The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-12-13 00:00:00

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RETRENCHMENT.

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ttROM Tut NORWICH MERCURY.]
While the opinion filet the King of England bat
,been placed in such a situation by the incapacity, in-
trigues, and violence of his Ministers, that no change
of sipteul-filli bePtiM4Wa .ttol.,hatever..partial
changes of men may take eice, it must be matter of
general satiefactihn to pithive that the diffusion of
amowledensioleliveto the iratticability of-retteti
• the finances of the country" %conies deity more self-1,
venal. • For the condition of -an Empire is, in this
respect, analogous to that of an-individual:7—H the
minds that are to govern a kingdom, that are to make
men virtoous and. keep than so,' ate distracted with
fears for pecuniary safety, and agitated either about
the nteansof warding off distress or of securing par-
tisans by the bold of their interests, many nobler
puiposes will be liable to • run into neglect and rnie.
.Tbe,operation of this principle has but too long been
apparent in the conduct of Adurinistratioo and in the
,stud of Sim Kingdom.. • • i'l"r ' •
The example of one man; Mr: littifirk. siemito have
given an entirely new and a in* holoitant turn to
the Manner of dpposition, no lets .vingular
than it is true, ;hat with the publio—the great and in-
CoOrtept body of English political society, all othei the
opperbents 6f Minitters are &Insole.. forgotteii, to make
'Wayt!for his name.' This is .the effect. of .a ipeeific
and an -useful plan of proteedieg-(Wh!ctr. Mt. .ftdine
nilletillt.) to preference to the, thitract and getierel
die done .formerly pahried by readers- of Opios!"-
. Coe. . And this method has now found seine Vet#
able 'followers amongst :gentlemen 'who make their
appeal' 4* the country throng% the medium' of the
press: We have latch,' seen tome very 'ileac and
able pamphlets 'upon finance, and one of rhem'lippeitrs
to us to be particularly worthy of recommendation,*
beeause it specifically lays open a variety of sources by
which the 'public expenditure may be retrenched with-
out theslightest discredit er damage to the dignity of
sire Crewe and with the greatest possible benefit to•the
State; •We sink take lean to present our readers
with a sketch of some, of the topics, ie iheemiviction
that we cannot render them a more efficient service
thau by, assisting in opening their eyes upon the neg-
ligence and corruption by Which Ministers'. have 'a•t
once reduced the Country to the most poignant distress
endsmured their official station!.
It appears that Ilan. old. revenue of .England (dis-
tiuguistied from the.new taxes) has. fallen off, since
kitlif„;to the amouot of • 1,134,8271. •while that of
krelesid has decreased 646,516/. or, about one-sixth
part if. the whole duri4 the last year, liiiirs,hrench
of tju public income in collected at the enormowerr
pence Of taper cent. „
The Contents have• projereesively . fallen since the
peaeei the Excise duties have risen a little, prehably,
owing tu
.Isrgesse of population; but during the period
of agricislutral distress there cap he no doubt but con-
suinpfiwe must diminish, and with consuroptieo this
IP.llo#l.lltiftley. The stamps have declitied. alai*
yea", i#B4 d'elr leW decline. because the legacy-
will be evaded by deeds of gift and other legal aupe-
dieute.e.-Whilortriontary transfers of property:still bodies
frequent'aud lesrin their amount from the. depreciated
value of Ali's: the post-office has decliked-Ahe 'are
seated -tiirelleste *early stationary, but with deereeetad
theitt.keelifis *truants, arid' plendid hoboes are line' td
tie itilrifit • .k
thniirei Object of reduction tint..
i•
the eslarteSot public funittionaries..-e* dies
41 O. sem,at.
bard that the °theirs sippi.. fell 1404.4 Per
desloction which would scarcely plain thee* ipia
a level with the depression all profits have suretedr. Mr..
Hand) originally recommended seek a measure in .pro-
posing to reduce the silarids of Government clue's to
the .etanilard•.of..l797. A Treasury minute hes slffeebnee
issued to.the same Arcot. But has it been acted upon ?
The beat items are the reduction of the inefficient
members of the publieboards—the office of Receirreisl
neutral—iinecure plites, and superannuation lilts.
Endless instances might be produced of persons em-'
ployed solely to be provided for after veiy'sbort services,
by superannuirtien pensions. A shameful corruption
ez-
irits in the administration of the colonic's, many of which
would probakly be relinquished, but forthe patronage
they afford. As particular examples, our author cites the
reteurion of the sovereignty of Demerara, Berlsiei,asid
hesequilm—Gibraliar—the lonia* sl andS(whicb lett. in
spite of increased taxation, cost England 150,00111.: per
minus») the settlements on the wales*: coast of Africa
and• .

•7;But the capital objects of reduction are the immense
Ittnadierirmy, the ordnance and the navy. • Oiliern-
tent bairindeed been shamed Intocemtmencingvfastbe
army. But if useless calonteLyere 4111iinoVret• the
body of the army might be thinned. ..Why is :. fall re-
troitikg stall retained ? Why are not.tbe out-pensioners,
aud.half-pay officers employed in this service? There
are nearly 40,000 of them! Why are new. commissions
granted, instead of the officers being appointed from the
half-pay lists? It happens every day that men very re-
cently commissioned are placed on half-pay, whilst fresh
commissions are granted.
The navy presents a few, bat by no-means so many
points of retrenchment. Front the semi expended IN
ship-building ia.ths dock-yards, and in expiseinsental
projects, much howevet might be cortailod..whbost
the slightest diminution of national strength.
• The privilege of franking -letters is too commonly
abased :to need illuetration. •f' Will you give me a
cover," is often enough in the mouth of every one
acquainted with Members of the two Houses of Perlis-
liathens;-0 lease a doubles to the injury the reveller
receives from the misuse of ibis linlalgeocci
A new arrangement of the appropriation and amount
of the personal income of the sing might with ad-
vantage.to. the crown and to the people, alike- be re-
sorted to. Why, it is justly asked, why should sot
the high nobility of the realm esteem it an honour t•
serve their Sovereign in ogees.. of personal trust and
nttendanee, gratuitously? Why- should - they not
makiit ;heir pride*, agebitonont alone ?
The names an the limpet Pension List-, and the ape
propelairia of:Abe-00rd cant. Leewerd Island du-
ties inlet Wietvisnilostibiwiatter of those funds has
been get Lie peritristsk4noe. its boo oil- uses. -him
Thalia* seriices are rpoircto, by Parliament—"
• .

• A the astjecis of 1144100401 Aoprell-
sessiall Patikotektry leforri. •