The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-21
TRAITS or THE CORRUPTION or THE BRI-
TIsH GOVERNMENT.
LoNpoH, April I.

YESTERDAY, a CoHrt of Common Council was held
at Gullhadl, when, after some routine business,
Mr.. WAITHMaN rose to move for petitions to both
Houses ct Parliament, on the subject Of Rever-
sinnarv Places. He said he was induced to bring
| forward this business, in consequence of what had
81 recently occurred in the Upper House of Par
lament, and to shew what were the sentiments of
the Corporation of the City of London upon the
subject The bill for preventing the granting OF
fees in Revcrson had twice passed through the
House OF Commons unanimously. The necessity
and Importance Of the measure was acknowledge
ed ON all hands it was one OF the first fruits of
, that Committee which had for its object the cor
rection cf abuses and an economical reform I'm the.
public expenditures, certainly most desirable
object at this time, when our taxes were SO much
| increased, when our national debt was grown so
considerable, and SO many obstacles in the way
| OF our commerce and manufactures; and vet this
system of economy and reform, so essential to our
interests and prosperity at this,particular crisis,
was either to be destroyed altogether or at least
rendered useless by the interference of certain
party OF Noble Lords, who should have been the
last men on earth to oppose such measure. We
saw one family possessed of sinecure places, as
| was said, to the amount of 81, 00Ok Name
ndnte, called from several parts of the room y
The family of Mr.. PtrT. IF that sum were Ia
ken for 90 years, & the compound interest added
to 1t, was the country aware what it would
to The Duke Of Portland had Offices to the a.
;;io;ii.. 6. sc eeol year; and Lord Arden to the
| amount of $4,000 21,o0Ok. of which went in re-
version to his brother, the present Chancellor of
! the Exchequer This last mentioned Gentleman
was also Chancellor of the Duchy of Cornwall.
but with it, m addition to his sinccures. and TO
| the emoiaments OF his office of Minister, he could
! not be satisfied unless he received the Dutchv
of Cornwall for life. Lord Rcdesdale, his bro.
| ther-in-iaw, had pension of 4o00l. per annum-
| and these Noble Lords, Arden and Redestale
! the brother and brother-in-law of the Minister,
in conjunction with Lord Melville, were the Oh.
posers in the House of Lords of this bill for the
preventing the granting Of Offices in Reversion
There was also another Noble Lord possessed. il
was said, OF an income of 80, O00k a.year. who
\ had allowed his daughter to accept of a pensios
OF SOU and was mean enough even to allow her
ESt;:r II, =; : :; Z. :c;Eed
in the newspapers How the people could suffer
themselves to be so much imposedupo excited his
utter establishment. The right of prerogative in
the Grown he never disputed but that preropa
tive was vested i'll the Crown not for the aggraI-
dizement of certain individuals, but for the good
OF the people at large; and it was only by such
Iremonstrances and such an address as he should
propose, that the true sense of the nation would
be understood, and their necessary infringements
upon the expenditure of the country would be
prevented. He then moved, that the proceed
ngs OF the Court in l779 upon this subject should
be read; from which it appeared, that an adj
dress OF thanks was presented to the Duke of
Portland, and other Noble Lords, who had exert
eel themselves in the reformation of abuses in .his
particular subject; and his Grace answered in the
strongest terms of condemnation of such abuses
He concluded by moving, that petitions be pre-
sented TO both Houses of Parliament, expressing
regret, that the bill for preventing the granting of
Places in Rcversion (Which was regarded AS the
hrst step towords reformation of existing al,us
esq should have been defeated, and PRAYING that
measures may be adopted for carrying SO neces.
nv midi hone fi..ial 1..U ,,t,, III. r
causing enquiries to be made into the receipt,
management, and expenditure of the public mo-
ney, and adopting such measures as may ehectu-
ally guard against such abuses in future as also for
"bolshing all unnecessary places and pensions as
means OF consolidating the strength of the en-
pre-, and calling forth the united energies and ex-
crtions of the people.
Mr.. Deputy GoopBEHERE seconded the mo-
ton IN few words OF warm appreciation.
Mr. Sheriff SMITH could not give silent vote
on this occasion he most cordially approved of
the motion as tending towards that desirable OBJ
Ject wlIIcN 1t had in view, and which was SO
strongly recommended by his Majesty OH the o.
peMns OF the present Session of Parliament.
Alderman Sir X. CARR GLYsN did not object
to tie motion, but thought that many of the OBJ
servations made by the mover might have AZ we'll
been spared and when he had gone so far as to
mention some Noble Lords who enjoyed places
in rcYersion, he should have gone farther, and
St'tSu uIc WHOlc OF tile Noble Persons who en-
Joyed this description Of grant, among whom he
would find the name of Lord Crenyille, and o.
Tiers, who took 50 active part against the pre-
sent Ministry. dc strongly condemned that part
OF the Ccnilcman's (Mr. Waitbman's) speech,
where he expressed his astonishment that the
people would suffer themselves to be imposed up
on at this crisis he thought such language very
unadvisabc.
Mr. WAITnMAN, in explanation, said. that he
thought spirited and strong remonstTance from
that body against sucl, abuses would be an exam
pie which would be followed up by every other
! corporate body in the Kingdom and would ulti.
fnaiely be tho means Of causing reformation of
! such abuses.
Mr.. QuIN supported the motion the measure
| recomnicndedby the Finance Committees he con-
| sdered so far from infringing or lettering the
prerog!rtivc OF the Crown, that it extended that
prerogative in the most beneficial way possible to
the king and country, nasmuch as it gave the
power to the Grown TO nominate proper persons
in succession to such Offices as might fall vacant
by death or other contingencies, instead Of fet-
tcring it by a previous grant IN revcrsion 10 per-
sons perhaps wholly incapable, In support ofbis
argument, he adduced the story of Sir Francis
Wronghcads state livery coat, which had been
IN the family for many years but, for his part
he thought the person should always be suited to
TIC place, and not the place to the person.