The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-03 00:00:00

FINANCE COMMITTEE.

The following is a copy of the Second Report
from the Select Committee on Public Income
and Expenditure :

ORDNANCE ESTIMATES.

The SELECT CommirreE appointed to inquire into the
State of the Public Income and Expenditure of the
United Kingdom, and to. consider and. report to the
House, what further regulations and checks it may be
proper, in their opinion, to adopt, foi. establishing an
effectual controul upon all Charges incurred in the Re.;
et*, Custody, and Application of the Public Money;
and what further measured can be adopted for reducing
any part of the Public Expenditure, without detriment
to the Public Service :--Have further proceeded to an
examination of the matters referred to them, and agreed
to the following Report :--
The Committee thought it proper to commence
their proceedings with the examination of the Esti-
mates of the Army, Navy, and Ordnance, because
they expected, by taking this course, to be able to
report their opinion on each of those branches of
Expenditure before the period should arrive when
the public service of the country would render it
necessary that they should be brought under the
consideration of the House: but although they have
used all the diligence in their power, they have
not been able to accomplish that object with respect
to the Estimates for the Army and Navy, and by no
means so fully as they could have wished to do with
reference to the Estimates for the Ordnance, which
form the subject of this Report.
The Committee think it right to state in this
place, that while they have been engaged in collect-
ing a very extensive body of evidence, and a great
mass of documentary information relating to the prin-
ciples and details of the Expenditure in these three
great branches of the Public Service, they have
not been neglectful of that very material object
of their inquiry,—the present State of the Income
and Expenditure of the Country.—Upon that subject
they intend forthwith to submit their views and con-
clusions to the House in a separate Report. ,
In reporting upon these Estimates; the Committee
haVe been induced to give the precedence to those
of the Ordnance, because they have found, in the
course of their inqUiries, many circumstances to lead
them to the opinion that the principles on which the
Ordnance Department is constituted, are better for
securing an efficient and economical despatch of bu-
siness, than those on which the other two Depart-
ments are founded. They are disposed to think, that
they may have occasion' to recommend to the House,
to examine whether the mode of conducting business
and controlling the Expenditure, in the Ordnance
Department, may not be usefully introduced into the
other Departments.
The Committee have not had time to do more
than inqnire, in a general way, into the principal
items of the Ordnance Estimates; they beg, there-
fore, in now remarking upon them, to have it under-
stood, that they &not wish their observations should
be considered as final, or as precluding them from
entering upon fUrther investigations with respect to
all the subjects treated of, or from making additional
recommendations with respect to any particular
branch or item of expence, if at a future period, upon
more minute inquiry, they shall conceive such inves-
tigations or recommendations to be requisite; 'and
they particularly desire to state, with respect to some
parts of the Estimates on which they
.give no opi-
nion in. this Report, that their silence is not to be
considered as marking their approbation, of them,'
but as proceeding solely from the want of time, which
more minute investigation would require.
The Committee, in making the following general
observations upon the, questions of expenditure and
retrenchment, are anxious to explain the principles
by which they have been guided in reporting their
opinions to the House. In the first place, they
unequivocally declare their full assent to the prin-
ciple, that no Government is justified in taking even
the smallest sum of money from the people, unless
a case can be clearly established to show that it will
be productive of some essential advantage to them,
and of one that, cannot be obtained by a smaller
sacrifice ; and the Committee think, that the Legis-
lature.
of this country is More particularly bound
never to deviate in the slightest degree froth that-
principle, in consequence of the' great perManent
burdens which the vast amount of the National Debt
has imposed upon the people. The Committee are
aware that nothing requires more wisdom and pru-
dence than to fix the public expenditure at such an
amount that the real wants of the people shall not
be made to give way to any imaginary wants of the
State; the latter arise from so many sources, that it
is frequently very difficult to prevent the operation
of an undue influence.
With regard to retrenchment, the Committee are
sensible of the great difficulty which lies in the way
of its accomplishment; for if, with the view of ren-
dering it in any great degree effectual, they should
feel it to be incumbent upon them to propose reduc-
tions in the army and fleet, they will have to oppose
themselves to great authorities and to the alleged
necessities of the public service; and if, in seeking
to obtain any considerable savings in official esta-
blishments, they should propose, as they probably
will be obliged to do, a considerable reform of the
administration of the public. expenditure, they will
have to contend ss ith deeply-rooted prejudice's, and
with the private interests of many individuals. They
are also sensible of the ungracious nature of the bu-
siness in which they are embarked; that all parsi-
mony is of it quality approaching to unkindness, and
that every economical reform must operate in some
quarter with severity; but the present circum-
stances of our finances render the attempt abso-
lutely indispensable.
The Committee particularly desire to draw the
attention of the House to the fact, that the ancient
and wise controul vested by our financial policy in
the hands of the Treasury over all the departments
connected with the public expenditure, has been in
a great degree set aside. Although it is the prac-
tice to lay the annual estimates before the Board of
Treasury, the subsequent course of expenditure is
not practically restrained as. it might to be, by one
governing and responsible power, but remains too I
much under the separate
.management of the de,
partments.

introducei time
The
ehe theyt tend.
d e " c Y
The want of a constant check over the expen-
diture, which is the consequence of the departure
from the old and constitutional course, has esta-
blished a scale of expence greatly. beyond what
existed during former periods of peace. Each de-
partment naturally endelvOurs to exalt its own im-
portance ;' and wishes to promote its general efficiency,
and to have every thing in it complete and per-
fect. Hence the desire to secure these objects,
rather than the exigency of the public service, has
bad too much influence over a great
partof the pub-
lic expenditure. In some branches of the service,
old modes of conducting public business, full of
co.lplexity and inconsistency, have too long been
suffered to exist, official forms and returns have been
multiplied, and the result has been an unnecessary
increase of establishments. While, however, the
Committee consider thetuselves called upon to make
these remarks upon what appears to them to be de-
fective in the existing system, they fed at the same
t
many 1 esp el cc
tes icao iji suisdtei craeb lbeo iunilipd rotvoemdeerci ltasrhe a Vteb übte ei :II
to expense now complained of,
Principally originated in the extraordinary circum-
stances of the country during the last war, which
led to measures, suggested by. the difficulties of the
moment, rather than by a due consideration of the
charge which they would occasion. The long con-
tinuance of this'system established habits which have
never been eradicated.
Although the Select Committees of Finance, and
the Pruliamentaty Commissions of Inquiry, which
have been appointed during the last twenty-five
years, did not succeed to the full extent that was ex-
pected, their Reports have been highly beneficial.
Some important reforms have been the result of
them, and the body of information whiCh they con-
tain has been of essential use to the Committee. In
pursuing the same objects of reform and retrench-

Sir Henry Hardinge, on being asked, " Who are
the officers who constitute the Board of Ordnance ?"
replied, " The Lieutenant-General, who•is the chief
officer of the Board; the Surveyor-General ; the
Clerk of the Ordnance; the Storekeeper, and the
Clerk of the Deliveries." He then proceeded to
say, " Each-officer has a separate control over his
own department: I conceive.. great advantage is de-
rived from the present constitution of the Board of
Ordnance; each Board eater has a separate respon-
sibility, as the Head.of a Department, and he, there-
fore; incurs the responsibility of taking care that the
Department of which he is the head shall be con:-
ducted according to the regulations laid down ; ht
has the power of investigating and rectifying any
mismanagement, if any such exists in his own office,
and he meets at the Board three times a week for
general business, where others have the power: of
checking the arrangements in his office, if any thing
is going wrong; and I consider the system a much
better one than that of mere Board Officers, where
no one has a control over a separate department. I
consider myself responsible that all regulations re-
lating to Accounts are carried into execution ; the
Surveyor-General is responsible that the duties of
the Department which he superintends are properly
s
executed ; and then the Master-General having a
controlling power over the whole, can check any net
of the Board, and is, in fact, supreme over the Board
and the Department."
tiiiiiiigigTteho, askedhavingen.Cthoemmoh:iietstgeGoeirlalgEvidence
c: e
" Does your Grace' concur in the opinion ex.
pressed by Sir Henry Hardinge ?" To which his
t the following a dt.e?ftl re
lt.iiDicu Henryitikte question
Grace replied, " Entirely." His Grace proceeded
to say, in answering other questions_." The Board
of Ordnance is, in myopinion, a model forßoards—
for every Member of the Board has a particular de-
partment. This is always .scar advantage, on account
of the celerity with which business can be done; and
at the same time there is every check, because every

thing comes under the view of the Board ---ab hough
in its detail's it is managed by one head, and,then the
whole business conies daily under the superintes4-•
mice of the Master-General from the reports which
he requires. There is a detailed minute of all the
proceedings of the Board, and the Master-General
has daily under his view a knowledge of every thing
which is going on in each department. There
hardly any duty that an officer performs that doe::
not come, in some degree, under the revision of the
Board ; for instance, each of these gentlemen making
i report periodicallY of all the business theyrtransact,
of the Number of accounts that they have settled, the
'lumber of returns they have examined—all this is
reported td the Master-General ; sO that it comes
before the Board, and any transaction at the Board
itself conies, before, the Master-General."
In respect to the best manner of forming a Berard
for controlling the Public Expenditure, the following
part of the examination of the Duke of Wellington
appears to the Committee to be of great importance:
Q. " Is your Grace of opinion that this system of in-
dividual management is better than by Committees of
Boards " Yes, certainly."
. Q. "Does your Grace conceive that iu the former case
the inferior officers and clerks perform their duty better ?"
—A. 'f

Q. "Has ea,7l,
jndividual offi, er the patronage of his
ilepartvnezit ?" a r
A. .ach of the principal officers of the
Ordnance has the patronag of his own department. The
Master-General has the patronage-
,
of the appointment of all
the officers out of those particular dui,:rtments."
The Committee has given to the evidence
of the Duke of Wellington and Sir ::4enrY Har-
dinge the consideration that is due to it
in coil-
sequence of, the high authority from which pro-
ceeds. They have considered the circumstaCces
on which it is founded ; and the result is, their con-
curring in the conclusions which the Duke of Wel-
lington and Sir Henry Hardinge have come to, in
favour of the general constitution of the Ordnance
Department. fhe Committee are of opinion, that
where there is collective responsibility, eaLh indi-
vidual is disposed to consider himself as in a great de-
gree relieved from personal responsibility; but that
where there is individual responsibility, no such feel-
ing can exist ; responsibility is then brought home to
each individual, and is a constant motive to render
him faithful in the discharge of his public duty. The
Committee think that in the latter case (which is
the case of the Ordnance Department), while, on
the one hand the advantage of a prompt and con-
sistent administration is secured by personal respon-
sibility, on the other, the tendency which there
always is, when power is vested in a single person,to
abuse it, is effectually restrained by the continued
checks of the controlling authority of the Board
and Master-General.
But, however wise the principles may be, which
are the basis of the Ordnance system of Administra-
tion, the Committee cannot forget the waste and
profusion which marked the conduct of this Depart,
ment during the last War; a circumstance which
proves, that notwithstanding an establishment may
be framed on the best principles, matters fluty go
wrong unless it is controlled by some higher power.
So that, although the Committee have no hesitation
in expressing their approbation of the administration
of the Ordnance Department as it is now condticted,
they feel, at the sometime, as experience spews, that
no perfection of the forms, or of the organization of
a Department, can alone be a security against abuse;
but 'that it is" indispensably necessary that the
Treasury should at all times, and on all occasions,
exercise a real authority over it.
'The following extract from the evidence of S.:r
Henry Hardinge will explain to the House the im-
provements which have been introduced into this
Department since the year. 1820. " The Ordnance
Civil Establishment," he says; " in 1820, consisted
of 504 civil officers and clerks, and the expense was
127,9321. The consolidated establishment of 1828
consisting of 530 civil officers and clerks, their salaries
amounts to 121,0001. ; that is, including the whole of
the departments transferred to the Ordnance. So that,
in 1828, we are performing all the duties of the depart-
ments transferred, for 6,000/Jess than the Ordnance
alone cost in' 1820. In the four departments which
have been transferred to the Ordnance since 1820,
there were 200 officers and clerks, and their salaries
"amounted to 41,1554 ; adding ate Ordnance of
1820, the total number, previous to the consolida-
tion of the four departments with the Ordnance, will
be 704 civil officers and clerks, amounting to
169,087/. The total number this year amounts to
330 civil officers and clerks, their salaries amounting
to 121,6814, being a reduction in favonr of 1828 of
174 clerks and ciuil officers, and a saving of 47,406/."
The Committee feel it to be justly due to this de-
partment, to acknowledge the good public spirit
which has been displayed by the forms which have
been introduced into it, and by the zeal with which
the business of it is carried on.

While, however, they are called upon to bear
testimony to the great exertions made by the Duke
of Welling-ton, and to bestow praise on the Board of
Ordnance for the improvements they have effected
during the last eight years, they would fail in the
proper discharge of their duty, were they not to
mention that many valuable reforms were made by
his predecessor in office. It appears that the Treasury,
in consequence of the Conunittee of Finance of 1817
having pointed out several abuses, proposed .various
measures for putting a stop to them, whieli were
readily adopted by the Master General and the
Board. Sir Henry Hardinge says, in the evideace
given by him to the Committee, " It would be a
great injustice to those who preceded the Duke of
Wellington, if I were to attempt to claim this (the
saving which had been made in the expenditure of
the Department), as a merit solely effected since
1820."—" The reductions that were made by the
Master General who preceded the Duke of Welling-
ton were made on a large scale." " I find that in
the years 1817, 1818, and 1810, three-fourths of the
whole expenditure were diminished."—" I beg to
state, that on the Estimates since 18,17 .up to the
present year, the Ordnance Department have credited
the public, in diminution of the votes required of
Parliament, a sum exceeding 2,000,0004 in amount.
This system was first put into operation by ,Lord
Mulgrave and my predecessor Mr. Ward."
The Committee cannot take it upon themselves to
say, whether, notwithstanding so much has been
done in diminishing the
,expense of the
.Ordnance
Establishment, every practicable reduction has been
made; since, in order to form a correct opinion on
this question, it.would be necessary to enter into
a!I inquiry be prosecuted
which, however, they
by the Govern:-
de-
tails of the duties of inferior officers and subordinate
departments.--,The,multiplicity of claims on the at-
tention of the. Committee will not permit them to
aretne of
tit
etrfin someuopvcuinii
opinion
other.cb should
way,
as it will appear, in a sub-
scriueni,pa.rt of this Report, that the present esta-
blishment is a much greater charge to the public
than-it was some years ago.

FROM lIATSELL'S PARLIAMENTARY
PROCEEDINGS.

" Sir John Leech, having sat in the House, not having
taken the oaths, as he was bound to do by the Statutes,
went out of the House to the Lord Steward's Deputies, de-
siring to have the oath ministered to him : but they first
asking him Whether he had sat in the House, or in tbiq
Parliament? Whareto he answered he had ; and they then
demanding whether he had taken the oath in part, or
110111 at all ? He said, none at all ; they forbore to give
him the oath till they had first acquainted the House with
it, which they did. A debate arose, in which Mr. Crewe
said, Sir John Leech cannot serve in Parliament, for
then the House should dispense with an Act of Parlia-
, merit,. • which saith—‘ He,whe sitteth in the House un-
.neurn, shall be accounted as a man not elected or returned.'
•-;ie John Leech was then called to the bar, where he
kneeled ; and then being bid stand up, he confessed he had
at in the Muse a quarter of an hour, on Wednesday morn-
ing last, being unswcra. He was therefore disahlial to
serve in this House for this Parliament, and a new writ was
sent forth by course, not by order."—Pail. 1620.
" The oaths alluded to were the oaths of siTrtmacy and
allegiance."—Note in Resell, vol. 2, p. 83.

Tl:e Esex Hop Plantations are not so
I,toini;,:ng as they wti e a few clap back...7,6'oex licral(f.

We do not know that we were surprised at Earl
'Grey's opinion given on Tuesday night, respecting
the extinction of small notes. His Lordship spoke
with a caution becoming his character : he only ad-
vised the consideration of the subject. For our own
parts, we think that if the subject is not understood
ne,w, no consideration, no investigation will, in any
degree, tend to surmount the difficulty : and we
think farther, that if public attention be not un-
wisely and unnecessarily called to the measure now
lit pros ees for the total extinction of the small notes,
The few that still remain will be called in with as
little difficulty,—indeed, we may say as impercep-
tibly,—as the many which have already retired.
The person whose petition Earl Grey presented,
Henry Burgess, states, on we know not what
grounds, that the small notes nets in circulation are
twice as many as the Chancellor of the Exchequer
stated, and that they amount in fact to 5,000,000/,
instead of 2,500,0004 Well, be it so, if Mr.
Burgess pleases ; what is the subduction et
5,000,000/. from a circulation of 65,000,0004 'e
And it being even allowed that the remaining por-
tion does amount to the aforesaid 5,000,0004, even
this is but a third of the mass once in circulation :
sad why should the recall of theremaining third pro-
duce earthquakes, inundetions, and conflagration,
when the extinction of the first two-thirds has hap-
pened with a cee'im sky? Can Mr. Henry Burgess
tell us thae'e Or has he told it to the House of
Lords 'in his petition ? However, we do not be-
lieve Mr. Burgess's statement ; for we think, first,
liaat the Chancellor of the Exchequer exhibited can-
didly all the criteria by which a judgment could be
formed, and drew his conclusion; fairly froot his pre-
mises ; and we are certain, next, (for tve con trust
oursenses even on this marvellously obecuresubject),
that ocular observation confirms the Right lion.
Gentleman's statements. If there are 5,000,000/.
,f small notes still in circulation, where do they cir-
culate ? Neither ourselves nor our connexions see
many of them. The fact is, that various petty in-
conveniences arise front the want of that small note
circulation to which we have unhappily been so
long subjected, as men aspiring to virtue feel ecca-
eional uneasiness 011 quitting their bad habits; and
there is at this time a perfect redundance of gold on
the market, enough and more than enough to b 11•
ply the place of the 2,500,0004 of small no,-.0
there are in truth no more) which are •,repatin.t.o
retire, we hope for ever. But it •zor the very
high character of Lord Gr.
their traeli uon the 1/1 ey `et encourage-
ment to the country l'eteers tee continue slzoving
p /.
ar/ta 111) to the last moment,
the fearful period e.r, April, 1820,
the result will be
that many Heirwill then break ; and their merit-
ed inisforti,,,,, their well-earned punishment, which
by mo(1-eration and prudence they might have avoid-
ed, by them, but not by the public\ be attribut-
ed to the obstinacy of 'Ministers, in 'bringing beck
the nation to a sound state of carrency. This ob-
etitiacy, if such it be, honourable at once to the Go-
v eminent and to the resources of the country, will,
we hope, be shown., Nn counsel can be pursued
Imre agreeable tie the wishes of the people, or more
ealculated to promote their permanent interests.
'Government ought to stand or fall by this question.
But then they should give - full notice that such is
their intention—that they will suffer no relaxation
it the measure of driving I?. notes out of the circu
intim'. And we should like to see that Admini
etratiott which should come in upon the principle o
bringing us back to small notes and Bank restric.

Aecounts are published by order of the House of
Commons, to show the amount of foreign silk ma-
nufactures imported into the United Kingdom
through the Custom-house, and also of those which
had been seized by the officers as contraband, and
sold, restored, or otherwise disposed of : the latter
account covering the whole period from July, 1826,
to the Oth of last April ; the former account—viz. of
unlawful importations—being for the first quarter of
the present year. Both accounts arc in an inconve-
nient and slovenly form, not pi esenting, in any one
clear view, the total value or quantity- required.
But after some search, it is easy to see that, neither
from the sinuegler nor from the fair importer, has
the British silk-manufacturer the slightest cause for
complaint or dissatisfaction at the present state of
the duties on foreign silks.—lbid.
We publish the report of a meeting held yester-
day at the Crowe and Anchor Tavern, iii aid of
the election of Mr. O'Connell for the county of
Clem. The only striking circumstance in the pro-
ceedings was a statement made by Mr. G. Dillon,
that Mr. Butler, the iearned and highly respectable
_English Rome)) Catholic lawyer, had given it as his
positive opinion, that Mr. O'Connell might, if re-
turned for Clare, take his seat and vote in Parlia.
meat, without taking the oaths, arid without in-
curring a penalty for the refusal to sweat. Now, if
this be so, a consequence follows for which it seems
a little unaccountable that neither Mr. O'Connell,
nor Mr. Butler, nor any other Catholic should be pre-
pared,—via. that there is in that case no need of
emancipation, for there is in fact no grievant e--the
Catholics can already sit and vote in the House of
Commons, and a fortiori in the House of Lords.
What is it, then, that they still complain of? and
what means all this pother ?—lbid.
Iffere is one good that will attend the election
'fer the county of Clare—it will benefit the Irish
Revenue, arising from the drinking of spirits, and
other exciseable commodities; it will also affotd
amusement and conversation, and relieve for the time
ennui. among the people of that isolated part of the
United Kingdom. We hope the Government will
neither interfere with the election nor the Associa-
tion in Dublin. The subscription raising for Mr.
O'Connell's return, when distributed among the
lower classes of people in Ireland, will be beneficial
to them. It would appear from the subscriptions
that the Irish arc not so poor as they have repeatedly
told us they were. We would recommend the Mi-
nistry to lay on Ireland again the assessed taxes.
Ireland could and ought to bear a much greater pro-
portion of the taxation than she does. Talk of
grants, indeed, for Ireland, when Dublin, in so short
a space of time, could muster such a grant for Mr.
O'Connell's return to Parliament We would have
the Duke of Wellington and Mr. Peel bear this in
mind when next any Irish Company applies for a
grant. We would also have Mr. Hume, Alderman
Waithman, and others to recollect Ireland's grant for
Mr. O'Connell, when next "grants for the improve-
:peaty. Ireland" are applied for by Mr. Spring Rice,
Mr. James Grattan, or any other Irish Member of
the House of Commons.—Morning Herald.
The contested election for tie county of Clare is
the subject which of all others at the present moment
engrosses public attention. We have nothing new
to communicate respecting it, excepting the report
of a Meeting which was held yesterday for the pur-
pose of supporting Mr. O'Connell. His return, we
}relieve, is all but certain, and maNy persons enter-
tain the idea, that he will not only be returned, but
'ill also be able, owing to the deficient provisions of
the law, to sit, speak, and vote in Parliament. His
return will, at all events, bring the Catholic Ques-
tion before the House of Commons in a novel point
of view, though we must, at the same time, express
our doubts how far it will tend to advance it with
the people of England.—Morning Advertiser.
The Meeting of the Catholics in London, to
which we alluded on Tuesday, was held yesterday at
the Crown and Anchor. Lord Rossmore was in
Ike Chair, supported by some dozen of gentlemen;
and Henry Hunt, a much greater man than Lord
Rossmore, was in a chair, which he contrived to
make a much more conspicuous one, supported by
Sir Charles Wolseley and about the same number
of his friends. One half of the room was empty,
arid the other was filled by a miscellaneous assem-
blage of persons with shock heads and broad shoul-
ileis, to the number of about two hundred and fifty ;
among whom there might be at least twenty clean

shirts, so that, considering every thing, we may say
in the language of the Reports, the Meeting was
numerous and respectable. The Resolutions pro-
posed by the Committee were not more objec-
tionable than might have been expected. They
were moved, seconded, and carried in a very cool
quiet way, and we were not a little apprehensive
that a farce, which had been got up with some care
and much industry, might pass off without a single
laugh. We were, however, agreeably relieved by
Mr. Hunt's rising. He spoke, as he usually does,
about reform and all that, and much breath was
wasted, and many horny palms were wearied, in re-
sponding to his declamation. So far all was well, but
when the Resolution which he had risen to move
was laid before Lord Rossntore, his Lordship
would not put it to the Meeting. He said
it was contrary to the requisition, and there en-
sued, in consequence of this praiseworthy resolution,
such a clamour between the supporters of Daniel
O'Connell and the supporters of Radical Reform,
that for an hour by the clock, a spectator would
have imagined that Bedlam had broken loose, and
the fugitive inmates sought shelter in the Crown
and Author. A vote was at length taken, and
Hunt's radical resolution was carried, but the Chair-
man insisted that it was not carried, and then a di-
vision was called for, when it was carried again, and
his Lordship and his immediate friends and suppor-
ters rushed out of the room. Such a hasty retreat
was not relished by the radical party, and Sir
Charles Wolselcy was put into the Chair, and the
resolution was put over again, and, as may be
imagined, carried unanimously, notwithstanding the
laudable endeavours of a middle-aged gentleman,
with a ragged coat and a greasy handkerchief, who
insisted on " :Taking," because he was an Irishman
and a Catholic. Laying aside further consideration
of this piece of well intended mischief, we cannot
help feeling gratified at the expose of the senti-
ments of the Catholics which took place. It com-
pletely bears us out in all our anticipations. The
object boldly avowed at the meeting, and unani-
mously applauded, is not the mere ousting of Mr.
V. Fitzgerald, nor mere opposition to the
Wellington's Ministry, but the estabLsthoent of of
system, in pursuance of which
every man who shall
venture to dispute ~.e c
I,arrests tna Catholic fasso-
elation, in the mo
meet with sir
c minutt particular, may look to
in the•
treatentatir. Our anticipation, that
event of aaeneral election the same game
.‘otild be played all over Ireland, we have no doubt
wiP hr fulfilled to the letter ; and, not satisfied with
the notable folly of returning one Member who
cannot sit, they will return fifty. We were in-
formed, indeed, by one gentleman at the Meeting
yesterday, that Mr. Butler had consulted the highest
legal authority, so high, that it could not be named
(Lord Eldon F), and that authority enabled him to
say that Mr. O'Connell might take his seat !
O‘Connell, though he endeavours to persuade others
that it is true, is not so simple as to believe it
himself, for he has, it seems, determined to set up
Mr. Pierce Butler as a third candidate for Clare, in
order that, however the game fall out with himself,
Mr. V. Fitzgerald may if possible be defeated.—
Has Mr. Fitzgerald ever offered any personal slight
to the Libertador? Public principle is seldom so
persevering without a little private rancour to urge
it on.—New Times.