Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-16 00:00:00

uncalled-for state. No wonder, indeed, that so
far back as 1780, Mr. BunKs should have said
of these revenues, that " they exhibited the
apparatus of a kingdom for the jurisdiction of a
few private estates, and the formality and charge
of the Exchequer of Great Britain for collecting

the rents of a country squire."
Let us see how the revenues of the Duchy are
appropriated. According to Mr. Wise, the
number of persons who are engaged in the
management of these revenues is sixty. Their
united incomes amount to 8,2571. per annum.
In the first place, we have the Chaneellor, who
is a Cabinet Minister, with a salary of 2,0001.
Formerly he was a kind of judge who sat to hear
appeals when the Duchy was a sort of minor
kingdom. At present it would be difficult to
state what return he makes for his share of the
spoil, unless that he is the obsequious supporter
of the Premier of the day. After the Chancellor,
comes his Vice, who holds a court some three
or four times a year, for which duty he is paid
6001. The Receiver-General, whose principal
duties are to receive the rents, and lodge them
in COUTTS' Bank, has an allowance of 8781.,
a 'hefty good allowance for the performance of
such trivial labours. The Auditor has 2001.,
and this official, although disposed to ferret out
improper disbursements, is denied the power
and privilege of doing so. After the Auditor,
comes a Clerk, a Secretary, and a Registrar,
whose united claims reach the sum of 1,3421.
per annum. Under the Registrar are four Clerks,
receiving in all, 1,310/. ; a Solicitor, 300/. ; a.
Surveyor and several assistants, 5001. ; two
Attorney-Generals, one for the County Palatine,
and the other for the Duchy. To these we have
to add fifteen Receivers, and twenty-three
Stewards. There are other charges on the
estate, including 6031. for donations, 3351. law
expenses, 540/. for surveys ; 903/. for annuities;
and, as the last, but most convenient mode of
balancing an account, the sum of 1,873/. for
" sundries."

If the expenditure has been thus lavish, the
management of the estates seems to be equally
faulty, and totally regardless of the- interests of
the crown or the public. Take Nedwood Forest
for example, and what do we find ? For fourteen
years the value of the timber sold has amounted
to 11,893/., whilst the charges for cutting, &c.,
has reached no less a sum than 9,959/.1 The
Nedwood Forest produced 5,744/,. but the costs
were 18,4901.! ! Connected with this particular
branch of the affairs of the Duchy, there is a
singular, but very useless office, namely, the
Axe-bearer, who receives a salary of 2001. a year,
although, we believe, for years and years that
public official never yet beheld his implement of
authority and office. After the expense of
managing the forests, we come to the Royal
preserves. For the feeding of the game in
Fleetwood forest there had been paid, during
the last five years, 496/., and salaries to the tune
of 1,1131. These preserves, it appears, are not
kept up for the Royal use, but to gratify the
sporting propensities of the neighbouring gentry.
And, to crown all, there is another item, the
mention o which cannot fail to excite surprise
and ultithately provoke a laugh, naffiely—
•
the travelling expenses of the Seal, 48/. !
Surely it must have proceeded to and from
London by special train.
Enough has been said to satisfy every one
that there is not, among the several departments
of the Government, one which shows a greater
degree of extravagance than this said Duchy
of Lancaster. Mr. WISE did not get any
reply, much less a refutation, to the charges
which he set forth. No one could contradict
the fact, that the income of the Crown is far
less than it should be from possessions of such
extent and value. Mr. BAINES, as Chancellor
of the Duchy, replied to Mr. WISE. His whole
speech was apology for the past, and a promise
of amendment in future, and then takes some
credit that, under his administration, the income
to the Crown has advanced to 20,0001. a-year.
But this will not do. The administration of the
Duchy belongs to the past, and as such should
be swept away. Useless officers must not only
be abOlished, but all the empty forms and
ceremonies connected with the whole affair must
be swept away. Let the estates be managed by
a few practical men of business, and give to the
Crown all the monies now paid for keeping up a
set of useless officials, and both the Crown and
the country will be gainers by the cbange.