The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-20 00:00:00

and in the present dondltlon of the people, as
stated in various communications firma atm ma-
nufacturing districts, we find it our duty to object
to a sum of 42,4041. voted this year, being
20,9041. more than the vote of 1839, taken out of
the pockets of the industrious classes, and appro-
priated to the BRITISM MUSEUM. In like man-
ner, we object, while the revenue is deficient, to
a vote of 1,6891. for a MUSEUM OF ECONOMIC
GEOLOGY; to granting at present 10,000/. for
PUBLIC WALKS, 10,0001. for SCHOOLS OF DE-
SIGN IN PROVINCIA.L TOWNS, to 3,5001. for Pic-
TURES FOR THE NATIONAL GALLERY, making
together a sum of 67,393/. appropriated for the
amusement of the public, while a multitude of

helpless beings ate starving.
It is to be expected that when the people are
poor and suffering, that gaols and the wtiole ap-
paratus of a preventive police should be costly.
Accordingly, in the estimates we see a sum of
30,0001. for a MODEL PRISON, 45,0001. having
been voted for the same scheme in 1839 and

1840; 5,0001. for a GENERAL PRISON at Perth,
6,183/. for the JUVENILE OFFENDERS' PRISON at
the Isle of Wight, 19,4441. for the PENITEN-

TIARY AT MILLBANK, and 6,2001. fOr INSPECTORS
OF PRISONS, while the charge for CONVICTS
amounts to no less than 343,8801. There is a

charge, too, for PROSECUTIONS, amounting to
147,0001., making in these few items more than
half a million of money, 567,704/., for the
repression or punishment of offenders, exclusive
of the charges fin- Courts, Judges, and expenses
of similar charges for Ireland, amounting to no
less than 140,000/. We cannot say that any, or

all of these sums are absolutely necessary; to
us, however, they appear to be enormous. We
believe that much less would be required for
these purposes were the people prosperous; and
we are quite sure that, in the present state of
public distress, wise rulers should abstain from
making costly, and possibly pernicious, experi-
ments with model prisons, and other nicknackeries
of criminal jurisprudence, which reflect no credit
on humanity.
Amongst the expenses which, in the present
state of our own population, and the present
state of the revenue, appear to us unwarrantable,
however zealously called for by importunate
schemers, and though already sanctioned by the
House of Commons, is a sum of 39,974/. for the
EXPEDITION TO THE NIGER. Why should the
over-wrought, over-taxed, and under-paid work-
men of England, contribute the smallest frac-
tion of a farthing, to further the doubtful
schemes of Sir F. BUXTON? Again, we see
58,700/. is appropriated to " JUSTICES IN SLAVE
COLONIES," and 30,0001. to " EDUCATION IN
SLAVE COLONIES." At the same time Sierra
Leone, Gambia, and the Gold Coast, put us
to an expense of 10,880/. Taking these claims
-together they make a sum of 13,5501. extracted
this'Year out of the pockets of the starving white
people of England to pay for schemes to pro-
mote the welfare of the, ,blacks of Africa and
the West Indies. The tWt.j votAs Ibr justice and
education in slave colonies, amounting to 88,700/.,
we look on as an additional sum which the
people of England give the planters, besides the
' discriminating duty on sugar, after buying their
slaves at an enormous expense. England now
pays for the police of the save islands, and for
the instruction of the planters' labourers 88,7001.

aicar.
We have heard a great deal lately of self-sup
porting colonies, and the companies which have
been established to send out colonists have
vaunted occasionally of the benefit they are of to
the public. It would seem, however, as if the
public money which flows into them were some
compensation to the companies and settlers for
the advantages they confer on the mother coun-
try and themselves. Sir R. PEEL alluded to the
great expense caused by New Zealand and
South Australia, both self-supporting colonies ;
but in addition, we apprehend, to the sums he
spoke of, we find WESTERN AUSTRALIA down
in these estimates for 7,0991., NEW ZEALAND
6,0001., PORT ESSINGTON 4,423/. ; while there
is a charge of 2,000/. for the FALKLAND ISLANDS.
All these are, we believe, new charges, and they
may serve to show how the expenditure for the
Colonies, which are spoken of as so exclusively
advantageous, is growing to be a vast burden on
the induStry of the country without much reliev-
ing it of surplus hands.
Connected with this subject there is it tl'arge
of no less than 6,652/. for EMIGRATION AGENTb,
&c. At the same time, however much the peo-
ple may hunger for bread, that they may not
lack spiritual food, 11,0001. is given per year to
the CLERGY OF NORTH AMERICA. We have
only adverted to a few of the items of the mis-
cellaneous estimates, and from these the reader
will see what a prolific source they are of in-
creased expenditure. The late Ministers are not
to he exclusively blamed for this expenditure,
for some of it, as 5,000/. for a COMMISSION TO
INQUIRE INTO THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN
IN MINES ; 9,0001. for FACTORY INSPECTORS,
and 16.5001. to COMMISSIONERS FOR PREVENT-
ING TRAFFIC IN SLAVES, has been provoked
by the demands of the public, and urged on
Ministers by the Houses of Parliament. At
the same time, we are bound to say that a Prim',
Minister, jealous of his own character, and
anxious to promote the public welfare, would
have placed a more powerful check on the gene-
rosity of Parliament than Lord MELBOURNE did,
and would have .prohibited all his subordinate
Ministers from indulging their fancies, and pro-
secuting their experiments at the public expense.
In conclusion, we must notice the increase
which has gradually taken place in this branch
of the public expenditure. Not to go further
back than the year 1832, a period sub-
sequent to the time when the alteration was
made in the Civil List, which threw some addi-
tional charge on the miscellaneous branch of the
public expenditure, that branch then amounted
to 2,396,921/. It was, in 1833, 2,007,1591.; in
1834, 2,061,395/. ; in 1835, 2,144,345/. ; in 1836,
2,279,3101.; and in 1841 it is, as we have already
stated, no less than 3,269,583/.; thus exceeding
the average of the five years ending with 1836
by 1,092,7571. Now, one million sterling a year,
which, by diligent husbandry of the national
resources, might probably be saved in the mis-
cellaneous services, ley dispensing with many
things which the ,og,erninent-; has lately taken
on itself, or been ctillo;.i.) 4to :Perform, would, in
6.,Blesent deficiency
a very- short time, -ctiv4„'
of the revenue, and biing:itlanli the expenditure
more on a level. Economy omi this subject 'might
have saved the late Ministers.a world of obloquy.
NVe repeat, however, that there is no other way
to reduce the expenditure of:the Government
but to limit the sphere of its operations; and if
the public will demand new and more extensive
services from it year after year, the public must
be prepared to see, year after year, large sums
added to the charge for miscellaneous services,
Which, like szndries in a bankrupt's account,
seem comprehensive enough to embrace every
article which an honest Government or an honest
MALI wishes to bide.

the Post, that
We been again assured by
the new Ministry wi adapt their conduct to the
wants of the age, and will do what circumstances
and events require. Sir ROBERT PEEL, it is ac-
cordingly supposed, has put off till February his
explanation of what he gill do, in order to as-
certain what the people will demand. He wisites
to It!.tro by exptriettee how the nation will hear

i)

kit I;. , iii ;ii Jl, J!;

kis

co).ce,:;siolis, or go
if tlic bLt;t-cci, this and Ecbruar:
play much res?ect for Tory domination, a readi-
„ess to yoke themselves to the Tory chariot, and
Right Hon. Baronet finds continued sup-
ipf the•
oitin the country, lie will make no concessions.
He will then conclude that circumstances do not
require them, and he will maintain all the mono-
polies and abuses lie was carried into office to

tt,.

• :3!, ;;till

If the publ:e, if:!) or a iti.l6,e part of o
betray continued impatience under Tory rule—if
commerce does not revive--if the Anti-bread