1831. J [ 65 ] 



NOTES OF THE MONTH ON AFFAIRS IN GENERAL. 



A short time will shew whether the government are sincere in their 

 promises of economy: those promises which have been so often broken, 

 but which now must be and shall be kept, whoever may be minister. We 

 are willing to give Lord Grey credit for his intentions, and all will go on 

 well, if he shall realize them by vigorous performance. We agree per- 

 fectly with the observations of the ' ' Times " on the subject. After 

 mentioning that the salary of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has been 

 reduced by government from 30,000 to 20,000, that is to say, has 

 been docked of one part in three, a reduction which it is only justice to 

 the Duke of Northumberland to say, had been in some degree anticipated 

 by himself, he having given up 7>000 a-year it proceeds to observe : 

 " We do not say that this ratio, which is applicable only to salaries of 

 very high amount, should be adopted in all ; but that the principle of 

 diminution should be carried into effect is highly necessary ; and, above 

 all, it was most gratifying to be assured by such a man as Lord Althorp, 

 in the name of the government, that ' all places, whether high or low, 

 were to be abolished which were held by individuals performing no 

 duties.' For our own parts, in looking over those pension lists which 

 have been recently brought to light, we cannot help thinking, that if 

 substantial justice were dealt out to the parties therein, it appears, en- 

 joying pensions, nine- tenths of them ought to be sent to the tread-mill 

 for the plunder they have committed, and were intending to commit, 

 upon the public purse." The truth is, that the nation will tolerate those 

 plunderings no longer Mr. Horace Twiss tells us, to " pause before 

 we plunge noble families into distress !" But we say, if noble families 

 are to keep their nobility only by living on the public, perish their 

 nobility ! What right have they to any rank above other paupers ? 

 What claim have the Lady Bettys and Jennies of any titled beggar to 

 the money wrung from the labours and necessities of the industrious and 

 now deeply depressed people ? If they think carriages and fine clothes, 

 titles and fine houses essential to their existence, let them pay for them 

 out of their own purses ; if they cannot pay for them, what right have 

 they to them ? or what right have they to make the people pay for them ? 

 The whole affair is a gross insult to common sense; and those silken 

 creatures, and their dandy brothers, aetherial and exquisite as they may 

 be, must do like others, earn their bread by honest industry, or have no 

 bread to eat. We have not time now to enter into that national insult 

 the Pension List ! We shall return to it before long. But we warn 

 Lord Grey that, upon the candour and strict sincerity of his conduct in 

 extinguishing every sinecure, and cutting off every shilling, unearned by 

 distinct and plain public services, and that immediately, the continuance 

 of his administration must altogether depend. We must have no more 

 noble paupers. If they are paupers let them descend from their fictitious 

 rank, and learn the duties of their true station in society. They will 

 gain a great deal by the change, in point of usefulness, lose nothing in 

 point of real dignity for what can be so degrading as to live on the 

 charity of the public ? and probably gain much in point of real comfort, 

 for what bread is more destitute of comfort than the bread of idleness, 

 even if it were eaten by the sons and daughters of a Duke ? 



But the affair will not, and cannot, be borne any longer. The House 

 of Commons have already taken it up, and on the sincerity with which 



M.M. New SeriesVoi.. XI. No. 61. K 



