The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-03-14 00:00:00

PUKLIC ACCOUNTS.
Mr. MARERLY wished to know if the information
which had been promised to him on a former night, and
on which promise he Lad put off his motion respecting
the Public Accounts, was to he given or not.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was un-
able to give an answer in the absence of his Hon. Friend
(Mr. laushington.) When he arrived he would probably
be alskraostathifyilre Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Alderman WOODpreaented a Petition from Cal-
lingerood, in the Township of Oldham, in the County
Palatine of Lancaster, praying for the remission of the
remainder of Mr.• Hunt's sentence.—Ordered to lie on
the table. . .
POSTMASTNIS ONNERAL.
Lead NORMANBY would feel the diffidence which
he expressed when addressing the House much increased
igthe motion which he had to submit were of &personal
nature. But from this feeling be was relieved, as he
only rose to perform a duty open to every Member of
Parliament, that of bringing before the House a case in
which a clear reduction mild be made. To him it was
matter of satisfaction that the present motion did not
involve soy of those hardships on individuals which
were inseparable from many which had economy for
their object. When it was proposed to dismiss those in-
dividnals who either in the field or in official !about'
bad spent their youth in the service of the country, it
was painful to contemplate the privations to which they
might be exposed. But when he looked at the case of
those who now, or who at any time possessed the offices,
one of which he meant to reduce, he could not doubt
that the decision of the House would be cheerfully ac-
quiesced in, if the motion should be carried. It was
also a matter of r•tisfection that this was not a case la.
%Jiving a claim of remuneration. No charge could be
preferred against the department to which be wished to
direct the attention of the House. It was impossible too
highly to praise the manner in which the business of the
Post-Office was carried 00, and the activity and courtesy
constantly found there. Nor did any blame attach to
the Government Job, as that had originally been, to
which, he objected, and job as it had continued, it was
to be remembered that it had endured in good and in
bad time; and it was perhaps too much to expect from
any Government that it would nder such a branch
of patronage of itself, without receiving a hint from that
House. It, however. became necessary that it should
he abandoned ; and he hoped that Ministers, feeling the
importance of economy, would give that attention to
this suggestion, which in its judgment it might fairly
demand.—He was not responsible for first bringing the
matter forward for the discussion of the House. It was
not a new question, for he found that two Bills had been
introduced to the Honse in 1ci1213. The one, being en-
titled a Bill for abolishing sinecures and offices. the du-
ties of which were executed by Deputy, be found in
Schedule A. a passage which stated "'that the duty of
the Joliet Postmaster-Generalship should be executed by
one person, and the salary of the other be thereby saved
to the public." It was now to be determined whether
the House was less disposed at the present period to come
'to such it resolution than at the time to which he had
referred. This office had been originally vested in one
person only, as the 9th of Queen Anne expressly de-
clared. This being the case, lie thought it impossible
to say that the original intention of Parliament had not
been departed from. At least it required more legal
subtlety than he possessed, to prove that one made two.
The luggage of the Act could not be mistaken. The
period had been called the Augustine age; and certainly
although the Acts of Parliament might not be very clas-
sical in their construction, they were at least written in
good English, which was more than could be said of
those passed in more modern Jays. When the office in
question was divided he could not exactly trace, but it
doubtless took place soon after the passing of the Act,
as there was at that time a great disposition to create
new offices and places. He could not say whether the
salary was doubled at the division of the office. But as
the system of remuneration which then prevailed was
that of fees, it was most reasonable to suppose that such
fees were doubled. It would be seen, hot , that for
some time after the appointment of two Postmasters-Ge-
neral, one of them assisted in the transacting of official
business, so that at least in those days, the offices were
not those complete and dignified sinecures, which they
were now. He also found in those days the names of
Freeling, Crags, Walpole, and Harris, as performing
the iduties of the office. iVith respect to the duties of
the offices, as they at present stood, it was impossible
that their abolition should be detrimental to the public
service. He felt the onus of proof upon this point very
mach lessened by the fact that the House bad twice ex-
pressed its opinion that they ought to be abolished, in
the Sinecure Bills which had passed. If the oasts were
not thus lessened for him, there was the notorious fact
l'iat not one of these officers, much more both of them,
had Pony duties to perform. Both might he reduced
without any disadvantage to the public. That, however,
it was not his object to propose, as he was willing to
allow there was some satisfaction, if not profit, in having
a great name at the head of so important an establish-
ment. There was another point upon which the Hon.
Gentleman said he would make a few observations. It
had been said, that the responsibility of the proper col-
lection of the Post-Office revenue was shared by the
Post-masters-General, and that this was a double se-
curity. Now it was so absurdly preposterous to suppose
that one should be a check upon the other, that no man,
he was convinced, could seriously lend his ear to it. A
sort of ambiguous opinion had been expressed by the
Finance Committee of 1817 upon this question. The
only reason which made them unfriendly to the abolition
was, that so important a responsibility as the collection
of the revenue in this department ought not to he left to
one individual. But to what would this principle lead?
It mast lead to the duplication of all offices of respon-
sibility. And there were many cases in which new
offices must be created if that principle were acted upon.
His Right Honourable Friend, the Treasurer of the
Navy, for instance, must have a colleague. In fact, his
Right Hon. Friend was not only alone in a situation
of responsibility, but he was I • . elf a double represen-
tative of official trusts, for be filled two °Hires of that
nature. There was an opinion of Mr. Palmer given in
evidence before a Committee of that House, that it was
disadvantageous to the business of the Post-office, to
have frequent changes in the heads of the department.
I f the occasional changes dependent upon a change of
power produced such disadvantages, he would put it to
the House what practical good could arise from the al-
ternate changes of superintendence which constantly
took place between the two Post-Masters-General. There
was an opinion of Lord Chesterfield, when he was Post-
Master-General, given before the Finance Committee of
1799, which he would read to the House. His Lordship
was asked, " If any difference of opinion should exist
between the two PostMasters-General, how would they
conic to a decision?' To which he answered, " Such
a case, I believe, would very seldom occur; but if it-did,
I suppose the
ijunior would he disposed to give way to
the senior." file House would therefore see that the,
were paying 2,5001. a year to a Noble Marquess, to ena-
ble him to be disposed to give way to a Noble Earl. It
ought also to be remembered, that for the greater part
of two years the Noble Earl was engaged in diplomatic
transactions abroad, so that it was quite clear he had no
duties to perform connected with this office. He would
say a few words as to the Irish and Scotch departments.
Ti was not his intention to include Them its iiis resolu-
tion, as bo should keep as close as possible to the sche-
dule of the fortner 'Bill which lie bad quoted. But the
conceived that It she House admitted the principle,
by agreeing to the Revelation, they would afterwards