Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1859-03-06

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The ruling classes in England never tire Of
praising the excellence Of their institutions.
Theirs is the model government, and when any
reforming radical points out defects, they as
sailhim as wanting the right spirit Of an Eng
hshman. Even some Americans, while abus-
inC their " govemmentfor its ~eVtravagance,
point l~atteriuEly 10 ENGLAND. whose govern
meHt costs nearly six times as much as ours.
The fact is, the government Of England, lbs
power, patronage and profits, are in the hands
Of a few, and they praise the system which
suits them so we'll. An English Tsformer. Mr..
WI. Hargreavest gives the following facts, in
a recent letter, in regard to the s~o-called mode
govenuent;
We have a House Of Peers, numbering about
100, who sit BY hereditary ught-be they wis,
or foolish-and who have the power Of throw
ing out any bill the House of Commons nav
pass. But not satisfied with this, matters have
been so arranged in our electoral system, thai
we have nc less than IA sons and brothers Of
peers, 81 sons-in-law Of peers, and 30 grand.
s~ons-msking a total Of 200, 70 saw nothing Of
nephews, cousins. etc, etc. of peers who hav,
seats in the House Of Commons, comprising
as / firmly believe, ons-half Of that assembly
Moreover, II has come 10 light, that although
we have ostensibly one million electors-that
is, every FIVE men out Of six whom we meet
have nothing 70 DO with the government Of
their own country majority Of the House Of
Commons is dsputed BY only 100000 electors
30 that IN fact, one man in twenty settles al
national questions to the exclusion Of the re.
naming nineteen. And these 100000 electors
aforesaid are under the immediate oniro 81
the peers and squires. Surely this is an oil.
garchy, if the world ever saw one. I said this
small governing class was selfish and insatia.
bic. Only some twelve years ago, they had
one hand in our bread basket, and the other in
our pockets. The only present difference is
thatthey have now both hands in our pockets.
The expenditure at the present time, for which
this rating class must be held responsible, is
positively fhghtful. ! believe our government
10 BE- the most reckless and extravagant on the
face Of The earth. Only fancy twenty-eighi
millions per annum to be paid IN interest for
past wars, and twenty-three millions per an
nun for present d~efenses and vet the cry is.
We are not half defended II this be so, soms
one ought TO be impeaehed, if no something
worse. To give YOU one instance Of the way
things are done. At the close Of the Russian
waT-and NAV the disasters, the miseries, and
the humiliations Of that period never be for
gotton-it was decided BY our Lords Of the
Admiralty, that floating bomb-proof bat.erie.
were the right things for the future. Well.
after constructing ten Of these batteries, al
the cost, i believe, Of nearly one million, Mr..
Whitwortb, Of Manchester, was challenged 70
try one Of his rihed cannon upon one Of them.
and the result was, the BAN went through il.
So they are all useless and the money is no
doubt wasted. Pity that "~hfroiuay irisd0m'i
did not make the experiment before building
ten Of them. Now this is the sort Of manage
ment throughout; and it must be 80, when il is
remembered that the ruling class, whose younger
sons and poor relations III a large majority Of
the places in the army, navy. and civil service,
L. 2 class which knows nothing Of economy.
engineering, or trade; nay despisc the very
names Of them. Meu are not chosen by merit,
but bv what Is called birth. as though We were
rrf an horn.