The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-06-25 00:00:00

gree of complexity and confusion, which cal have
no other effect than to mislead and deceive the.
public, and to incapacitate the great majority of
the Members of Parliament who have sot specially
devoted themselves tteilse seedy-of the siecionta as
to an abst►use science, from forming an indepen-
dent opinion upon the actual state of the finances
of the empire, sad consequently to prevent them
from suggesting the means of correcting the errors,
or guarding effectually against the commission of
abuses. But the worst of the evil seems to be the
extreme difficulty, nut to say the emulate impossi-
bility, under the present aspect of our public ac-
counts, of discovering frauds committed by officers
upon the public purse, should soy of them betray
the confidence that is reposed in their fidelity and
honour. We have no cause to suspect that stirlt
crime is practised by any persons now in
hut all who have had occasion to see sod exauti..e
the returns made from the Mosul to the tittle,*
of the [louse of Coalition', must feel how easily the
'moieties and diversities than appear in the details,
occasioned by the frequent transfers of sums of
money from one heed of account to another, and
the different aspects under which the same accounts
are usually presented, may be made a cloak for
dishonesty, and no wise Government ought to con-
fide too implicitly in the iucorruptible ►utegrity of
its inferior agents.
The machinery of our Sinking Fund is particu-
larly complicated, and proportionally clumsy and
expensive. The nominal amount of this fond is
about 17,000,0001. a year, which, if it sieve suffered
to operate freely, would quickly disencumber the
station of its debt, and enable even the present gene-
ration to taste the advantages of • very considerable
remission of taxes; but our Ministers are so hi-
mentality euansoured of unnecessary and wasteful
extravagance, that since the return of peace the
funded debt of the country has rather increased than
diminished. The Sinking Fund now supposed
to be actually *wadable is said to be 4,000,0001.
but in point of fact it does not at present exceed
4,000,000/.; and even this sum, the stile remaining
hope of the nation, the Ministers would, without
the slightest remorse or hesitation, convert to some
more selfish purpose, should the indulgence of
any favoniite scheme, or the unexpected failure of
the receipt of the revenue resider the appropriation
of it convenient. There is a manifest absurdity
is thus maintaining a nominal Sinking Fund to a
large amount, while the nality is so inconsiderable;
but the absurdity might be endured if the system
of upholding it in name, while the ants.tance per-
forms the numerous evolutions prescribed by the
magic influence of an Act of Putliament, were not
attended with much inconvenience to the public in
practice, and with much expense and waste. The
object of Mr. Eeercs's Committee will be to re-
duce the nominal fund to a real one, and when
this operation shall be performed, we trust thut Par-
liament will so consecrate the actual Sinking Fund
to the purposes of its creation as to secure it from
the unhallowed gripe of any present or future
Dieters.

Connected with this arrangement, which bespeaks
the assurance of • permanent system, the promises
made by the Marquis of LONDONDERRY of fur-
titer retrenchment in the expenditure of the Govern-
ment become doubly important. It is ■ fearful
thing to contemplate the magnitede of our public
debt, and compute it with the means now provided
for its liquidation. No Minister who prefers the
public good to his own personal and transient in-
terests can, without alarm, view ouch a burden as
inseparably annexed to the country ; and if he he
an honest or a humane man, he must prepare him-
self to sacrifice some portion of his patronage,
when it is obvious that without so doing be
cannot establish any adequate means to counteract
the evils of so oppressive • burden. During the
discussions this Session on the budget, in whicla
Mr. Hume so essentially contributed to enlighten
the Government avid the country upon the possibi-
lity of effecting an extensive retieuelmaitt in the
expenditure, it was strewn very sufficiently that
reductions might he effected with ease to the
amount of from three to four 'lndio'''. Let the
Ministers iu the next Session adopt this principle
let them, in proposing their estimates, skew such a
diminution of expense us will leave a clear surplus
of revenue, under the name of a Sinking Fund.
to the amount of 8,000,000!. annually ; and if, by
the wisdom •ud firmness of Parliament, this sus►
be scrupulously deemed to the payme.it of the debt,
the people will feel grateful to the Mitistaters of the
Crown ; and as energy flows from confidence, thee
will, by increased activity, enterprise, and insfustt,%.
promote the salutary objects of the Govecumeo
and enlarge generally end individually the sphere
and means of public prosperity.

Admiral Lord Cowitu.s is o:peeted in Curl:
next October, as successor to Sir .:ustas liowLsv
in the Admiralty command on the Irish station.
Sir EDWARD PAGET and suite nbark in a short
time on board the Wasp's) frigute, Capt. Dovt.E,
for Ceylon.
It is said that one of the ships unler the orders of
Commodore Sir THOMAS HARDY, on the South
American station, is to be sent to endeavour to
penetrate through llliering's Straits, in the hope of
meeting with Captain PARRY.
The trials of Mr. THRLWALL, and the other per-
sons prosecuted by the Bridge-street Association.
will stand over till October, in consequence of the
suspension of hilliness on account of the coronation.