The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-15 00:00:00

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LONDON,
FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, 1833•

Lord ALTHORP last night moved, pursuant
to the notice he had given, for the appointment
of a Committee to inquire into the state of the '
existing corporations of England and Ireland ;
but did not bring forward his promised Bill for
the erection of new corporations. His Lordship
said nothing which could furnish a clue to what
were the views of his Majesty's Government
either as regards old or new corporations, or
which enables us to oppose more than the fact
of common sense laying the other way to the
statement of the Chronicle that corporate officers
are to be elected for lite. That Ministers have
fixed upon some general principles with regard
to corporations, there can be no doubt, for the
Bill amending those of Scotland, and that for
the erection of new ones in England, are already
prepared. Common sense would lead us to the
conclusion that what is thought good in those
cases would also be good for existing corpora-
tions, and that a plan would be adopted which
would---after providing for the interests of par-
ties having just claims to..eonsideration—ulti-
mately lead to the establishment of uniform mu-
nicipal regulations throughout the United Em-
pire. How great. a blessing this would be—
how great a saving of money, those acquainted
with the thousand questions which the present
state of the law, different almost in the case of
every corporation, gives rise to in the Courts of
Justice, can best; say. We fear, however, that
the appointment of the Coinroittee moved for by
Lord ALTHORP may mean, .that Ministers do
not intend to proceed upon the same principle
in the one "Oise as in the other. There were,
perhaps, some plausible arguments in favour of
a variety in the elective franchise, as long as -any
principle, but that of household suffrage, was
acted upon ; but there cannot be any reason why
the inhabitants of Bristol. or Liverpool should
not be placed upon precisely the same footing, as
to the election of their Magistrates, as it is
thought, fit to place those of Birmingham and
Manchester. The LORD A DVOCATE assigned
as a reason for the inquiry not being extended to
Scotland, that the corporation abuses of that
country had been already well discussed ; but,
slimly, those of England and Ireland are sufficiently
well known to make it safe to adopt, with respect
to them, whatever principles were adopted with
regard to those of the northern prat of the king-
dom. No inquiry was instituted on the passing
of the Reform Bill into the peculiar qualifica-
tions of electors of Members of Parliament in
different corporations. A principle thought to
be'good was taken, and applied to all boroughs,
old as well as new ; and we cannot see why the
same course has not been adopted in bringing
forward the question of corporation reform,
especially as Lord ALTHORP thinks it so de-
sirable to have the municipal institutions of Ire-

land and England the. same. We do not make
these observations in opposition to inquiry, for
we are satisfied that the more searching inquiry is,
the plainer will it be seen, that the present system
is bad in almost every part of it. All our fear is, that
this being so visible, the only object of appointing
a Committee is to cover some departure from
right, principles which Ministers are willing to
make on account of having formed a false esti-
mate of the force opposed to them. We trust
that we may be mistaken, and that the real object
of Government may be—although we think
needlessly—so to expose the abuses at present
prevailing, as to enable them to bring in a much
more liberal measure than they may suppose
they could otherwise carry. At any rate, it be-
hoves Reformers to be upon the alert.

Although the result of Mr. HUME'S motion
last night, was not exactly what the advocates for
economy could have wished, it being important
that the House of Commons should meet the
public cry for economy with something more
decisive than a mere declaration of a readiness
to entertain a general proposal for economy and
retrenchment, it must be satisfactory to see,
that, in a House of 370 Members, 138 voted
with Mr. HUME; and of the 232 who voted
against him, many were opposed to the motion
only on the ground of its being a little out of
season—the proper period for opposition being,
in their opinion, that when the different items
are brought under consideration.
It may, perhaps, be admitted that Mr. HUME
is too general in his denunciation of naval and
military sinecures, and that the better way of
dealing with them would be to expose them in
detail ; but we are sorry that some persons, who
have, in their day, male quite as general an
attack upon the system as Mr. HUME has just
done, should have evinced so much inconsistency
in their present mode of meeting the subject.
The entire system requires revision, and the
country will not fail to raise a great clamour, un-
less a speedy opportunity be taken of revising it.
There are few men in or out of the HouSe of
Commons, who would recommend the adop-
tion of an economy injurious to the service, or
unjust towards those who are fairly rewarded,
although the mode of administering the reward
be objectionable ; but when we see such things
on the pension and sinecure list as 3,0001. per
annum to a nobleman for a service rendered by
one of his ancestors, and large sinecures to
others who have never rendered important ser-
vices to the country, it is impossible not to de-
mand more rigid economy and retrenchment
than any we have yet witnessed, although we
gratefully regard what Ministers have already
done as an earnest of their good intentions.
The author of a recent work, alluding to the
military and naval establishments, says—

" The sums expended under the head of Dead Weight,
consisting of retired full pay, half-pay, civil superannuation',
and allowances to the army and navy, are equal to the re
venue of many powerful Stites. The number of the mili-
tary officers, on full pay, is 6.173 ; the number of military
officers, on half-pay, is 6,009. In the navy there are
5,528 officers; of this number 200 are Admirals, of whom
only ten are in actual service; 803 are Captains, of
whom only 79 are employed ; 836 are Comm tn.lers, of
whom only '7O are employed; and 3,09 are Lieureranro,
of whom only 669 are employed. The total sum annually
paid in retired full pay, half pay, superannuations, pen-
sions, and allowances to officers in the army and ordnance;
to militia-adjutants, local militia adjutants, and sergeant
maks ; to foreigners on h tlf pav, and to foreigners receiving
pensions, is 3,314.6321. 17s. 7d. Total sum annually l ar-
ab's under similar heads in the navy is 1 583,7971. 16.. 10d.
The dead weight altogether. including the superannuations,
grants, and pensions, in the Metropolitan Police, Excise,
Customs. Treasury. Stamp. Tax-offices, Revenue, and
Military Boards, is 5,363,6401. 7s. 11p."
This statement, which is, we believe, founded
on Parliamentary Returns, is quite sufficient to
justify a demand for economy and retrenchment ;
and Mr. HUME, although partially defeated at
present, may be assured that it will not be long
ere he behoitis the fruit of his persevering exer-
tions. Surely, when we see a dead weight of
more than five millions, and hear the CHAN.
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER declare that lie
car.not promise a reduction of the assessed taxes,
until he has ascertained the state of the revenue,
we may fairly exclaim against every attempt to
resist the demand for extensive economy.

It will be seen by the debate that Mr. PEASE
was last night admitted to take his seat in the
House on his simple affirmation, instead of the
usual oath administered on such occasions.

An extract from the Antwerp Journal du
Commerce, under the head of German Papers,
in another column, contains an account of the
duties proposed to be levied by the Dutch
KING upon articles imported into the port of
Antwerp. We must confess that we cannot see
upon what principles of justice even a ton-
nage duty could he imposed upon the transit
of ships to Antwerp; but the Dutchman's
idea of levying discriminating duties, and
overhauling the cargoes of vessels going into
a foreign port, is one of the most ludicrous
that can be imagined. It is true that Flush-
ing and his navy give the King of HOL-
LAND the command of the highway to Ant-
werp, but not more than our ports, along
the Channel and German Ocean, with the as-
sistance of our ships, give us the complete
command of the highway to every harbour
he possesses. What would WILLIAM of Hol•
land say-to our exercising our power as he now
proposes to do his, and insisting upon the pay-
ment of duties on all merchandise carried to
Amsterdam ? People, who depend upon might
instead of right, should take care that there are
none mightier than themselves. We trust the
Dutch KING will be told that he will not be
allowed to do that indirectly which directly he
has failed in accomplishing.

We stated a few days ago that the last note of
the Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs to Lord
PALMFRSTON on the Belgian question was
any thing but satisfactory. We now learn that
it has been considered by Lord PALMERSTON
and Prince TALLEYRAND as altogether inad-
missible, and that the question is admitted to be
in as unsettled a state as ever. A reply to this
note has, we believe, been transmitted to the
Hague, but, in consequence of the want of accord
between the British and French Cabinets as to
the propriety of another strong demonstration
against Holland, the reply is not of a nature to
effect any material change in the French policy.
The French Ministry wish to see more ener-
getic measures adopted than Lord PALMER-
STON is willing to arm to, on the grounds

as he observes, of the difficulty of bringing
the House of Commons and the country
to a sense of .the importance of such pro-
ceedings. His Lordship mistakes, we think,
the state of public opinion, and the strength
of Ministers in the House of Commons. Any
measure which would really tend to bring the
Dutch and Belgian question to a termination,
would be supported by a large majority of the
representatives of the people ; for, although the
opinion is general that there ought not to have
been any interference in the first instance, ever
reflecting man is aware of the mischief which
may arise from keeping the question open ; and
those only who have an interest in disturbing
the peace of Europe are advocates for procras-
tination. If Lord PALMERSTON really imagines
that the Dutch party in the two Houses of
Parliament, and the Journals which support the
pretensions of the King of HOLLAND, repre-
sent the feelings and opinions of the country he
is wholly mistaken.