Star.
London, England, 1830-07-10 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS

HtitALD..—Tt will be seen hy our parliamentary most that, last
night, on the third reading oT Libel Law Amendment Bill, Mr.
lime alluded to the case of Mr. Alexander who is now suffering
iit prison the penalties of empleio law, for the freedom of his talc-
tures on our present " liberal " Administration. Ali. Hume asked
the Attorney.Oenetsl whether, as his Majesty had extended his
clemency to certain individuals under sentence of death, it was likely
that the same course would be adopted with respect to that unfor.
tunate individual? The Attorney-Gennsl said he had nothing to
do with the subject, but his opinion remained unchanged as to the
propriety of the course that had been folloWed. We presume that is
a course opposite to what mercy would dictate, or we should hare
been distinctly informed of it before. We believe there woe
Some bad cases among those to which the noblest prom.
gative of the Crown has been graclou.ly extended; but, In some
quarters, it is easier to forgive moral than political offences. Mr.
Huine stated that some of the parties were found guilty of murder;
of that ere are not aware, and think, on this point, he was misin.
formed. We do reeollect indeed that one of the convicts had
been sentenced to die foi forgery ; but we apprehend that the
recorded decision of the House of Commons against the pro.
rii • ety of inflicting, death for this crime, will prevent the ea-
tal punishment from ever again being carried into execution.
'II is certain, however, thitt a number of felons who had been
flootned to terminate their career upon the scaffold, have, by
the Royal favour, been saved from the exterminating sentence
of the law. We still hope that the King, who has so au•
ipiclously commenced his reign by consecrating its first moments
to mercy, will not deny to a political offence—and that too an of-
-1 fence committed in an excess of seal for the principles that placed
' Ms family on the Throne—the benevolent consideration which he
has vouchsafed to crimes of malignant guilt and moral turpitude.
It is better that the King should gratify the feelings of Ms people,
than deserve the approbation of his Home Secretary or Attorney.
General. The blessings that clemency draws after it, will live to,
shed lustre oo his memory, when the perishable splendors of this,
life shall have passed away. We leave the subject, hot doubting
that his Majesty will indulge his own magnanimity of disposition,
uninfluenced by the little feelings of others, and take the case of
Mr. Alexander into his humane consideration.

Tritzs.—The more that revenue questions are sifted in Par-
liament, the better must they be understood, and the more solid
mast be the prospect created of an improved administration of the
finances. Lad •wlcit. on Thursday evening, secured to object
to the mode of relief from taxation which had been adopted by Mi.
Meters, and, what is more strange, to the amount of it. His land.
ship thought that it would have been better to difres the relief over
many articles, than to confine it to the single one of beer; but we
differ with Lord Goderich, and for this reason—that by repealing a
single tax, we get rid likewise of the machinery for collecting it, and
thereby ake a twofold saving ; whereas, on the other principle, the
proportion of charge fur collection, &c. increases as the net amount
of tax diminishes ; and it is evidenced by the fact, that since the
war the expense of collection has not been minced in an equal ratio
with the taxation. The second objection of Lord Goderich goes to
the quantum of revenue sacrificed by the repeal of taxes now in
progress, which he inclines to think more extensive than would be
consistent with the reservation Of a due amount of annual surplus
for the sinking fond. The Duke of Wellington met this objection
fairly. He said that if the revenue should remain at any thing
like the level of 1829, there would be • very considerable surplus;
that if the taxes had been diminished, as was stated by the
noble Viscount, 3,600.0001. a year, relrtnehments to an equal
amount had also been effected,--via, on the navy, army, and ordaance
2,500,0001. in the interest of the debt, 308,0004 besides the saving
produced by the reduction of the 4 per cents. of upwards of 700,0001.
per annum. We agree with the noble Duke In trusting
that the relief produced by this great owing of expenditure
will tend so tar to increase the consumption of articles still subject
to taxation, as gradually to restore the surplus income to its level or
3,000,0001. per annum, recommended by the fourth report of the
Finance Committee, sad realised within the years 18284820, to the
average extent of only 2,4oo,oooL—The Duke of Wellington pro.
mises further reductions of expense, and the public will willingly
give credit to one who has already done so much to disburden them
that what he deems It possible to execute, he will not leave un.
attempted. In pensions, superannuation., army navy, ordnance,
and " miscellaneous." we believe that a great deal may be done,
the Duke himself acknowledging that out of the sixteen and a
half millions which they cost the pimple of England yearly,
there are but eleven millions which can be considered in.
accessible. So, with regard to the colobies, there is an abyss of ex-
travagance which must be probed and cleansed, or the country will
instruct parliament to Baas a vote, condemning the colonial system
as an intolerable nuisance. The Civil List, we have often and ern-.
phatically denounced as established on a scale too gigantic for a li-
mited monarchy; and the enormous sums of money spent, as well
(if report Speaks truth) as hoarded, by the late Soverrign, are proofs
both of the mischief and the needlessness of leasing so much to the
irre4ponsible disposal of any English king. We have less suspicion
of an unworthy use of riches being made by his present Majesty
than by most of his predecessors on the throne. ling 11'illiam may
be termed—without offending him—a family man, in many parti-
culars or his life and history. He may have, and, no doubt, will
feel that he has, many claimants on his heart and purse ; and even
should he admit such claims too freely, the public must have a far
different impression of the motives under which William IV. be-
Stows his bounty on those who naturally share among them his best
affections, than if he had squandered the property of an industrious
people on the cravings of licentious and Insatiable rapacity. Never-
theless, William IV. ought, under one or more Acts of Parliament,
to furnish a better precedent than any of his ancestors, and above
all things less exceptionable than the late Sovereign hes left after
him, of the re,;ulatitmit and restrictions by which the use of the pub.
lic money should henceforth be controlled.