294 Letter on Affairs in general. [MARCH, 



Land." " A thorough knowledge of the classics, arithmetic, with the 

 ability to speak French," applicants are informed is required. " Salary 

 two pounds a week!"" v 



Nice Calculation. A nice, and even laborious exactness, in the state- 

 ments and computations of persons high in office, is often exceedingly 

 commendable. Mr. Peel, in his speech to the House of Commons, moving 

 the Address of Condolence to the King on the death of the Duke of York, 

 on Monday night last, had actually taken the trouble to count the number 

 of days which His Royal Highness had been in office as Commander-in- 

 Chief! They were ten thousand in number; not one of which the Right 

 Honourable Secretary con linuedto assure the House, had passed without some 

 portion of it being devoted to the duties of His Royal Highness's situation. 



The Address of Condolence passed, of course, unanimously. And the 

 vote of 9,000 a year more to the -Duke of Clarence, also passed on the fol- 

 lowing Friday ; against a minority of sixty-five, and some sturdy opposition 

 from Mr. Hume and Lord Althorpe. The chief questions in the matter seem 

 to be two First, whether there was any thing in the Royal Duke's change 

 of situation to make the additional allowance necessary ? And next, whether 

 it had been the custom, under similar circumstances, to grant to the Heir 

 Presumptive such an additional allowance ? To neither of which facts 

 as a plain man would understand the discussion any very satisfactory case 

 was made out. But I don't think that Mr. Hume's argument upon the state 

 of the country to wit, that the House improperly votes ,9,000 a year to the 

 already large income of the Duke of Clarence, after having just refused the 

 prayer, for a small sum, of the weavers of Blackburn, who were starving for 

 want of bread quite fairly applies. Because it is to avoid establishing 

 a dangerous principle and not from want of money that a parliamentary 

 grant is refused to the distressed manufacturers. It is not because the nation 

 cannot afford to give away 5,000 : but because, dreadful as the present 

 calamity is, it is held inexpedient to hold out a premium for the creation of 

 future distress more than those which already exist and which many 

 sound politicians believe are already too many in the country. If the grant 

 to the Duke of Clarence, upon its own merits, were a fit one, the state of 

 the country is not yet quite such as should prevent its being passed. There 

 seems to be no reason why His Royal Highness should bear the weight of 

 the distress out of his income, any more than any body else. But it is 

 a glorious state of things, to see sixty-five of the first gentlemen in a 

 country, who can venture to stand up publicly, and refuse a grant of 

 additional income to an individual, whom the lapse only of a single life 

 will make their sovereign ! 



Lunacies for February. Lunacy 1. On Saturday the lOthinst., Mr. 

 Pickman, a Coffee-house keeper, in Smithfield, being opposed in his opinion 

 on some point of political economy, said that f< he would as soon stab 

 himself as be argued out of his senses;" and, taking up a carving knife, 

 killed himself on the spot. I think a fact like this deserves a place in the 

 History of England. A person still more irascible, about the middle of 

 last summer, got up out of bed and hanged himself because the bugs bit 

 him. I think I mentioned this case at the time when it occurred. 

 Lunacy 2. A gentleman who dropped a purse in Cheapside, containing a 

 five pound note, four sovereigns, and some silver, pays six shillings to ad- 

 vertise in the Post that " Whoever will bring back the purse and the 

 note, shall have the sovereigns and the silver for their trouble." I should 

 like to know if this advertiser got a customer. Lunacy 3. Dr. Borthwick 

 Gilchriston Tuesday last, made a seven hours 1 speech on the study of the 



