proceed to lay before you the reasons to go into the shop of his neighbour the which occur to me, in support of these | baker, and relieve the poor object with propositions, beginning with that which a loaf, without giving the baker any relates to pensions, secures, grants, thing for it, which, however, instead of retired allowances, and sala ies. being an act of charity, the law would

I make an exception in all cases, ex-call an act of theft or robbery. What cept the sinecures and the salaries, interm we ought to apply to those who favour of those sums that shall be found take the people's money, and give it to to be fully merited by public services persons selected by themselves, and, With regard to the pensions and other principally amongst their own order, I emoluments, which are clearly unme-leave you, gentlemen, to determine. rited by any such services, there being St. Paul exhorts, and, not by dry preno other justification or excuse, mcept, but by example, those to whom he Lord ALTHORP, who has recently made addressed his epistles, to work with their so brilliant a fi ure in a correspondence own hands, and to live sparingly at the with Mr. Hulton, of Hulton, said same time, that they might have to give frankly that, in most instances, they to those who needed; but this is a spemust be deemed works of charity cies of charity, of which those who And, as charity covereth a multitude of have the fingering of our money, do not sins, Mr Hulton might have been a seem to have any very distinct idea. little sparing of his lordship. But cha- Upon this list of pensioners; this long rity used to mean quite a different thing list of objects of charity, we find lords, than this. St. Paul recommends charity dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, very strongly; and the old-fashioned duchesses, and countesses, and so forth, religion of our fathers, which held cha-and whole families of children, beginrity to be the first of the Catholic vir-ning generally with the mother, and tues, explained it to mean feeding the going down to the baby in arms. hungry, clothing the naked, harbouring Amongst these we find a whole family the harbourless, and comforting the of the name of HAY, one of the febroken-hearted. The persons included males of which was, at any rate about in this proposition of mine answer to twenty-two years upon the pension list, none of these descriptions. They are and who, at the end of that time, benot hungry, naked, houseless, nor are came the "lady" of the present Sir they bowed-down in spirit, but very JouN CAM HOBIIOUSE. Whether she much the contrary; for, they are have the pension yet is more than I can amongst the most arrogant, haughty, say. Some of these pensions are and insolent wretches on the face of the granted for life; some of them during earth. But there was, according to the the pleasure of the King, that is to say, definition of St. Pail, explained and en- his ministers; some of them for a term forced by the ancient fathers of the of years; there being in all this conchurch, and by all the great civilians, cern a variety so great and so enchantone very essential circumstance in con-ing, as to make it the work of a man's stituting charity, which is wanting life to come at any thing like a clear Charity, according to all these statement of the manner in which the high authorities, meant the be towing money is taken away from us. But, in of something which was the property order to have a fair view of the extent. of him who bestowed it; and gene- to which the principles of justice are rally it meant the giving to another are adhered to, let us look at the manner something of your own, which really in which the settled laws of the country might, if kept by you, be useful to your-operate upon the middle and lower self. Never before, in this world, did classes, when any of their families, any we hear it deemed an act of charity of their children, any of their parents to make a gift of other people's goods. stand in need of parochial relief. The A distressed object going to a grocer, no-celebrated act of Elizabeth, which first thing so easy as for the charitable grocer made parochial provision for the relief

here.

years.

of the poor, and of the cause of which | poor-rates. The magistrates made the act I shall have to speak to-morrow order accordingly. The old man anevening, when I come to speak of the swered that, if he did this, he must go property of the church; that celebrated to the workhouse himself. The reply act, while it imposed a compulsory was, that HE MIGHT SELL THE assessment for the relief of the poor and TENEMENTS; and that if he would indigent, compelled the father or mother, not do that, the parish officers should do if of substance sufficient, to give, out of it for him. Precisely how the thing their own substance, relief to their indi- terminated I do not now recollect, but, gent children, grandchildren, and even I think it ended by a seizure of the tegreat-grandchildren; and also compelled nements on the part of the parish offi children, if of sufficient substance, to cers, and I dare say that the dismal give, under similar circumstances, relief drama closed by the old man's expiring to their fathers and mothers, and, if in that poor-house, from which, by necessary, their grandfathers and grand-constant industry and care, he had kept mothers. Nothing could be more just himself and his family for so many than this provision of the law; such is the law still; a law bottomed upon the maxim of St. Paul, that he who abandons his own kindred to want, is worse than a heathen. But if this law be just, why is it not applied to the families of the nobility and the clergy and the gentry, as well as to the middle and working classes who toil for their bread? A few years ago, a man in the parish of TICEHURST, in the county of Sussex, applied to me for advice, under the following circumstances: The man was nearly or quite four-score years of age; he had been a hard-working man all his life-time; had reared a great family without any assistance from the parish; had from his long and sedulous savings, become the proprietor of two tenements, worth 157. a year, upon the rent of which, together with what he was still able to do, in the way of work, he kept himself from the parish, and hoped so to do, till the end of his life. One of his sons had died, and left three children, who were all old enough to be able to work for the farmers. They did work for them; but, as the farmers paid With regard to the sinecures, wo part of their wages out of the poor- have a very happy illustration in the rates, they deemed the poor children to history of that of the auditor of the Exbe paupers, according to the present chequer, the present Lord GRENVILLE, debasing and infamous phraseology, the who, from this office, has received 4,000! word pauper never having been used in a year during about fifty years; and, of the act of Queen Elizabeth. The chil- course, he has received from us, in this dren being thus placed upon the poor-shape, besides others, about 200,000l. book, the parish officers applied to the of principal money. A sinecure means magistrates to make the grandfather pay a place which gives a man nothing to to the parish that part of the wages do. In this case, however, it was the which the children received out of the duty of the auditor, just to sign the ex

Here, then, is an illustration of ma Lord Althorp's English charity. Lady Juliana Hobhouse was doubtless th child, or grandchild of somebody that had something more than two tenements worth 151. a year; and, observe, my lady Juliana was not set to work as the poor children at Ticehurst were; they, poor things, were working in the fields, where it was right for them to be at work; while she was living like a lady, partly upon the fruit of the labour of these very children. Not another word need be said upon this part of the subject; for, if you, gentlemen, who will now have the power of choosing members of Parliament, do not choose men who will pledge themselves to do away with this injustice; if, under the influence of any motive whatever, you neglect the performance of this great duty, this so-much-desired Reform Bill will be of no benefit to the country, and you will deserve to suffer, all your lives, that pressing want of which many of you now so justly complain.

chequer bills issued by the treasury. | suitable description in each instance, This, however, Lord GRENVILLE did not and printing very closely, would make do; but left them to be signed by a a book bigger than that which contains clerk. One HASLETT, who was in the New Testament. These sinecures some office in the Bank, stole a great are only another name for the same parcel of these exchequer bills, and dis- thing; another channel through which posed of them for his own purposes. those who have had the power over our He was tried for the offence, convicted; purses have taken our money, and used and, as every one thought, was surely it for themselves. There is enough, to be hanged by the neck till he was then, on the subject of pensions, sinedead; but a motion was made for ar- cures, and grants, of which latter there rest of judgment, upon the ground that is a pretty great number, and each of these were a parcel of good-for-nothing them of thumping amount, and founded papers, not having been signed by the in justice just as much as the two auditor of the exchequer himself, a doc- former items. We now come to what trine which was confirmed by the deci- are called "retired allowances;" which sion of the twelve judges! And, there- means salaries, or parts of salaries, still upon, Haslett was not hanged for steal-paid to persons who have been in pubing the exchequer bills, but transported lic employ, but who have, from no for stealing bits of paper! Well, but matter what cause, ceased to be in that Lord GRENVILLE signed the exchequer employ. So that, for every office that bills for the future to be sure? Not he; there is, we have two, three or four perbut the Parliament passed an act to au- sons to pay. Upon what principle of thorise his clerk to sign them; and to reason or of justice ; upon what make it a capital felony to steal them practice, ever heard of amongst men, in future, though signed only by the are we we taxed to pay these allowclerk! An auditor means an examiner ances? If a merchant, or manufac¬ of accounts; and the business of this turer, or farmer, or anybody else, auditor professes to be to look into, and were called upon to pay his clerks or pass, the accounts of the treasury. By- workmen, who were no longer in his and-by Lord GRENVILLE became First service, I wonder what answer they Lord of the Treasury himself; and it would make to the call; but, if a law did seem too monstrous for a man to were passed to effect this purpose; if a be auditor of his own accounts. The law were passed to compel manufacpoet speaks of "soldering close im-turers, for instance, to maintain every possibilities, and making them kiss ;" workman who had worked for them, but even his imagination never reached till he was worn out, for the rest of his the reality of that which was now be-life, would they not say that that was a held. Lord GRENVILLE did not like to part with the 4,000l. a year; yet how was he to keep it? for, it was against law, as well as against reason, that a man should be auditor and treasurer at one and the same time; at last the difficulty was got over by the old remedy, a resort to the parish pump; and out came an Act of Parliament, brought into the House of Commons by Charles Fox himself, to make it lawful for Lord GRENVILLE to be First Lord of the Treasury and auditor of the accounts at the same time.

This is a sample of the whole sack. It would be tedious, gentlemen, to go over the whole list, which, adding the

most unjust and wicked law? Yet this case that I am speaking of is a great deal worse for nineteen twentieths of these persons are not half worn out. If, indeed, they had been forced into the several offices, as seamen and soldiers are sometimes forced to become seamen and soldiers, it would be quite another matter. So far from being forced into these offices by the public, they and their patrons generally force the public to take them into their employ. They are very often reared up by their parents for the express purpose of being forced into the offices, even against the wish of the Ministers themselves; and, when a new Ministry comes in, it gene

rally turns out whole shoals of these ing instance of this retired-allowance clerks and others, in order to make work. The public seem to congratulate room for their own set; so that we themselves that Sir Byam Martin, who have always two, and sometimes was in some of the offices of the navy, three, offices to pay on account of vas turned out the other day, he having the same office. Before Sir Anthony voted against the Reform Bill. Sir Hart died the other day, we were Byam, like a mouse in a barley-mow, paying three Lord Chancellors for was bred in the concern; and the navy Ireland, one in office, and two out; we is full of his young ones. But though are now paying two Lord Chancellors turned out of his office, he loves us too for England, one in, and one out; and, well to part from us, and he remains to be as Lord ELDON is a pretty tough fellow, paid by us at the rate of 8001. a year, a and as the concern is in a very change- retired allowance. The character of able state, I should not much wonder if those who serve this generous nation is we had another to pay before the next indelible; once in our service, always year be out. We have about fifteen in our service till death. Priests were ministers at foreign courts, and we are formerly said to be married to their always paying more than half a hundred. churches. With much more truth these Whenever you see a dozen clerks in an fellows may be said to be married to our office, reckon that we have three dozen money; for when once they get their to pay for that office. Why, gentlemen, hands in our pockets, those hands never was there ever such a monstrous thing come out again till pulled out by the as this heard of before in the world? hand of death. If we appoint an amThus it is that we stagger along under bassador he serves us four years; but these burdens. The Americans have we pay him for life. Thus it is in every ten ministers at the courts of Europe; case. If a commission be appointed, no and ten they pay, and no more. They matter of what sort, or for what pur change them very often; they do not pose, the commissioners are commislet them stay till they get too closely sioners for life; that is to say, however connected with the governments to short a time the commission ought to which they send them; but, the mo- endure, the commissioners continue to ment they go back, they cease to pay receive pay to the end of their lives. them. When we cease to have any Much about forty years ago; indeed, given service performed; for instance, thirty-eight years ago, a commi-sion was if we no longer keep on a certain de-appointed, agreeably to the stipulations partment of revenue, we discharge the of a treaty entered into with the Ameriofficers, of course, but we continue to can Government, in the year 1794, to pay them. Some of them have contin-arrange matters which were in dispute gent pay or pensions. The renowned between the two Governments, relative Huskisson, for instance, took care, in to claims which each had on the other the year 1799, to have a pension of for real or pretended pecuniary injuries 1,2001. a year granted to him for his or wrongs. The commissioners on our life, at all times when he should not be part were a Mr. Thomas Macdonald, a receiving more than 2,000l. a year for Mr. Rich, and a Mr. Guillemard. This an office; and, as he might die, he took commission commenced its operations, care to have a pension settled on his or the commissioners began to receive wife for her life, in case of his death, pay from us, just ab ut two years after for 600l. a year; at the time when this I was married; and, if the commiswas done, he had never been any-thing sioners be still alive, they have received but an under-secretary to Dundas. It pay to this day. I remember seeing in is nonsense to talk of the Reform Bill, the public accounts, a charge on account gentlemen, unless you send men firmly of these commissions, no longer than pledged to put an end to these practices, five or six years ago, or thereabouts. In With regard to the half-pay: but, consequence of the commission, and first, I had forgotten to mention a strik-which, indeed, was the object of it, cer

tain English merchants obtained pay-JAMIN HOBHOUSE, the venerable father ment of debts, which, during the re- of the patriotic member for Westbellion, had been confiscated by the minster. So that even the pap of this American states; but, gentlemen, do latter has been paid for by us. Sir BEN mark, I beseech you, that the whole of the JAMIN being dead, it is more than promoney obtained by this commission from bable that the son will succeed him in the Americans did not amount to so his office, as well as in his title of much as the cost of these commissioners, baronet; but it is also much more while, on the other hand, the claims than probable that Sir Cam will be which the Americans had on us, we have called upon to refund a part at least of had to pay to an enormous amount! this large sum of money, with which, Observe, too, that the American com- doubtless, the father purchased that missioners were forced to wind up their which remains behind. If this be not part of the concern pretty quickly; and the case in some thousands of instances, they were paid only for the time that little indeed would I give for the parthey were actually employed. And, ac-liamentary reform. In spite of boroughcordingly, the working people in Ame-mongers, I can live very happily rica are well clad and well fed, while amongst the woods and the fields; but those in England are in rags and half-if I quit them, for a seat in Parliament, starved. it shall not be for long, unless effects

But, perhaps, the most curious in-like these be produced by the reform. stance of all of the imperishable nature It has been said, and even in this town, of offices in our service, is that of the and cast as a sort of reproach upon me, commissioners of the Nabob of Arcot's that the putting forth of my propositions debts. It is now between fifty and caused the late Reform Bill to be sixty years ago, since the East India thrown out. Well, then, the propoCompany took away, upon some ground sitions did good, for everybody allows or other, the dominions of a prince that the present bill is better than the in Indostan, who was called the last; and, if this illustration of the Nabob of Arcot. How they disposed propositions should throw out the of him I do not know; but there being pre-ent bill, we shall get a better certain parties to whom he was in debt, still, according to all the analogy they came to our Government with of reasoning. Besides, we have gained claims for payment. Whereupon a this great point; the new bill having commission was appointed to inquire passed in the face of those propositions,. into the nature of these claims, and to we have a right to conclude that the settle and liquidate the debts. This House of Commons, who have now commission has existed from that day carried the bill, two to one, mean, as a to this. It consists of a chairman and matter of course, that the bill is to be a parcel of inferior commissioners, who productive of the measures pointed out have a secretary, clerks, door-keeper, in those propositions. However, genand a fine house for an office, with tlemen, mean what they will, I here tell abundance of candles and of coals; aml them plainly what I mean; and if this there stands an account of them all in illustration of my meaning cause the the COURT CALENDAR, this commission throwing out of the present bill, out let being one of the regular established in- it be thrown; for I will not disguise my stitutions of the country; costing, pro- sentiments and intentions, be the conbably, in charges for stationery and sequence what it may. But, gentlemen, every thing, not less than from ten to the short statement of the case is this: fifteen thousand pounds a year, more the bill must have those effects which than half as much as is required to carry I have been pointing out, or it will only on the whole of the civil Government produce that disappointment and rage of the United States of America. The in the people which must end in a head commissioner, for about twenty-terrible convulsion: I can plant cabseven years past, has been Sir BEN- bages, and do other things that I like,