The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-19 00:00:00

ALETTER TO THE KING.
By " THE SILENT MEMBER" of Blackwood's
Magazine.
' In 1789, Louis XVI. was hailed as the Saviour of his
Country, because he placed himself at the head of a Rdorm-
ing Ministry. In 1793, he was led out to execution.
History teaches by example.

To—morrow will be published, the
EDINBURGH REVIEW, No. CV.
CO UT.ENTS . _ _

I. Lingaas History of England—ll. Cauises and Cure
'4. Disturbances and Pauperism—lll. Public Schools of
England ; Westminster and Eton—lV. Schiller and
Goetke's•Carrespondence—V. Reade's Poems ; Cain the
Wanderer, Revolt of the Angels, &c —VI. Muller's His-
tory and Antiquities of the Doric Race—Vll• Bulwer's
Siamese Twins, and other Poems—Via. Taylor's His-
toric Survey of German Poetry--IX. EpistoW °bana-
1-Drum Virorum ; Character and Authorship of that re-
markable Satire—X. Beechey's Voyage to the Pacific and
liehring's Strait—Xl. Parliamentary Reform, and the
Minibtry.
Longman and Co., London ; and A. Black, Edinburgh.

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER.

SALARIES.

COPY OF TREASURY MINUTE, DATED ♦PRIL 15, 1831,
REDUCING THE SALARIES OF PERSONS HOLDING OFFICE

DURING PLEASURE, AND BEING MEMBERS OF ZITHER

HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT.

T. SPRING RICE.

Whitehall, Treasury-chambers, April 15, 1831.

COPY OF TREASURY MINUTE, DATED APRIL 15, 1831.
My Lords read the following Order of the House of
Commons, made upon the motion of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer on the fith day of December, 1830 :
" Ordered, that a Select Committee be appointed to in-
quire what reductions can he made in the salaries and
emoluments of offices held during the pleasure of the
Crown, by members of either House of Parliament."
My Lords read the report of such Select Committee,
presented to the House on the 30th of March.
My Lords advert to the opinion expressed in the said
report, that it is essential " that the public service of the
State should be discharged at the smallest possible ex-
pense which is consistent with its efficient performance;
but that at the same time no consideration, merely of a
pecuniary nature, should be set in competition with the
paramount and evident necessity of securing for offices of
great trust and confidence the highest class of intelligence
and integrity."
Entertaining a confident hope and expectation that these
two objects may be combined, and may he obtained by
adopting the recommendations of the Select Committee, my
Lords feel it their duty, at the earliest possible period, to
carry these economical recommendations into effect.
My Lords consider this step to be in strict accordance
with the measures they have already taken or directed, and
more particularly with their minute of the 25th January
last, by which, on the suggestion of Earl Grey and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, inquiries have already been
instituted for the purpose of ascertaining, in the first place,
whether the salaries of the persons employed may not be
in some instances greater than is required for the perform-
ance of the duties of their respective offices ; and, secondly,
whether the expence of the different departments of the
State may not he dioaulshed. con.iatently with a due re-
gard to their efficiency.
THE TREASURY.
My Lords direct that the salary of the First Lord of the
Treasury should be continued at the net sum of 5,0001.
per annum ; but that in all cases in which the office is
held in conjunction with that of Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, the salary attached to the latter office should be
reduced one-half, making a total sum of '7,5001., or a
saving of 2,500/.
My Lords direct that the salary of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer be reduced to a net sum of 5,00(11., putting an
end to the present complicated mode of payment, and thus
effecting a saving of 398/. per annum. Direct the fees of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer to be carried to the Fee
Fund.
My Lords direct that the salaries of the Junior Lords
be reduced to 1,2001. pet anum.
My Lords are pleased to approve of the reduction of the
salaries of the Joint Secretaries of the Board from the
present amount of 3,500/. to the amount recommended by
the Committee of 2,5001., by which a saving of 2,000/.
per annum will take place.
Let the necessary steps be taken to carry these reduc-
tions into effect from the sth of April last.
OFFICES OF SECRETARY OF STATE.
Write to the Viscount Melbourne, the Viscount Pal-
merston, and Viscount Goderich, calling their Lordships'
attention to the report of the Committee with respect to
the salaries of his Majesty's three principal Secretaries of
State, and suggest the expediency of giving effect to that
report by an Order in Council, reducing such salaries from
their present amount of 6,000/. to 5,000/. each, and
also reducing the salaries of one Under Secretary of State
in each of their offices, from 2,000/. to 1,5001.
By these reductions an annual saving will be effected of

4,b0-0/.
With respect to the office of the permanent Under-
Secretaries, who are stated by the Committee to remain in
office during different changes of Administration, and who
thus make a profession of official life, my Lords are of
opinion'that their appointments should be distinguished
from those which are more exclusively of a political cha-
racter, and connected with Parliamentary duties. They
cannot therefore unreservedly concur in the views of the
select Committee, considering that the saving of salary
for three years upon such appointments is a matter of in-
finitely less importance to the public, than the increased
probability of obtaining, upon vacancies, the services of
men of high character, experience, and acquirements for
the discharge of duties of the most confidential and re-
sponsible description.
The appointments of the Parliamentary Under Secre-
taries of State frequently lead to advancement in the
higher offices of the Government, whilst to the perma-
nent Under Secretaries those appointments are, generally
speaking, the commencement of a laborious course of
profession of great trust and of close application.
Further, it is not unfrequently the case that persons ac-
cepting these appointments are called upon to sacrifice
other pursuits, and to quit active and profitable profes-
sions, in the prosecution of which their experience has
been acquired, and their cap icity fir office has been proved.
These remarks, my Lords consider applicable to the
Permanent Under Secretaries of the three department..
Such an acquaintance with the relations between the
British Empire and Foreign countries, such an accurate
knowledge of the complicated but most important interests
of the colonies, as are indispensably necessary to assist in
carrying on with effect, and frequently under changes of
administration, the business of those two depirtments are
not qualifications very readily discovered, nor are they of
very frequent occurrence ; and when it is further con-
sidered of what importance it is to the service of the State,
that the Secretary for the Home department should be
assisted by the knowledge and experience of a lawyer of
character and professional station, and how deeply the
interest of the public is involved in the performance of his
duties, both as relating to the administration and the im-
provement of the laws, my Lords do not conceive that
there is any departure from the principles of a wise
economy in continuing the present salaries of 2,0001. per
annum to the permanent Under Secretaries of State.
PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE.
Write to the Lord President, and suggest to his Lord-
ship the expediency of giving effect, by an Order of Coun-
cil, to the report of the Select Committee, by a reductionof
the salary of the Lord President to a net aw of 2,000/. per
annum, by which a saving will be
effected of 840/. 17s. 4,1.
OFFICE OF PRIVY SEAL.
,71 t
his
the re-
i
Call the attention of the Lord Privy
&rnmendation.of the Committee as affecting S.
g s office;
,„idence and although it appears from his Lordship's that‘