agree-
ieh it migbt
r Ong
. . "lents, is a question we cannot undertake to answer['
pa}'ing LIVERPOOL—A numerous meeting or charters was
paying
,robber were held on the North Beach yesterday, but the peace remained nor do we care, for our observations are directed
rather to the future than the present. We can
:hristiaaity. undisturbed. have no wish to deprive the present offices&
page of the MANCHESTER.—The chartist meetings continue to of any emoluments secured to them—oar remarks not con-
world, else be held in Manchester almost daily, but do not possess mach corning individuals, but offices and systems—but as times
,sufficicm to interest. There was one at the Carpenters' Hall on Thurs• and seasons concur in a reform of the Mint, as in other
ce of a state day night ; another in Smithfield market yesterday ; one is cases, we anticipate any change will be for the public good;

01°4'

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