3827.] Letter on Affairs in general. 189 



particularly convenient if the system of " perquisites " (by which the private 

 revenues of the Sovereign are devoured) could be got rid of entirely about 

 the court ; as it has already been got rid of because it was found an in- 

 tolerable nuisance pretty nearly every where else. The fees and perqui- 

 sites attached to some state offices are so enormous, that ceremonials are 

 omitted in order to escape them. Those arising out of the late coronation 

 were so large, that I cannot venture to state them, not having a calculation 

 immediately at hand ; and I recollect that when the " Bank Tokens " 

 were issued, about ten years ago, one of the causes assigned for circulating 

 that silver currency, in preference to coining the metal into shillings and 

 sixpences, was the. heavy sum which would become payable in fees to the 

 officers of the Mint ! Every system of " vails," too, has a natural tendency 

 to run into abuse. Purchases are swelled, and consumption straightened, 

 in order to increase the amount of the remainder, I rather believe that 

 the accounts of Carlton House, if they could be practically checked, would 

 exhibit some whimsical illustrations of this truth. All the leading news- 

 papers, I observe, speak of the absence of flambeaux , for instance, at tho 

 Duke of York's funeral. They were handed to the soldiers in the proces- 

 sion in great numbers, but very few were lighted. The Times, I think 

 it is, says that, in some of the streets of Windsor, the hearse at some parts 

 could scarcely be distinguished from the mourning coaches, except by an 

 occasional glimpse, afforded by the flickering of the few torches, held at 

 considerable distances by the troops which lined the way. These torches 

 were of white wax, and of a costly description : it would be curious to 

 know to what officer, the torches employed in the ceremony, and not 

 consumed (as a perquisite) reverted ? 



A WIFE BY ADVERTISEMENT. A French paper says, " The gentle- 

 man who advertised some few weeks ago in our paper for a wife, was mar- 

 ried on Monday last," (the paper is of Saturday) " to a lady procured by 

 means of the advertisement and has a son. We wish him joy," &c. &c. ! 

 I am sure I wish the gentleman joy too. " Domus et placens uxor /" as 

 the quack doctors in their hand bills say ! 



The New Edinburgh Review is out : a weak number, I think,- as tho 

 Review stands now not to speak of the rank that it held formerly. Some 

 of the papers are on subjects which have grown stale, and most of the 

 others upon matters not of much general entertainment or interest. The 

 best article is that upon the " Counsel to Prisoners charged with capital 

 offences," which contains a great deal of sound argument and acute reason- 

 ing ; though I don't think it is so entirely conclusive as the author seems 

 to assume. The question, at best, appears to be one which only leaves a 

 choice of difficulties. There may be mischief as the law stands at present, 

 but there would, pretty certainly, continue to be mischief (though of a 

 different character) if the law were altered in the way proposed ; and the 

 only doubt can be, in which course we shall be open to the least quantity 

 of evil. 



It is true that, in Scotland, (where the reviewer perhaps lives) a prisoner, 

 charged with felony, is already allowed to address the jury by his counsel, 

 and no inconvenience as it is stated ensues. But there is some difference 

 between the being even satisfied that a system works perfectly well in 

 one place (where it is already long established) and the being convinced 

 that it would be expedient to establish it as a new arrangement, in another. 

 Scotland, it will be recollected, has a great deal less to do in the way of ex- 

 ecuting criminal justice than England. The country affords less temptation, 



