The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-30 00:00:00

••
t'A
is
-t • I
of the- *filf ea Insurance. Let the " Ship-
no. Int-04 Arlen consider whether it is better
Di
tliy-Aptild get this relief, or that our
verninent':Sliould be generous to one who, as
many think, has been very ungenerous to our
ancient allies the Turks and Persians.
In the Irish expenditure, we find 13,500/. put
down for 6' secret services in detecting treason-
able conspiracies," which, thanks to the Duke
of Wellington, are now plucked up by the roots,
by one act of justice and policy. Ireland should
in future need as little of such " services " as
Scotland. Away, then, with this item, and as a
compensation, Cocoa and chocolate, valuable
as articles of medical regimen (9,1001) may
come in duty free ; and ginger, a healthful con-
diment (4,2001.) " shall be hot in the mouth "
to many whose mouths at present it never enters.
We shewed some time ago, on the authority
of a Parliamentary paper, that about 400,0001.
per annum is consumed in Irish grants, which
are either idle or pernicious, or unnecessarily
large when useful. if the suggestions of the
Committee are acted on, at least 150,0001. of
this will be saved. How shall we dispose of
this windfall when it comes ? We would repeal
the monstrous and impolitic tax on advertise•
mtnts, which yielded 155,0001. last year, and by
this means enable merchants, booksellers, trades-
men, and attorneys, to get for one shilling what
now costs them six, eight, or ten ! We do not
know a single impost that is more hurtful to
trade than this.
The sum of 66,0001. was expended last year
on " Volunteer Corps," which must now be as
useless to the country, as a piece of ordnance
would be to a ploughman. Strike off this item
of expenditure, and you can afford to part with
the duty on mahogany, 72,0001.
Another absurd charge is 283,0001. for
" Disembodied Militia;" fbr this domestic
army, though " out of the body" for service,
still enjoys a portion of vitality as a burden on
the national purse. Get rid of three-fourths of
this, and, en revanche, let us be relieved from
the vexations and ensnaring duties on " Stamp
Receipts," which yielded last year 217,0001.
Pray what is now the use of Heligoland,
when every port from Archangel to Cadiz is
open to us ? Why not give up this rock, which
costs 6,0001. per annum, and repeal the duty on
ashes (5,6001.) an article useful in so many
species of manufacture ; or on tar (7,9001.) as a
boon to the shipping interest.
Canada, according to a statement of Mr,
Hume's (in 1822), costs us about 350,000,

•
per annum of direct expence, (besides near a
million more in the shape of a bounty on its
inferior timber, to exclude the better wood of
Norway !) adding Nova Scotia, Newfoundland,
and Bermuda, our possessions in that region of
the world cost us half a million or more per
annum of ordinary expellees ; but when we also
take in the sums Government is now squander-
ing on canals and military works there, the
whole expence must amount to 750,0001.
Consult the political economists, and they will
tell you that these colonies area mere incum-
.

brance. They yield us no real profit or advan-
tage whatever; but they place us in the situa-
tion of an animal which, though it has its body en-
sconced in a safe corner, foolishly sends out tenia-
cula to a great distance, and thus exposes itself to
insults and injuries, and chances of quarrel with
parties with whom it has no occasion to be em-
broiled. Now, were these colonies started off,
as the seamen say, the saving would enable
Government to repeal the duty on Fire Insur-
ance (718;0000 which is truly a tax on provi-
dent habits. Let all those then who pay for in-
surance settle the question with themselves,
whether they would rather save half their money,
or have their proper fractional share of the honour
of ruling Canada ?
_ _

Our colonies in the Mediterranean cost us
201,000/. in 1820, and Gibraltar 140,0001.
more. If the latter is necessary for the accom-
modation of our shipping, surely -re might dis-
pense with Malta ; or if Malta is commercially
desirable, then Gibraltar can have no value, ex-
cept as a trophy to solace our national pride,
and a thorn in the side of the Dons. The

lonian Islands, though not exactly a colony,
come in for half the sum of 201,0001. but our

protectorship there might be made so powerful
a means of promoting the improvement of
Greece, that we grudge this less than many other
items in our colonial expenditure. We have no
doubt however, that by adopting a more
popular system of government, we might greatly
reduce our garrisons, and make the islands defray
the whole of the cost of their defence. Between

these islands, Malta and Gibraltar, 100,0001.
might unquestionably be saved. Acid to this
115,0001. for Jamaica, 346,0001. for the Wind-

ward and Leeward Islands, and 40,0001. for

Sierra Leone, (we spare India the Cape, tl►e
Mauritius, and New Holland,) and we have a
round sum 600,0001. which would enable Go-

vernment to part with the whole of the duties on
Glass (577,0001.) or the duty on Candles, con-
joined with those on Barilla and Olive Oil, both
articles used in our manufactories.

Our readers will understand, that the cases
we have alluded to are suggested chiefly for the.
purpose of illustration. Where our financial
system deliberately surveyed, fitter subjects for
retrenchments might no doubt be found, and

taxes whose abolition .vould bring more relief.
Our great object has been to chew the public
how the correction of specific cases of extrava-
gance or profusion, may be made to contribute to
their relief from specific burdens : and in this
way even the smallest savings may be connected
with a useful purpose. For instance, the tax
on pamphlets would be counterbalanced by so
small a saving as 1,0001., for it yielded only
9831. last year ; a saving of 1,4001. would cover
the duty on foreign prints ; and 11,0001. that

on foreign books: These two last duties pro-
duce only a driblet to the Government, and oc-
casion much annoyance to foreigners coming to
settle in England, and to Englishmen returning
home with libraries after a residence abroad.

ERRATUM.—In our notice yesterday of an
interesting publication—" The Young Lady's Book,"—
the word " moral," at the ninth line, was inadvertently
inserted for " novel."

In a recent notice of Dr. Bidick's sudden
death at Hammersmith, he being. fdund suffocated at the
bottom of the stairs where he had fallen down, it was
stated that he had died intestate, and without relations,
consequently that his property would go to the Crown.
This is not the fact; two nephews have lately presented
themselves. Dr. BLACK was a very eccentric :Ind irre-
gular man, and posse.sed a vast deal of landed property,
besides houses about HammersMith, independent of much
other property. The piece of ground, obtained after much
struggling and litigation, to add to Hammersmith burial-
ground, was Dr. BLACK'S ; and during the contests he
was told, rather unceremoniously, if he would only be
reasonable he might be the first to be buried in his own
ground. Cariously enough he will lee almost the first
buried in it! His remains have been kept a fortnight
above ground, and there was some talk about opening him
previous to the itsterment,.._..Morning Paper.