The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-03-27 00:00:00

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from that which esisted at 'Oiliest. 'The race. before the Home did not comprehend all the mis•
lions proposed were very inadequate to the sl;era. lions. The whole maw of allowances fur Anthers-
boas of prices, by which those estimates were ad. radon; in 1791,inclading matey charges left out of the
vimeed eirashl•rably. comparing the pliers of 1816 present ret serum. such as those for Secretaries of Am-
ami 1811. He understood that the redactions pro- bassadors, Consul., Agents, Secretaries of Legation,
fared were 33,000/. on the part of the Crown, and i were 80,1851. The expense for Ambassadors alone,
80,000/. on the other branches. making together i is 1821, was 133.000/. Here be would supply the
sum very short of the advance which had been omission fur the other diplomatic charges from the
mode in the estimates by the decrease of prices. He 1 estimates of 1816, which corresponded in most
'rested this sacrifice with that of Queen Anne, particulars .with the 'armful, of 1020 ; the stlcli-
sok resignine *OO.OOOl. out of a, Civil List of I bona' charges of diplornatscetpeednurei 13.8201.1
000,000/. [liis Lordahip read that part of theQuierw.l making the whole diplomatic expenditure for 1821,
Speech which related to the stibieer, in which she 147,000/. which cost, Consuls included. in 1791.
sgthalowledged the bounty of Parliament, and pro-. no more than 89,0001. He enumerated ex-
' Weed. after saving all that timid be spared from penses of missions, for Secretaries of Legation,
the Civil List, to give directions for the applicatien I and other purposes, which he was sot far
of it to the services of the yeaci—What comps- from the mark in estimating at 120,0002.-
1 them was there between the sacrifice of one-eighth i He valued the whole expenses at 282,0001. The
gibe Civil List in that period, and the offtr to re- total estimates of Isla for this one heal were
dace a sum of not more than 81 ter cent. at pre. 926,0001.; but then there were charges laid before
seut—a period which was more marked by dis- Parliament in 1821, farrow& for Foreign Anibass3-
tress ? Let it be recollected that the Act for con- don—presents to Foreign Ministers—and several
Leung the Civil List was brought in after the other matters, which made the actual expense mount
assaciment of Mr. Peel's Bull. Be/ concluded, up to 982,000/. being an increase en the same ex-
trema the similarity of the items, that the esti- penises for 1792 of wiper cent. while the proposed
Cates for the Civil List made in 1816, were the reductions were not 10 per cent. His Lordship theta
undation for die Act of 1820. He proposed to put went into a detail of items of extraordinary diplo-
a• tof the question the climbers of the first class.— mastic expenditure. which chiefly related to the rats-
roig Lordship then went into a statement of details mons of Lords Castlereagh, Swaim, and Cathcart, at
shew that the allowances on the Civil List esti- Vienna. He particularly marked the year 1818 as the
atotesof 1816 agreed in most of the particulars with anus ariratilis for profusion in that class of expenses
the schedule of the Act brought in on the accession • year which was as extraordinary for the lavish-
of the King.} These estimates were founded on newer expense,as for the cold calculations of policy,
high prices before they had begun to decline; and the transfer that was made of the interests of
even at the time of passing the Act there was a I the people of Europe, without regard to their will
great difference between the prices then and at f —when every thing was given up to the stronger
present. The estimates of 'lBl6 having been the Powers, sad those negociations took place which
foundation of the Act of 1820, he was joatified I would long cause the English nation to be remem-
in aging that the classing of the Civil List had bered with hatred sad disgrace. He estimated the
nothing whatever of et.samitty in it. In former combined expenses of diplomatic missions and the
times there was • specific snin allowed to dis- eniertaincneut of Farrows Ministers in every way
charge all the expenses of the Civil List. The fur the year IBIS at 334,0001. He particularly
Crown then had a direct interest in economy. commented on the presents made to the Court of
If the expenditure on one branch were ester- Rennin, to which there seemed to be no end. In
regent, im encroachment must hove been made one year they amounted 12,1931. This was the
on another to redeem the loss. Perhainent did not way in which Parliament had exercised vigilance
then interfere—the Crown was left to manage its and control over the Civil List. Here were the re-
own interests. Now, what war the consequence, sults of that control in a permanent sugmentstion
since the arrangement of classes by Parliament had of expense to the amount of 74,0001. a year. He
taken place? One port of the services was pro- adverted to the method of managing diploma-
vided for by a specific suns, which was not subject tic appointments. He then came to the pensions
to variation ; the other branches were placed under granted to Foreign Minister,. An expectation had
what was called the vigilant control of Parliament, been held nut to Parliament that the expenses
and the result was a greater excess than at any of diplomatic missions were saved by the pen-
former time. They all knew how business was ions. The words of the Committee of Ft-
done in Parliament. Mett.tiree of that kind, if they nonce were, that it might be generally assumed
were reserved till June, or late its the season, and that in proportion to the amount of pensions
introduced late at night, might he passed, be what granted to foreign Ministers the expense of
they Might, without difficulty. S7nce that boast- salaries diminished, and rice . Ile wished to
ed arraugeinent by which the expenses of the ask, as the salaries had increased, had the pensions
Civil List were to be winched over and kept. really diminished ? lie believed not. Pervons were
down by Parliament, those expenses which were sent abroad nn minions to qualify them to re-
in
.1792, 898,0004 had increased in 1016 to ceive the pensions ; when tiny were ready they
1,847,0001. ; besides which, the list had been re- returned home to enjoy these pensions, and other
!need from the maintenance of the Royal Faintly sets were sent abroad to take their salaries.-

the veyment of the Judges, and several occasional•
payments. So that those services, winch altogether
Cost about 1,003,0001. in 179 i, trod in 1816 grown
in expense to 1,937,0001. He was not going to
complain of the expenses of the Kiel Family, brit
it was fit to he remarked that this expense was
equal to three-fourths of the money formerly rais-
ed for the whole civil government of the country.
The expenses of the first, fearili, and fifth classes,
together with the pensions grouted to the Royal
Family, were 678,000/. He considered that to
make the public bear the burdens laid on them
contentedly, there should be some sympathy thew°
them in their distress—not by words, bat deed..--
Looking at the curtailments made iu the salaries
of the great officers sod the sinecures, the country
bad no greet reason to be .ati•tied. tie was pre-
pared to chew that much of the expenses were
made available for purposes of parliamentary na
fiuence ; he might appeal to Mr. Bitrke's measure
for economical reform, and that pretended reform
of economy in 1817, when certain Acts were passed
to repeal several sinecure places, to prove the truth
of tins assertion. lie was sorry that he had ,a 4
the returns for which he had moved to elucidate
this part of lsi subject, that they might see at once
what benefit the public bed derived from those five
or *II different Acts. He did not Ititow that there
was any benefit accruing from them : one of them,
he believed, abolished the office of Clerk of the
Pell* end the Chief JUSLICre ill Eyre.. He believed
that nothing had been saved by that measure; ha
would Imre liked to cast up the profit and loss, and
to have ►een on which side was the b dance. Ile
Imbed to belie seen what was the amount given to
the holders of the offices in compensation for their
losses by the Act brought is the same year, entitled
An Act to enable has i♦laj.sty to eonopenssete per-
sons bolding high efficteist situations," &c. He was
Dot aware. but he believed that the col/opener-
-6ms • would swallow up all the savings effected
by the reductions of the offices. At the time
of Mr. Burke's economical reform, there were
several sinecure offices in Scotland which had

Their Lordships would find, upon examining the
returns, that the charge for pensions and that fur
salaries to the diplomatic branch of the civil service,
were both increased. Many of the Ambassadors em-
ployed in foreign pads received their salaries at a
rite of exchaage which imbjectrd them to • cones.
derable hw, and it was found necessary to make a
corresponding addition to their allowances in order
to compensate them for the loss so sustained. The
Revolt of the Committee on the Civil List, on
which the present scale hail been founded, stated
the amount of loos eostoined in some instance*, by
the variation of the exchange under particular cir-
cumstance., to hare extended as far as JO ur 40 per
cent. and recommended a proportionate increase in
the amount of the allowances; bat it added, that as
the cncumstances which gave rise to that unsettled
elate of the exchange might be expected to subside,
• corresponding diminution of the charge to *inch
it had given rise might be looked fur. No such
,diminution had, however, taken place; the ex-
changes had long since steady, if not entirely, re.
tamed to their stature! level ; why then had slot the
•appointrneuts aid allowances to the foreign Minis-
ters heels reduced ? Had the advooce in the pay
-sod allowances of foreign Ministers been productive
of benefit to those persons who were regularly trent-
ed to the profession of diplour cy ? He believed
..the fact to be quite otherwise. Formerly those per-
sons lied a fair chance of being promoted from the
inferior stations to those of higher rank ; but he be-
' belted no clisnce now reinatued of obtaining the
more lucrative appoiottneres hut to those who were
related to Members of Parliament. Ile remem-
bered many instances in former tunes of pries:sue
"shove exertion, and whose services had euceesaively
raised them through all the lower gradations to the
highest degree of diplomatic rauk. Now, how-
ever, no chance remained of similar elevation as
a reward of exertions, however rneti Orions; the
great prizes were reserved almost entirely fur the
connexions of Members of Porliasnent. The ad.
Vance of pay, therefore, had been followed by a
decrease of benefit to those who war regularly

not been abolished. At that time, 1797, u
question arose about the propriety of reducing
them : it was supposed by some that they were
protected by the Act of Union. Much cunning
and ingenuity were used on both sides. It was eery
plausibly couteuded by some of the Scot.+ holders
that the Act ought to be construed with respect to
the offices most fevuurably for the public. But
bow was the argument applied ? Why, that the
public were benefited by the plan which would put
most money into the Exchequer. The officer, in
fact, were protected and existed of that very moment
as complete sinecures as the Chancellorship of the
Duchy of Lsocaster. Mr. Burke proposed to re-
duce the Master of Site Muck Hounds and the
Master of the Hawks. He did not know who held
the latter office, or whether he was a Member of
Parliament or not. He intended, however, to
found his motion on the expenses of the third
class. Since 1793 there hud been a constant
rise in all the ■llowances fur diplomatic mis-
sions. There had been a frequent new model-
ling of the whole. accompanied with an inva-
riable tendency to increase. Its many cases the
businers, cud the very Courts where it had been
transacted, had beets swept away; but in no case
had the allowances been diminished—they had con.
stoutly increased. The importance of the missions
might have been more or les+ at different periods ;
the salaries: had gone on increasing. The returna

,Jruteglit up in the service. Io support of this
opinion the Noble Lied referred to the appointment
of Ambassador at the Hague, • poet formerly of
considerable labour and imporivaice from the nature
of the negociations winch were connected with it.
but, like an embassy to any petty Germen Court.
not thought worthy the aftenuon or acceptance as
Member of Par!lenient or any of his connexions.
There however he now found Lord Clauesriy. with
allowances to the amount of 11,0001. • year. with
no uppercut busineer of greater moonlit thou that
of yoke...nine petty Dwell town with his prepense.
Unless Sir Cheeks Stuart we* greatly underpaid,
the allowance to Lord Clancerty inept comei•
dered wextravagantly disproportioned to the duties
which lie had to perform. fle next in-tanced the
appoietment of Sir W. A'Court as Envoy Ex-
traordivary to the Court of the Two Siedies. It
might nu doubt be very convenient to that gentle-
man to have such all appointment, aid extremely
flattering to his Sicilian Majesty to have an officer
of that rank at his Cuurt ; but lie (Lord King) did
not know why the people of Euglaud should be
called on to pay for it ; at:d tie to any secemity
for such un eppointinent, he remembered an obser-
vation of Gibbon oil a similar occe•ion. that soy
account of the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius which
be might have to tratistnit to the Government at
home. would he found a much more important
subject of communication thou that of any polstical