We are surprised to see i...
The Times, 1824-09-28T00:00:00

lVe are surpriscd( to see in somac of thlc cvcnling papers, a 1paragraph, stating that the " Englislh Conmnission" (esta- blsh c(l obor e Ivelve /c'ars qz-o) " ior liqmdi(latinig British ' claims on France still comiHcs to exist." TI'hat wc siiould cxpress surprisc at. the fact so stated, will astoni;li no prcsoni *vho considers thc tiinc durin.g wvlich this Board of Liquidationl has been (if it railly i.) in Cxi:tence, and thle purpose fcr wvhichi it was instituited. At the gencral pcacc in is) t, it appeared that claims were assrtetl by subjects of this country on thc French GoVCrmiic:t. whicih Itnight be best a(ljustcd by an exatmination of accounts. There wvere likewise, wc bclievc,-but of this we arc less ccrtain,- fotn(d to be a number of F enchl claimants up31n Grcat Bri- rind. flowl'er, ali English Board was c-ummissioned to settle thcl debtor a51(I credhitor account, anwl French Cotn^ loissioners were namefl to confcr witlh thelm), amd agree upon the validity of the (ldemands on bsoth sidcs. Sir CII ARLEs BA(;OT, It issLttcl, was originially at tllc hcad of thc English (Clninission, hut was soon proimotedl to an cii- bassy as a more conspicuous theatre for a gentloman of slhowy breeding. In wlhat handsthebusiness hassine continued, as well as wvhat progress hasoecn inatle in the execution of it, the public apipear to have becen left to their own surmiscs. A Mr. AFKFe,\zis, thcy say, succecdcl to Sir ChARLES B&GOT ; but wve certainly think-, that as the saltries of the Commissioners arc rcprescnted by the papers wvhicli have dravn our attention to this subject to be enormous, an(d the general expense of the establisbrnent to be prolportionably great, somc satisfaction is dlue to the public in rcspect of the valite received for so largc an outl;y, and also toucling tilC absolute nccessity ror the continuance of such a com- mi-sion from 18i1 t to 18'24. It is clear, th:t whlere claims are to bc investigated, no pretext for dlel.iy wvill be resorted to on tke p:art of the claiutanis, who niu-st te anxious ftor the utmnoUst possible expedition in the re-overy of their several tlrmtiatlds. Nor is it to be presumie( tthat cithel-r the English or thc Frencil Government, each a party to the appoinitinCiit of the Boards in questionr, and neither of them dliven by poverty to tne practice of dirty shills and cvasions, would seck ncedlessly to pro- long the labour and to accumulate the expenise of suclh establisliinrts. But with tlhc Boards thlemnsclvcs the ease is far otherwisc. A Commissioner witlh an " tlo:rmous sa- lary" has a (lirect interest :n prolonviLlg the cnjoyiuncnt of it-that is, in doing the lesst possible quantity of tIme pub- lic businCss inl a given tiunc. flime atppoinmtnmen! maoreover, ofan adaverse Frunch'Boardl, has a direct tendency to licr- petuatw the existence of' tile English; andl marvellous are the opportunities thus presented for pursuing the comimoni good of both sets of Commissioners, by the powrr cach has of raising dificultieg-of multiplyinig references-of pro- crastinating decisions-antI of throwing over the wvliole a coleur of scrupulous caution and fid(elity, of acute cirCuin- specciou and coriscieiitious hesitatioi, in " payivg away the public mnoney !" Whlat we have tald will, we trust, suffice to turn the attentien of Ministers to these Boards, which seem to possess, by their very congtitution, the power of rendering themselves immortal.