The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-06-26 00:00:00

whatever to do with the army. It was clear, therefore,
that on that ground the Lord Lieutenant could have no-
thing to do in !Mend. There was formerly a Secretlry.
at War for Ireland, but that office had since been aholir,,,.
ed, and the Commander of the forces had also been re-
moved without any ieconvenienee to the pnblid service:
There was scarcely a department in Ireland Which did
not come ender superintendence in this count: y. cense.
quently the office of Lord Lieutenant could rot upon, any
lair grounds be thought necessary to be kept up. The .
Customs and Excise were now modelled on the English'
.plan, and it could not be supposed that the • Poet Office'
and Stamp Office, which still contierted'otr the old.sys-
•
tem, would require the superintendence of a Lard Lieu-•
tenant.. But it was not for the House to consider mere-
ly the policy of abolishing the office, hut the expense:
which it entailed. He was ready to' adibit that economy
alone would not afford Sufficient ;rounds for dOing zy.x.3-,-
the office, if it was found of public advantage to keep- it
up—but the contrary was the fact. The lion. Gentie-
man then referred to a paper which, had been printed on•
the 2943 of April by order of the House :
Ordinary Itsvease - . X 1,662.933
• ' tR43,116t ..•

Balances in Bills; sth Jan. 1522
Ditto 1633

310,559
28; 45S

Payments ont of Revenue in its way .:.
to the Exchequer - - - 273,013
Miscellaneous, for Sundry Accouts 2-15r253

3,7;9.793

521.866
t07,w0

2.2,501

3,t02,594

£1,393 772
66,613
.1,482,355
Miscellaneous Services • - -571,72 S
Paid for Public Works 383,734
Received ditto - • 161,391 22.2,312
3,004,721

Civil List Expenses -
Army Services -
Ordnance - -

£797,%73
ACTUAL sxcgts TO PAT VIE DEBT OF IRELAND, Vlz.
Interest of Debi% Ireland, exclusive
of SinkinOund - - .C 1,113,909
Charge of Irigh Debt in England
of 83,944,904, in Jan. 1817 2,78001

3,896,699
197,873

Deduct Surplus of Revenue -
Actual Charge of Ireland to
G. 11. in 1822 - - - P 26
Considering that Ireland had seven millions of inhabit-
ants, he thought that it ought to be made in every re-
spect an integral part of England. Instead of its being
a source of strength to this country, it was now a sourer,
of weakness, and must always continue so till its political
condition was altered. In the year 1792, the expense of
the military establishment of Ireland amounted to be-
tween 510,000/. and 520,0001. a-year, now it was
1,500,0001. The established salaiy of the Lord Lieute-
nant for a long time *as 20,000/. a-year, but it had
subsequently been raiser) to 30.0001. Now he would ask
the House, if all the duties of the Lord tieutenant meld
be done in this country, why ought not that money to
be saved, more particularly when it was considered that
Ireland did not yield revenues enough to pay her own ex-
penses ? The charges incurred by the Lord Lieutenant's
establishment amounted to bet Ween 39,000/. and 40,0041,
a-year. In his opinion the greater part of this sum might
be saved. He calculated that the whole expense of the
Vice-regal office, including the charges for public build-
ings, was from 100,000/. to 110,000/. a-year.—The
Lord Lieutenant had little or nothing to do, for every
thing was done by the Chief Secretary. Bat it might be
said, that the Lord Lieutenant had to preside at the
Council Board, which was useful only for issuing prockt-
mafions, and doing other matters of an isdilferent n *tuns.
Every thing of a necessary or useful nature might be
done in the office of the Chief Secretary in London. By
the arrangements contemplated in the Bills now before
the House, all the patronage was taken away from the
Lord Lieutenant, and he was left no more than a stage
poppet, except in the point of expense to this country.—
All the general business was performed by the Chief or
the Private Secretary, and the Deputy and two other
Clerks of the Council did all the business of the Council
Office. It was his duty now to show whit was the busi-
ness of the Chief Secretary for Ireland. He had ten
Clerks and a Head Secretary. The duties of his
office consisted of the business of twelve different tle-
partinents. Ile felt satisfied that all those ofiices
might be safely dispensed with altogether, or trans-
ferred to London. The first department was that
for general correspondence. With that departinent
there could be no difficulty, as a record of that cor-
respondence could be as easily kept in London. The
second department regarded, the customs and excise, but
the business of the customs and excise was transacted by
another Board, and had now nothing to do with the.
Secretary's office. The third book, or department, con-
tained an entry of the 'country letters, which might as
well be sent to London. It was impossible, besides, that
a Chief Secretary in Ireland could act with the itnpar-
tiality the Secretary in Louden could. The fourth book
was a general account of civil affairs—namely, a record
of all the orders made by the Lord Lieutenant. he
fifth book contained an account of civil peti'ions, each of
which, wnatever was the subject, aas s sit with a fee of
ten or five guineas to the Solicitor or Attorney-General :
that was the chief uec of that department. The siet`t
contained an account of ecclesiastical all'airs, and was
rendered of no use, as no Bishop was appointed or trans-
lated wiLhout the sanction of the Government in Eng-
land. The seventh department referred to the Treasury
business and the offices connected with it. Great abuses
formerly existed in the accounts of those offices, bet the
whole of the business was at present transacted in Lon-
don. The eighth book was nothing more than an ab-
stract of the business done in the absence of the Unief
Secretary. The ninth regarded stamps, &c. with which
the Secretary had now nothing to do. The tenth aul
eleventh books respected the police, am) the correspond-
ence with the heads of the police departments, and tae
Comas of Law, which could be dune iii the Secretary's
office in London. as the same business fur Scotlond was
done. The twelfth book was the record of the King's
letters. By Act of Parliament the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland had power to grant pensions to the amount of
8001. a-year, and that sum was always granted to a frac-
tion. The pensions granted by the present Lord Lieu-
' tenant were 2001. a-yeat to Edward Johnston, 1001. a-year
to Mrs. Anderson, anJ 500/. alear to Lord Kinsale.
'that power of granting pensions to that amount entail-
ed an expense of 12,00 J/. every year. Ile could nut bot
complain that if pensions were to be granted at all they
were not conferred on individuals fur some useul
lie services. 'l'bere was not one of those dep impute
that could' not be dispensed with he ,rans er ing the
little business that remained for them to Londo For.
meilv a josrney to Ireland was a work of time, of trou-
ble, and of expense-. By means of the roads straiplelcd