The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-01-31 00:00:00

DOCTOR FII.4NKLIN.

An iotereoing NVork, iu quarto, cont ' ' g the
Memoir:. of IbuN great snail, been
,just
Wr reconiniend the following extract to the unto-
lion of our Legislator%

sFEECII OF DR. FRANKLIN
IN THE CONVENTION ON THE SLIIJECT OF
SALARIW4

SlR—it is %%111i f1:111C1311Ce that I rise to express
a ditapptokition of any one aitiele of the plan, fur
whirl► or are so much obliged to the honourable
Gentleaseila who laid it before us. From its first
reading I have borne a good will to it, and in gene-
ral wished it SUCITtIe. Ili this particular of salaries
to the Executave branch, I happen to differ; anal
us any opinion may appear new and chimerical, it
is only from a persuasion that it is right, said from
a sense of duty that I hazard it. The Committee
will judge of my reasons when they have heard
theta, and their judgment may possibly change
. I think I see iticonveniencies iu the appoint-
mein of salaries, I see none iu refusing them, hut,
on the coots-airy, great advantages.
Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful
influence in the affairs of men. These are ambition
and ararice ; the love of power, ami the love of
money. Separately, each of these lass great force
in prompting men to action ; but wheal united in
view of the same object, they have in many it . i ttt Is
the most violent effects. Place before the eyes of
such meal, a post of /mower that shall at the same
time be a place of pro/it, said they will move heaven
and earth to obtain it. The vast number of such
places it is, that renders the British Govert►tnent
.so tempestuous. The struggles for them are the
true souice of all those factions which are pea ire-
tI111111). 1111,1dihig the nation, distracting its councils,
hurrying it sometimes hallo fruitless and mischievous
wars, tool often !wiling u submission to dts-
•lMnnuruhle terms of peace.
.tad of what kind are the yawn that will strive fair
this p►utitable pre-eminence, through all the hustle
of cabal, the heat of contention, the iialialite mutual
abuse of patties, tearing to pieces the best of cha-
racters ? It will hot lue mile wise aiiii moderate, the
Int tr. of !mace and good order, the meal fattest for
the titi..t. It will be the bold 31111 thrviolent, the
urea of strung imprimis anal iiidr fatigable ;tensity
tat their selfish pursuits. These will thrust that
se! ves into t, our government, and he tour rulers.
And thew, too, wall be mistaken to the expected

happiness of their situation ; for their vanquished
competitors of the same spirit and from the same
motives, win perpetually be endeavouring to dis-
tress their administration, thwart their meesuses,
sod render them odious to the people.
Besides these evils, S'r, though we oily set out
iti the beginning with moderate salaries, we shrill
find that such will not he of long eon . i .... mice.
Reasons will never Ire wanting for proposed twig.
pirittitions ; and there sill MIWKVI he a party fur
giving more to the titters, that the rulers may be
aide in return to give mine to them. Hence, es till
history itilorms us, there has hero its every state
and kingdom, a constant 'mod of warfare between
the govertong and the governed ; the one shittog to
obtain more for its support, and the other to pay
less. Ahd 'Ohl has Aube oectisionerf great convul-
sions, actual civil wino, ending either in Jethro ll ioo g
of the princes or enslaving of the people. Gem.-
rally, indeed, the ruing power carries its 'mint. and
we see the revenues of princes constantly Metros.
tog, stud we see that thee are lieVer satislied„:"Si.!
always in want if more. The more the people are
discontented with the oppression of taxes. the greater
steed the prince has of to distribute among
his partisans,and pay the troops that are to suppress
all resistance, and euithle him to plunder at pleasure.
There is scarce a king in a hundred who would
nut, if he could, follow the example of Pliaroali—
get find all the people's money, then all their lands,
Atill theikunike them and their children servants for
ever. .h will be said, that we du trot propose to
estah4sli. kings.—l know it; but there is a natural
twit ktion in mankind to kingly goversimesit. It
ilMiattimill relieves them from aristocratic dominos
tioo. They had nailer have one tyrant than fire
hundred. It gives more of the appeariiiice of
equality moon:: citizens ; and that they like. I
sin appiehei,sive, therefore—perhups ton appre-
hensive—that the goveritinent of these States play
in future times end in u ininisrcliy. But this
catastrophe, I think, iniv be lung delayed. if ill
our proposed system we (knot sow the seeds of con-
tention, factiou, and tomb by making our posts
of honour places of !nog If we do, I fear that
iiii
though *e employ at h t a saintlier mid not a
single person, the number will in time be set aside ;
it will only nourish the firms of a king (as the
Iltniourabie Gentlemen from Virginia very aptly
expressed it), and a kill will the sootier he set
over us.

It may he imagined by some that this is an
Uptonian idea, mid that we can never find men to
serve 11, in the executive department, without pay-
ing them well for their service.. I conceiveshis to
he a mistake. S exist's% facts interne them-
selves to nie, which incline me to a contrary
opinion. The High Sheriff of a county in Eng-
land is au honourable office. hut it is not a profit-
able' one. It is rather expensive, and therefore'
trot sought for. But yet it is executed, awl well
xecuted, and usually by some of the principal
Gentlemen of the county. In Fiance, the office
olCounsellor or Member of their Judiciary Parlia-
ments, is more honourable. It is therefore pur-
chased at a high price ; there are indeed fees
on the law procveding,, which arc divided
among them, but these free do not amount
to more than three per cent. on the sum
paid fur the place. Therefore as legal interest
is there at five per cent., they in fact pay two
per cent. for being allowed to do the judiciary
Nosiness of the 'potion, which is at the seine time
entirely exempt from the burden of paying them
any sularies for their services. Ido not, however,
mean to recommend this as an eligible mode for
our judiciary department. I only bring the in-
stance to shew that the pleasure of doing good mod
serving their country, and the respect such con-
duct entitles them to, are sufficient motives with
some minds to give up a great portion of their
time to the public, without the mean inducement
of pecuniary satisfaction.
Another instance; ;‘,.tliait of a respectable society.
who have made the. experirnent, and practised it
with success 110 W more than a hundred years—l
mean the Quakers. It is an established rule with
them that they are not to go to law, but in their
controversies they must apply to their monthly,
quarterly, and yearly meetings. Committees of
these sit with patience to hear the parties, and spend
lunch time in composing their differences. In do-
ing this, they are supported by a sense of duty,
and the respect paid to usefulness. It is hoi 1111 l ruble
to be so employed, but it was never made profitable
by salaries, lees, or pro quisities. And linked in
all eases of public *el Mr, the less the profit the
greater the I
To bring the miller nearer home, have we not
seen the greatest and t important of our office*,
that of General of our armies, executed for eight
years together, without the smallest salary, by a
Patriot whom I will nut now offend by any other
praise ; and this through latigues mid distresses in
with the other brave men his military friends
and companions, and the constant anxieties peculiar
to his stat ? and shall we doubt findito,; three or
four men in all the United Stairs, with public sutra
enough to bear sitting in peaceful comic' I, for perhaps
an equal term. merely to preside over our civil
concerns, and see that our laes are duly executed ?
Sir, I have a better opinion of mir country. I
think we shall never be without a sufficient 'lowlier
of wise and good men to undertake and execute,
well aid faithfully, the office in questioo.
Sir, the saving of the salaries, that may at first
lie proposed, is not an object with u,e. The "oh-
setistriit mischiefs Of proposing them are what I ap-
prehend. Alla, theisi'me, it is that I iiic.ve the
eweatimeht. If it is not seconded or iv cepted. 1
iii net be contented with the bati,t.,ct 1111 l of having
delivered my oi li ll ion frankly, and dinie any duty.

Mao is prone to perpetioste bis mime. To this
end our Minister, or some oNe in desperate eircuut-
.tauces. hsr liit ou liantirt's expedient—'• There's
110 PC II ;mat non's memory may outlive bis life hill
IL year : but by'r ladys he must bsild Cauacilts
them."

The principal arrangements, which are upon
scale more extensive than the.public have ima-
gined, may be collected from so much of the pro-
ceedings of yesterday us we 'feel justified iu de-
scribing.
Capt. FRANK LAND. previously to the commence-
ment of the discussion upon the specific object ast
the Meeting-, mentioned that some seamett. 'who
had pensions of 111. and 16/. a yeuri were found
begging in the streets ; those certaiuly we►e not
entitled to participate in that which A,Aqs iotruttrd
for the relief of the distressed; on the (votress',
they merited punishment, which lie trusted the
Lord Mayor was authorised to inflict.
The Loan MAYO& repented the assurance be
had made before, of a determination to resider all
the assistance in his power, by the appreliensidis of
such mendicants, and the disposal of them accord-
nig to law.
Captain FRANKLAND said, it was supposed by
some that the comae of his complaint origims•ed or
the want of vigilance upon the rot of the Police
Officers, and perhaps in the want of
manifested in taking blib-s to permit the soliciting
of eharily.
The LORD MAYOR said, he had su•l•eeted that
an understanding of that kind existed between
some of the Police Meets and the begging
seamen. He had told the former that he wiiiil4l
imdantly suspend any person goilty of such base
conduct ; and he assured the Committee that em-
itting should change that intention.
The object of the Meeting was theu brought
forward.

The statement laid before the :Veering compre-
hended the following important filets :
There are now in the River six ships for the trie
of the healthy seamen, and one hospital ship. They
are captble of receiving 1,400 men.
One thousand and Arty-one have been already
received on board.

One Imildred and ninely-seven of those havo
been disposed of effectually—some in lam:haws'
service, and others in the navy.
There are in attendance upon the sick, u
Surgeon, and two Assistant-Surgeon., pail
by the C
One Physician, Dr. Rankin, of the Eist India
Company's Service, attends gratuitously.
There are now on hoard eight hundred and fifty.
nine, all of whom, with the exception of about ten,
have been serving in the navy.
The men certainly tit for service do not amount
to less than FIVE HUNDRED.

But four death* have taken place duce the ships
were fitted out for the reception of the men.
About HO have been cured of the itch. Those
applicants for relief, whotu it was impossible to ac-
commodate at the commencement and during the
prodigious influx of seamen in the *hips, the work-
house, and other placesl, were supplied with three-
pence each nod a fourth of a qua, tern loaf every day.
Orders have been given for several days past to
the officer of the Abundance, receiving ship, to take
all seamen who apply on board lor examisiation.
There is a regulation which was adopted very
prudently when the plan was Fropoted, that sio
person who had an infectious disease 61,oki!d be ;of.
mated amongst those poor fellows, ..i:o.•e poverty
*objected them to trials enough. .ilier conduct•
adopted by the Committee, upon fi:oling :bat there
were grounds for apprehensions of this kind, is to
give au adequate provisirn to the diseased, aini e:„..
elude him from all intercourse with those who,
would in all probability be gicut auffeters by the
communication. _ _ _

In the account laid before the Committee foreign
seuinell were out folgutteu. It was stated that
there were 59 foreigners, besides thoee of colour,
who amounted to 49; and there was au unsnimni,..
declati.tion, that noise who could not lie provided
with clops, asol who were not very acceptable in
their own countries as claitnants upon 'Allelic sup.
wit, in consequence of haring fought fur Fogland,
should be considered in the light of Englishmen.
There appeared in a Sunday Paper r letter in
which the conduct of the Col 11111 l tree was attacked.
The letter was noticed upon this occasion, And
dared to be a most gross falsehood. It relatril
the application of a black man for relief, which it
asserted was denied, mid contained some comments
upon the cruelty stated as having accompanied that
dental. Th. re appeared a very general fveling of
indignation iittiutigst the Connnittee aga.tic the au.
thor of the 'instatement.

Whatever attacks i hey might be subject to ('role
titis;l ou the parts or other.. or el rmir
upon thetas, they couipatulated theatt.thrs