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

and in the present condition of the people, as

stated in various communications from the ma-

nufacturing districts, we find it our duty to object
to a sum of 4:2,4041. voted this year, being
20,901. more than the vote of 1839, taken out of
the pockets of the industrious classes, and apprc-
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 10,0001. for
PUBLIC WALKS, 10,0001. for SCHOOLS OF DE-

SIGN IN PROVINCI IL TOWNS, and 3,5001. for Pic-
TITRES FOR THE NATIONAL GALLERY, making

together a sum of 67,5931. appropriated for the
amusement of the public, while a multitude of
helpless beings are starving.
It is to be expected that when the people are
poor and suffering, that gaols and the whole 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

840; 5,0001. for a GENERAL PRISON at Perth,

6,1831. for the JUVENILE OFFENDERS' PRISON at
the Isle of Wight, 19,4441. for the PENITEN-

TIARY AT IMILLBA2iK, and 6,200/. 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, 567,7041., for the
repression or punishment of offenders, exclusive
of the charges for Courts, Judges, and expenses
of similar charges for Ireland, amounting to no
less than 140,0001. We cannot say that any, or
all of these sums are absolutely unnecessary; to
us, however, they appear to he enormous. We

believe that touch 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 39,9741. 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. Bux•rox ? Again, we see
58,7001. 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 10,8801. Taking these claims
together they make a sum of 139,5541. 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 two votes for Justices and
education in slave colonies, amounting to 88,700/.2
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 Ibr the police of the &ave islands, and for
the instruction of the planters' labourers 88,700/.

a-year.
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
6,0601., PORT ESSINGTON 4,4231.; 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 a charge
of no less than 6,652/. for EMIGRATION AGENTS,
&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 be exclusively blamed for this expenditure,
for some of it, as 5,000/. for a COMMISSION TO
INQUIRE INTO THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN
IN MINES ; 9,000/. for FACTORY INSPECTORS,
and 16.500/. 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 (rid,
and would have prohibited all his subord;:aate
Ministers from indulging their fancies, ar.,d
expense.
pro-
secuting their experiments at the publi,‘
In conclusion, we must notice the increase
which has gradually taken plate 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 2,3C6,921/. It was, in 1833, 2,007,1591.; in
1834, 2,061,395/. ; in 1835, 2,144,345/. ; in 1836,
2,279,310/.; and in 1841 it is, as we have already
stated, no less than 3,269,5831.; thus exceeding
the average of the five years ending with 1836
'ay 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, by dispensing with many
things which the Government has lately taken
on itself, or been called on to perform, would, in
a very short time, cover the present deficiency
of the revenue, and bring it and the expenditure
more on a level. Economy on this subject might
have saved the late Ministers a world of obloqui ;
We 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 i
the public will demand new and more extensive
services from it year after year, the public must
large
' be prepared to see, year after year, sums
added to the charge for miscellaneous services,
which, like ssndries in a bankrupt's account,
seem comprehensive enough to embrace every
article which an honest Government or an honest
man wishes to hide.

It will be seen from our Bow-street Report
that another of the police-constables has de-
camped, afraid to meet the charge brought
against him by Captain MACDONALD, which ire
reported on Friday. Captain MAcnoNALD, with
the unfortunate woman who was treated so
cruelly, were taken to the station-house, and
when brought betbre the Magistrate next day
(the conduct of the policeman being so out-
rageous) were instantly discharged. The police-
man, however, was allowed to go at large, and
consequently will never more be heard of. When
the charge of cruelty and false imprisonment
was made out so clearly against him, it was the
duty of the Magistrate to have placed him in
the dock, and ordered him to find bail for his
outrageous conduct. In another police report it
will be found that a policeman and an inspec-
tor both swore to charges which the witnesses
disproved, and the exculpatory evidence was so
strong, that the Magistrate came to the conclu-
sion that their evidence could not be depended
upon. We hope yet to see the day when no