GENERAL HISTORY. 



[41 



to move for leave to bring in a 

 bill to abolish tlie offices of the 

 Wardens, Chief Justices, and Jus- 

 tices in Eyre, north and south of 

 Trent." 



Lord Castlereagh began by say- 

 ing, that ultiiough on a former 

 occasion he had stated his objec- 

 tions to the principle and object 

 of a measure somewhat similar to 

 the present, lie was now willing 

 to give his support to that laid 

 before them. The jiower of the 

 ciown, he admitted, had increased 

 since the war began ; b\it on the 

 return of peace, tliough they 

 could not be restored to the state 

 in which they were left before 

 1792, it had been more than pro- 

 portionally reduced. The patron- 

 age of the Clown was by no means 

 excessive; for which reason he 

 •would support the present mea- 

 sure, because it did not bear upon 

 the influence of the crown. His 

 lordshi]) then went into a severe 

 criticism upon Mr. F.ankes's bill, 

 which he charged with tending to 

 augment the burthens of the 

 country, and with seeming to 

 countenance the delusion which 

 had spread through the people, 

 who regarded sinecmes as the 

 chief evils of the nation. Motives, 

 however, had grown up which 

 induced him to favour the abo- 

 lition of sinecures. It was very 

 de.-irable to correct the false ex- 

 ])ectations which had been che- 

 rished, and the present measure 

 would have that etfect. It would 

 not, indeed, be a great saving ; 

 but sinecures being bad in princi- 

 l>le, it wouldojieratea^acuretothe 

 impression which had gone abroad. 

 Mr. J. P. Grant said that he 

 could not congratulate the House 

 or the CQUIIU7 ^'i""^ **"^ reasons 



by which the noble lord supported 

 the measure. Its recommenda- 

 tions were, that it did not in the 

 slightest degree alYect the influ- 

 ence of the crown ; that it ef- 

 fev^ted no economy ; but that it was 

 adapted to the cure of the poison- 

 ed public mind. To the noble 

 lord, therefore, he must confine 

 his congratulations ; and he was 

 the more decidedly of his opinion, 

 when he recollected the purposes 

 for which the committee had been 

 appointed. At the first part of the 

 session the noble lord hurried 

 forward, so that he superseded 

 the chancellor of the exchequer j 

 and at length came an investiga- 

 tion of the difficulties and re- 

 sources of the country. For thi ee 

 months, excepting three days, 

 had the committee been occupied 

 with this subject, and the result 

 of their long and painful investiga- 

 tion was this report. They had been 

 going over the ground that other 

 committees had trod before them, 

 and recommending paltry savings 

 instead of executing the business 

 before them. After a number of 

 remarks, partly serious and partly 

 sarcastical, resi)ecting what had 

 and what had not been done by 

 the conmiittee, Mr. G. concluded 

 by saying, that with respect to 

 the present motion, he certainly 

 would not (tppose it : it was to 

 him a matter of perfect indif- 

 ference, and as such he was per- 

 suaded it would be felt by the 

 people, whose delusion, according 

 to the noble lord, it was destined 

 to remove. 



Sever.al other members sjjoke in 

 the debate, which assumed much 

 of personal attack. Mr. Gilbert's 

 resolution being at length agreed 

 to, he movvcj vjvrioijs ythf '' reso- 

 lutions 



