Star.
London, England, 1824-05-14 00:00:00

policy of voegicernment. By, the 31st Geo. lIL all
persons Mire sixty years ortge, in public offices, were
entitled to superannuation allowances, and such others
also as were certified by two physicians to be incapable
of sea viesthi Public any longer through ill hralth.—
He dm move! the Petition should be lead.
Mr. CA LCRAF l'-said he had nothing to blame him-
self for o this head, having most strenuously opposed
the Bill alluded to, from as conviction that it was a great
hardship on a most deserving and meritorious class of
public servants. He hoped the .Members of Govern-
ment would not fail to pay proper attention to the sab-
ject.—The Petition being read,
Mr. Secretary CANNING concurred in the opinion
of his Hon. Friend, as to the character given by him of
this sort of tas on a class of public servants—(Hear).—
There was an awkwardness in men in office defending
men in office, but he must say he felt this a particular
and partial tax, oppressive to many-meritorious indivi-
duals, and extremely impolitic. It changed too the
tenure by which they held their offices, under the pre-
text of establishing, by the sacrifice of part of their
own funds, a charitable fund ; these were his general
opinions on the subject, though he was not prepared
to point out what course the Petitioners ought to pursue.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER agreed
that this class of individuals was entitled to every praise
and every fair emolument, as the reward of their great
and valuable services; yet he must observe the charge
alluded to in 1822 had arisen first from the discontinO%:
ance of letting official persons receive their salaries prin..,
cipally by fees of office, and next by the resolution of
the House to discontinue sinecure places. All this had
naturally diminished the means of reward, and of course
rendered it necessary to increase the retired or super-
annuated lists. Abuses crept into this system, and
places were filled up without due regard to length of
service or standing. To remedy these inconveniencies
the Act 41 1810 was passed. Then followed that Act
which rave the retired allowance as a right to the clerk
4—a sort of quid pro quo, or absolute future considera-
tion for a temporary sacrifice. He must differ with his
Right Honourable Friend in thinking this was a para..
cular or partial case, for there was not a seaman who
did not contribute to Greenwich Hospital part of his,
pay, in return for which he in the same way had a right
to apply for maintenance in old age to the Chest at
Greenwich. He should say no mote on the subject
now, but state his opinion that it was by no means ano-
malous, or so great a hardship as it had been considered.
Whatever the House might think, he confessed he did
not feel there were such strong objections to the fund
thus created as to induce to wish an alteration in the law.
Mr. F. BUXTON said that these persons had been
trea ed with peculiar hardship and injustice: he deemed
the case one of much severity, and that it merited the
consideration of the House. In 1821 the Clerks, by the
arrangement then established, were subjected to a de-
duction from their salaries of 25 per cent. and then
came the deduction of five per cent. for a fund, by the
measure of 1822. He deemed it unjust and severe.
Mr. Secretary PEEL bore testimony to the merit of
the class of persons affected by the measure. The mea-
sure had been resolved on when lie came into office;
and he could not object to it, as it was to be extended
to all the offices. At the same time, he must remind
the House that the measure was peculiarly their own ;
that it had been forced on the Government, as it were,
by the House, on the declaration that the Agricultural
and other Interests had suffered,- while the Clerks, &c.
retained their income, and-that therefore the whole ques-
tion ought to be left to the feeling of the House.
Mr. P. GRENFELL said that these public servants were badly
paid. Mr. H. SWINE* and Mr. W.TArt,oa spoke to the like effect.
Mr. HUME remarked, that certainly they had not
to calculate on having had the vote of the Honourable
Member for Surrey ; be had never voted for any re-
trenchment ; but he thought the House bad been led
away from the true question. The Petition did not
complain of the reduction of the salaries ; it only com-
plained of the five per cent. reduction, and that was
advisable for the due protection of the families. The
measure gave the Clerks a sort of claim to superan-
nuation, and this fund, it was calculated, paid about
half the superannuations. He thought the fund a fair
one. He viewed it as a Tontine.
Mr. HUSKISSON said, it was a measure of common
humanity to make provision for worn out public ser-
vants. In the Customs the average length of service of
the officers who had been so provided for was twenty-
nine years; and the average amount of provision was
£94 a year. He would ask the House, was that too
laige a provision for persons who had spent their livesl
in the service of the public?—(Hear, hear.)
Sir THOMAS BARING supported the Petition. He
felt convinced that the subordinate officers of the Crown
were not adequately paid for their efficient services.
Mr. T. WILSON said, he would be happy to hate
The subject inquired into, with a view of doing justice
to the public officers, whose salaries had been reduced
in a time of great public distress—(Hear.)
Mr. S. WORTLEY said, from the feeling mani-
fested by the House, he would, as soon as possible, bring
the subject under its consideration.
The Petition was ordered to be printed.
SUGARS.
Mr. W. WHITMORE said, his object was for the
appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the
nature of the Sugar Bounties and Drawbacks. The West
India Merchants had a monopoly of the home supply
of sugars, while the East India sugar paid a duty of
10s. more than that of the West Indies. There was a
duty of 30s. when sugar was 40s. the cwt. and of 275.
when it was below 40s. There was an extra bounty of
3s. per cwt. on the export of sugar. Upon all these sub-
jects inquiry was highly necessary, because the price
had been lowered to the consumer abroad, but not to
the consumer at home. Last year there was consumed
in this country 3,330,000 cwt. of sugar, and that was a
tax on the people of 1,100,000/. When bounties were
given up in all other cases, he could not see why they
should be kept up with respect to sugar ; but if conti-
nued they should be directed to a proper object. Every
one knew the distress prevailing in the West Indies. It
was proper to consider whether that distress was of
a temporary or a permanent nature, and whether they
could not find a remedy, or at least a palliative, for
it. He apprehended that the distress was permanent,
rather than temporary. This he had heard from Mr.
Bryan Edwards, and other authorities, ever since the
year 1792. All these preyed that distress was the
rule, and prosperity the exception. The effect of,
this must be depopulation in the end. It was, there-
fore, the duty of the House to inquire into this ex-
traordinary state of things. This was required by the
importance of the subject, and the high respectability
of the parties in question. He should now state the
causes which he conceived produced this distress.—