The Sun.
London, England, 1821-10-19 00:00:00

And first, as " the front and head of the of-
fence " let us advert to the Treasury.
In order to'draw a just conclusion, it will be
necessary to examine minutely the establishment
of that officein the years 1796, 1309, and 1820,
and to compare the number of Clerks and the
extent of business transacted by them, with the
amount of their emoluments_ at those severe
periods. _
By referring to the Fifteenth Report of the
Finauce.Comtnittee, alluded, to in my preceding
number, it will' be seen that the establishment
of the Treasury, exclusive of., the Revenue De-
partment, consisted, in the year 1796, of four
Chief Clerks, six -Senior Clerks, and nineteen
Subordinate ASsistants, and that the number of
Papers registered in the same year, amounted to
4,830. In consequence of ,the great increase of
business in every subsequent year, and the in-
adequacy of the existing Salaries, an additional
allowance was made to each individual in the
year 1809, according to length of service, on a
progressive scale; which addition could in no
case exceed 4001. per annum. • Seven Clerks
were at the same time added to the former num-
ber, 'Making in the whole 36. The Establish-
ment as it stood on the 31st of December last,
consisted of four Chief Clerks, six Senior Clerks,
and thirty two Assistants, making a total addi-
tion of 13 Juitior Clerks to the Establishment,
in the space of twenty-four years. But this ad-
dition beaks no proportion to the vast increase of
business, inasmuch as the number of Papers re-
gistered in 1796 was only 4830, whilst those
registered during the last year amounted to up-
wards of 26,000, according to the Returns made
to the House of Commons ; so that although the
business of the office has increased in a quintuple
ratio, the nur.ber. of efficient Clerks has not
been doubled.

These observations apply, in a great degree,
to all the Public Offices, for, if the Treasury is
the heart and centre of circulation, the,, other
Departments are the arteries through which. that
circulation passes, and if a larger quantity of
water is thrown into the reservoir, the channels
which convey it must furnish a proportionably
greater supply.
It is not unworthy of remark, that no addition
whatever has been made to the number of Chief
Clerks, or to that of Senior Clerks, since the year
1796. Nor has anycompensation whatever been
made to them, subsequent to the year 1809, for
the additional labour and, attention which so great
an increase of business must necessarily have pro-
duced. The official documents heretofore cited
prove that the Papers received at the Treasury
have increased at the average rate of 900 annu-
ally, during the last 24 years.,
It was judge-d
expedient, in the year 1809, to
increase the Clerks' Salaries, on the old sound
and simple principle 9f, " The more work the
more ..pay ;" or, to use the language Of, " The
Reports," so great an increase of business.jus,:
tified an increase of Salary in proportion to the
addition of labour." But the framers of this
precious new Scheme act upon a totally different
principle, and by an entirely new rule of arith-
metic of their own invention ; the rule of retro=
grgilatian, which operates "by an inverse ratio of
remuneration, so that in proportion as the busi-
ness and labour of the Clerks increase.,,their Sa-
lariesare to be diminished.

We will now consider the plan, as it bears
upon the Junior Clerks ; I mean those who have
been about eight' or nine years in office, none of
whose Salaries exceed 200/. per annum, and
very few indeed amount to that sum. ,'They
have been looking forward with anxious solid-
tude to the expiration of the term of ten years
service, at
.which period they would be entitled,
by the Order in Council of 1809, to an addi-
tional allowance of 1201. per annum. Many of
them, in consequence of the insufficiency of their
Salaries for their necessary support, have in-
curred debts, which they . have no means of dis-
charging, if that engagement is not punctually,
fulfilled. Are stipulations. so sacred to be treat-
ed thus lightly•? .What answer can their Patron
give to these ill treated persons, when they ad-
dress him in language like the following :—" You
placed me in my present situation, under the
most positive assurances,.that at a certain period
my income would be raised to a specific amount.
I accepted the. situation on the faith of those
promises. I have made my arrangements ac-
cordingly. -The day is arrived when those en-
gagements ought to be fnalled.• They are set at
nought, and I am undone,—lt is now too late in
the day for me to seek another profession,—my
future prospects in. life are for ever blasted. To
my latest breath must I curse the hour when you
placed me in your office."
The second class of . Clerks ;—those, for in-
stance, of 18 or -19 years standing, have still.
stronger grounds of complaint. These are chiefly
married' men, having families to provide -for,
many of s whom have raised money on bond to
place out their children in the world ; to be re-
paid by instalments, out of the addition to their
allowances, Which they considered themselves as
certain of receiving at no, distant period. The
more prudent part of them have insured their
livtls, to the highest. amount that their income
will admit., in order to Maki- some provision for