Star.
London, England, 1830-12-14 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

Cnnowicts.--A good deal of discussion took place in the liaised
Commons last night on a very perplexing qucstion—the con-pm...vier!
to be given to the owners of slaves in the West Indies, in roe of ,:n.n•
cipation. Slavery is not to be justified ; but assuredly the people at
England are not in a condition to compensate the owners of slay.s for
the loss they might sustain by emancipation. As to free labour. We
have always seen great difficulty in combining that object wall a profit
to the planter. Nature, in the Torrid Zone, indisposes Mt II to toil
day after day, for twelve hours, in the field, under a broiling
and she has rendered it unnecessary by enabling him to obtain his sub•
sutenee by a few hours' labour in the week. Why should any labowirg
man toil as the planter on a sugar estate compels a negro to toil ? The
bouring man in Europe toils for food, which the soil yields only to Pan!
labour, for fuel, for raiment, and 'hater. Under the Tropics, food
easily obtained, clothes are requited more for decency than use, fuel zs
not required. It is only by connecting colonial cultivation with Ern"
sn wants, that severe labour becomes necessary. The negro would
be a fool who toiled, without compulsion, to an extent that enabled pro-
fit to be made of his labour. No deception
p be
should be practised, by re-
uenting the profit of the planter to compatible with free labour.
No man works except from necessity. This is no justification of fin-
very; for no man is justified in holding another in bondage because he
has purchased him, or succeeded to one who purchased him. No man
is justified in compelling another to perform labour which he would
not perform but under compulsion, because in this way alone can he
make a profit of his labour. In short, we consider a slave.owner one
who lives in the constant commission of iniquity. But this is a quer"
don quite distinct from that of Compensation.

Trim. If Ministers hare to apprehend dilleseities in their toed to
refeem at the hands of certain borough peoprieton, there are members
of the erWomacp whom conduct as bone otherwise oemonted for than
b 7 gaPINZ ono to be partisans of reform seam Indeed, but so
melons w es to malice am ma fortune,, but clsometer itself, to
the promotion of that great object. The Committee on tit Brahma

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election have turned oat the sitting Members—Lord Kennedy, eldest
eon of Lord Cassilis ; and Sir Charles Cockerel!, a large dealer in
troney ; declaring that they have both been guilty of bribery—guilty
of tempting a number of their fellow-subjects to betray a
high c ,nstitutional trust, and to disgrace themselves and the
House of Commons, and bring shame upon the order to which the no-
ble and wealthy personages so (most justly) dismissed from their seats
hod hitherto been considered as belonging. But we hope, that as one
sort et retribution has been already administered to the noble Lord
and the wealthy Banker, another and even more signal example will be
made of the base community upon whom they exercised their corrup-
tion,—namely, by disfranchising the borough of Bush= for ever. A
hint to this effect was given by the Chairman, Mr. Clive, who moved
to have the report of the Committee taken into consideration on Thurs-
day next,—by Mr. Buncombe and by Lord G.Lennox, whowere mem-
bers.
Po:yr.—Lad Grey, in the House of Lords last night, afforded a
most ample justification of every opinion we have lately offered to the
public relative to the boasted disinterestedness of the Whigs. We have
more than once fearlessly stated that the primary principle of Whiggism,
whenever change shall throw the officers of state into their power, is to
appropriate to their relations and dependents all the tangible emoluments
In all and every department of the Administration. Soon after the acces-
sion of Lord Orey to the chief office of government, we chewed that in the
course of a short week he had made ample provision for nearly the whole of
his fantily,as well immediate as collateral; and will be seen by his lord-
snip's avowal last night,thnt he had this sinister object fully in view from
the commencement; for he u ndisgu isedlystat es that after so long an exclu-
sion from (Ace as that which he had endured, he considered that he was
justified, when the means were in his hands, of providing for his rela-
tives and connections. So much for the disinterestedness of Earl Grey
in his acceptance of the highest office in the ministry ! There is however
contenting remarkably outdid in this declaration ; though we are bound
to say, that there is something in it more shameless than has ever before
characterized the conduct or sentiments of the most profligate of Minis-
ters. The remark made by Lord Brougham that the retirement of the
Irish Chancellor would be attended with no expense was last night ex-'
'dinned by bold Grey, who argued that as the salary of the Chancellor
ass to be reduced front 10,0001. to 8,0001. the pension of 4,0001. during
the life of Sir A. Hart, would be counterlatlanced by a permanent annual
savin4 of 2,001)1. The report as to the appointment of Lord Lyndhurst
to the office of Chief Baron, which we yesterday contradicted, received
the official contradiction of the Premier last night.

TIMEB.—The anxiety of the public on the matters of sinecures and
pensions undeserved, was sure to lead to some inquiry before the Christ-
mas recess of Parliament, and the subject came under discussion last
night in the House of Commons. The declaration of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer was of a highly satisfactory character. Every possi-
ble reduction was promised or in a state of execution, and broad prin.
epics of retrenchment were avowed. The salary of the Lord-Lieute-
nant of Ireland has been reduced by Government from 30,0001. to
%,0001,—that is to say has been docked of one part in three. We
du not say that this ratio, which is applicable only to salaries of very
high amount, should be adopted in all; but that the principle of
diminution should be carried into effect is highly necessary; and, above
all, it was most gratifying to be assured by such a man as Lord Al.
ti nip, in the name of the Government, that " all places, whether high
or low,.were to be abolished which were held by individuals perform.
tag no duties." For our own parts, in looking over those pension lists
which havebeen recently brought to light, we cannot help thinking,
that if substantial justice were dealt out to the parties therein, it ap-
pears, enjoying pensions, nine-tenths of them ought to be sent to the
tread-mill for the plunder they have committed, and were intending to
commit upon the public purse. When the Chancellor of the Exchequer,'
however, speaks of the proposed reductions, let not the country be mi._
taken,—let it not suppose that these retrenchments will be effected
without difficulty. The sons and daughters of corruption will make a
stir. Hithnrto they are tranquil, or comparatively tranquil, but we
hear they mean to oppose reform upon the broad principle that the pre-
cent corrupt state of the representation is preferable (as to them, no
doubt, it is preferable) to anychange whicii:can be proposed ; and we have
little doubt that some plea will be formally and unblushingly put forth
against the extinction of sinecures. The country must therefore be firm
in the support of Ministerial reductions.