To The Members Of The Hou...
The Times, 1824-03-10T00:00:00

Gentleuaen,-An apea tooiiiint,Ifc assre,1,c1f bn ade in vai, aclaug frm7a onca= 1` pPp1'lcnt 'By clIn for the c?or- IreSptnd,cace between the Treauryand th Tax..ollice Board, Telat. ing to he appiicnent of their secr r,tefacts whichi I have I s=td t te publ!ic can be prov'el, and, will exhiibit a cat~ of un- paa Eee lijsice. It is essrntial tha tose facts be piublicly and satis6u;torily substantiated, not only for the salce of the injiured individuals, whoso wrongs oughit to be amply redreased, but to produce a firm coniviction of the necessity of check"ing the avstem of influence whichl hias begun to act with intolerable oppression'; and unless the unnatural authority assumed by Government be lirmited, it must soon degenerate into tvrainn. The case I have selected shoiws clerly the intentions of the Go. vernment, and also that no obstacles whatever, either of a prudential or moral nature, would control the exercise of' their power over the public servants. Absolute commrand on~ one side, and servile obe- dience on the other, would be the rule.' Whatever the deperndenits of Government cevet, theuir victims must relinquishi; and ac last their permission might become the only tenure by which the public ser- vanits could hold their aituations. f trust, however, gentlemen, that You will guiard one of th most meritorious classe-s of society from those horrible evils. Permit me to state briefly the circumstances of Mr. Beniamini Saver's case. e- liolds tie rank of Assistant-Secretary, at the Tax. o.ffice, where lie ha-; served upwvards of 25 vears. The 'Secretary re- siigtnse, and the Assistant naturally expectea to succeed 1dim, according ttheestablished crourse of pronmotion. His Superiors report to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury "1their unqualified testi- mony, ohimets and services," and express their opinion decid- edl, that it was most essential for the due execution of' the busi- ness, thlat he Should be appoinited Secretary." Ivhtiat more could be necessary ? You will see, gentlemen, by the documents I refer to, that long service, high mierit, anti the jpublic interests, hiave beets treated wvith the utmost indiffearence and contempt, to satisf~v the de- sire otf a person who lhas great influience, to providefor a relation. That cthe Governmient l-as no~ other object is incountrovertible; but mtiay be expected that some pretence or otlier will be brought for- wardi to justify this extreine act of oppression. TIhtre are tvwo points Omil hIch prb bl,tey will rest. The firt is socnepible, that iti eey :esr o mention it. Itappears thatthe lat-iSe- cretar otteaxofc as tra 'iferred frontthe Treasurv, on ac- countotteuftesr incapacity o h persons in thlat office: and ti,wihi lal an exceptionto te general rule, has been' laid hlofbthTriury toD supportter seizuire of a reward due to a person pronounced to be" most fit adqalifie-d" for the situation. The ochier poinit requires settous attenmn The Treasury pretend thiat it is necessary for thie public servic tht ert-ain offices should be ifilled up by personis of their own selection, wh fcas are to be maen or great abilities, andl in whom they could placeipii confidence. as. this instance, time person transferred to thie Taofcei of very, mode,. rate capacity-one ground, therefore, is mere prtec but obsemee gentlemen, the consequences which wvould ensue, of hsatu con- trivance. Thecy would, in time fill un all place of aioit5. with their ow'n creaturies, by whicit tley 'would be ealdt stifle the slighttest niurnmur of"even tite infereior officers, wor tihr ien be oppressed to any extent or dlegree. But, gentlemnen, for what purpose can the Gover'rmer,t sanctiost thecse extravagant acts of injustice ? There are, 1 .lhould f'ear, some enemiies of the state about ouir councillors, who uarge thiem to adopt such imipolitic measures, tfraught vith the Most perniriinus conse- quences. Who that wishies well to hlis country, can contemplatce without dIread ttite mass of mnisery thlat Might11 be inflicted-tbe dis- solution of all the bonids of society in a class which oughit naturally to be the firm adhierents of Governmient, and the discord introdlticed inito every department, creating envy, mialice, and all uncharitable- niess ? If' the Goverament lhave niot foreseen these monstrous ev,ils, there is a mnost lantentable ineificiencv: it' they have been blinid to themn, a mostcdeplorable incornsistny 'riTe Ligislature ca-n aloste stop amtd preveist in futmire this formidable assuimption of' power which threatens to overthrov tite constitution. Venality is already coo prevaleiit. It is a common saying that exvery mnanili haslis price but Govermuenit has now everv price for their ilten ;amid think niot, gentlemen, that they will scruiple to extend their influeince by suclh nieans. titere are hinstances on record of all kinds of aggrestions or, lthe rights of the public servarirs. WIhere any principle ha-. been found to) lba-e great force and! energy in on-e instanice, it. is reasoniable to ascribe to it a 1flre energy in all sirumlar circumistances it is therefbre absolutely ntecessary to. erect some eafctual barriet against the inroads of a powrer which mlay beconte miost foriiiidable an&Iliurtfoil. 'I o inquire into and redress any particularcgievance,will be an act of benevolence aid humnanity but the paramount duty of ithe Legislatuire is to providte against f'uture aggressions, and adlopt mthe best mecans of preventing the occur- rence of evil practices. That y-ou, gentlemnen, the representatives of the people, and the public gutardihans of'ttiteir liberty', will perforits your duty,may Lisa con- tlentl.y expected. Shiould there be amty unwilling to cutter upon the takromi an appreliesiaon that the known and proper privileges of' time rownmaybe touchied, I can onldy assert, that 1 hiave too miuch seadfrnycountrv and devotion to my Sovereign, to dlesire any laswihsouluil Iaive that effect. Tlie'CTovernrmeist imust possess tha ereo influence which is necessary for its preservation, ~aitd isluie ngood princip-les. Tesrcobservattee of one rule alone is requisite to protect the public servants ; and I inpillore y-ou, gentlemen, to niiake such pro- v-ision as msay, seein best to v-on, foLr securizit the preimotion of mthe puiblic servants, witen tit ana qualified, in time regular order of se- nioriry e~f appoinmenemt, to all situatiomis writich, for thte convenience and adlvantzge of the public Service, require persons who have gained a knowledige of the duities eo be perfornied is thecir respective depart. i-nents. Titis law ilobie would be sufhicient, and not in thc least re- duce the just and necessary influence of Government. To all high offices of' State, amid Boards of' Uonamissioners., i't has never been time practice to advance ithe public servants and, it is doutbtful liowv far it would be advan tageous. By compelling all to serve thirough the several gradations of- office, stiien of business may be obtaine-d ; hut it wouldt be obviously detriimieintal to exc.aude Go~- veruniiemit fronit time clioitce of memi like the present SecreEaries of State, the Chanceellor of the Exchequer, and sointe otitera eminent for talent, wrho have never labouxted in the lower official -mils, so fill those high offies. It reqmmircs so little reflection to comprehend that the secretaries to puiblic boards should be persons experienced in the formis and Dre- cedents of' their respective departments, thatlIwill nior gntLeaien, apipear to insult yourumsderstandling by anv further remarit on that point. than to observe how intolerably gri'evous it must be for any imian well qumalified amid anxious to see the public business properly' executed, to labour for tIme ease and convenience of a stranger, who, will probably never be able to attain that perfect kitowvledge of thie duties so es%ential to that situationi. Your attention, gentlemien, lias already been drawn to this im- portant subject by the C-ommissioners of Inquiry' into the collectionl atid managemient of the revenue arising in Ireland,; who, in their mnasterly report, datedI June 28 1820.1 have ful ttdte l'fici tj - higher statiomis who have not acquireul experience in lIowe~r Stations, amid haive giv-en their opinion, " that even if tite fullest security could be obtained for the constant exercise of oo discrimination o't the part of' Government, anid if aEll the- ofieS sappointed couldi be equally well chosen, the objection to~ ttime practice would still, in their judgmtent, be insurmountable." A strict observance of' the regular course of' proiitoilon cannot, it is clear, be any loniger expected f'romn Gov'ernnment, who liave paid. no respect whatever to tile recoittmncndlations of your commnittee ; nor shiould they be intrrusted witnisuacii vast power, whiich, it. is notorious. may be abused almost wvithout their kniowledge, and evcn contrary- to their wishes. Allow n,e, therefore, gentlemen, to suggest,that each puiblic departmient he required to lay, before you inimnediately an ace- count of' all vacancies wlihichave occurred wit.lijtt the la'st three years, stating the rause thereof, thie names of the persons who were mtext in succession, antl.i,fi'not promoted, tite grounds of thieir re- jection, in order that youn miay see siome exteitn of the injuries coini- iuitted. Il'similar accomlitsa be requiired to be laid before you, gcntlemer', every future session, it. would obviously prevent any gross acts ot' injustice, antIl doubtf'ul cases miglit, if thoughit desirable, be investi- gated. nTlis mieasure would also have a good etfect oA the tpublic service, by con during to greater propriety of' conds.sct in ithe public servants, from their desire to avoid thie expoatire ul their namnes and ofrl'emces being thius publicly miade. O-ne session of P'arliaitiint having passed since the peculiarly op- pressive case of M1r. Benjamin Sayer occurred, I could not any long- er postpone tite explication of the intrigues by whtich thiat gentle- iriani and icuany, othiers hiave been deprived of their rmgfmts, atid which I cannot y'et qjuite unfold, or the miatter miighit have been confided to those vigilant anti liomioucable mien whio have beeni selected by YOuI, g-ntlemiien, to visit all time publmc offices. Theylitave, besid(u'S, oilir imortat ad laorios duiesto perforni, amid I s.hould, by- furherdely, tav cnsiere ussel exreely reproachable in not expsimg teseextaodinry racice, atdendeavouring to obtaia timeresituionof ight esental o te pblic Safety', arid whiich, whist brath, wil dfenl.TUEBOR. TO THZ MEMIIBERS O1Y 'ILE HOUSE OP COMfMON&