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1184 &ft* &*&&**? [Saturday
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1815 improved. Louis Blanc says that the...
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" SOCIETY IS SAVED "I To " save society ...
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POLITICAL LETTERS. II. Fkance and Englan...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Public Departments. The Idea Which Most ...
They take a complaint of grievance into consideration , or not , just as they please ; and even when that is done , the parties heard or examined are not the complainants who have sustained the injury , but the agents of the Board , who have inflicted it ! It is in vain to appeal to the " responsible" minister against the injurious action of the subordinates . If you " memorialize the Treasury against an injustice done by the Board of Customs , or that of Inland Revenue , for instance , be the injustice ever so glaring , or the inquiry ever so grave , the " memorial " is handed over to the delinquent Board , which is invited to sit in judgment upon itself and report the result of its inquest to " My Lords /' who have no time to look into these affairs of
indiyidual concernment . Can the bureaucracy be placed under any check or restraint ? or must the only satisfaction which an injured subject of the Crown can get continue to be , as now , the amount of public sympathy he may excite by an exposition of his hard case through the columns of a newspaper ? There is only one way that we know of likely to be useful for this purpose , that is , by drawing aside the veil of secrecy and exposing these governmental departments to public view . We do not think it likely , if the composition and personnel of the several "Boards" were well known—if the
apparent motives which influenced the appointments to them were subjected to a public ordeal—if the individual relationships and interests of the several persons composing them were inquired into and Drought under public notice—that either their composition or conduct would be so liable to strong reprehension as they often are now . Sir Robert Peel , when under examination before the Committee of 1850 , on official salaries , very ingenuously , though jocosely , suggested the corrective course now adverted to : — " You have stated
the power which the Minister had in former times , observed Mr . Bright , " of bestowing appointments on his relatives and connections ; is it not the fact also now , that the Minister has the power , and does still exercise it , of doing that which is advantageous to his family and relatives , by the distribution of appointments among them ? " " That certainly is one of the advantages of office , and one
that remains undiminished , ' replied the right honourable baronet ; " I think , " he added , " there is more care in making appointments than there was in former times ; but still the power remains undiminished . " Now , note the next question and answer . " It is more controlled by public opinion , and the influence of the press , and of more responsibility in Parliament ? " " Yes , " replied Sir Robert Peel . " and the conscience of the Minister"
whereat there was , of course , a laugh . What has been ( 'fleeted in a limited degree , through the force of public opinion , the influence of the press , and the responsibility of the Ministers in Parliament , in controlling Mie exercise of Governrnent patronage , and the appointment to ofliee , may be ejected , in a still larger degree , by strengthening public opinion , extending the influence of the press , and increasing the Parliamentary responsibility through the means of
constant publicity . 1 hat will cheek or influence the appointments to the Governmental Boards ; and the proceedings of the Hoards may be checked or influenced by tine same thing . Believing this , we have charged ourselves with the duty of seeking the information necessary to insure these objects . AVe purpose to exhibit to the readers of the Leader , the personal and structural function » of the public departments through which the administration of the nation's affairs is curried on .
In the mean time , the following exhibition of the several parts of the Executive ( Government may not be useless . Jt will , at all events , serve , to guide us through the labyrinthine injizes of Dowiung-Btreet , aiul its adjuncts and dependencies : —• I . —Tin : Privy Council : — 1 . The Cabinet . 2 . Judicial Committee . ' . i . Committee of Trade and Plantations . 4 . Educational Committee . II . —Thk TjtHANiruY : — 1 . The Exchequer . 2 . Mxc . hequer Hill Loan Olliee . 3 . The ComiiuHHimiit . 4 . Audit Ollioe . ft . National Debt Ofliee . 6 . State Paper and Record Oflioo . III . —Tint Homk Oi'i'itMs : — 1 . Legal Department . 2 . MagiHtcriul and Police Departments II . Criminal mid Convict JJcimrtmcntH . 4 . Alum Department .
5 . Inspectorial Department . 6 . Signet Office , & c . & c . IV . —The Foreign Office : — 1 . Consular Department . 2 . Slave Trade Department . 3 . Precis Writer , Librarian of Manuscripts , & c V . —Colonial Office : — 1 . Administrative Department . 2 . War Department . 3 . Colonial Land and Emigration Board . VI . —The Irish Office . VII . —Thh Privy Seal : — The Signet Office . VIII . —The Admiralty : — 1 . Naval Department . 2 . Civil Department . 3 . Judicial Department . 4 . General Register and Record Department . 5 . Scientific Department . 6 . Hydrographical Department—Naval Yards —Victualling Stores—Medical Establishments—Transport ditto , & c . IX . —War and Commander-in-Chief ' s Offices : 1 . War Office . 2 . Commander-in-Chiefs Office . 3 . Quarter-Master-General ' s Office . 4 . Paymaster-General's Office . 5 . Adjutant-General's Office . 6 . Comptroller of Accounts' Office . 7 . Medical Board . 8 . Judge-Advocate-General's Office . Military Asylum—Hibernian Military School—Royal Military College—Normal and Model School , & c . X . —Board of Ordnance : — 1 . Master-General ' s Office . 2 . Cash-Account Office . 3 . Store-Account Office . 4 . Secretary ' s Office . 5 . Inspector-General of Fortifications' Office . 6 . Survey Department . Royal Military Academy—Engineer Department at Chatham—Royal Military Repository , Woolwich—Ordnance Establishments—Barracks , & c . XI . —Board of Control : —• 1 . Revenue Department . 2 . Finance Department . 3 . Military Department . 4 . Marine , Ecclesiastical , & c . Department . . 5 . Political Department . 6 . Judicial and Legislative Department . XII . —The Post Office : — 1 . Offices of Control—Post-Master-General's— Secretary ' s to ditto—General Secretary ' s—Acccountant and Receiver-General ' s—Solicitor ' s . 2 . Executive O / Iiees—Ship-Letter Ofliee—Mail-Coach ditto—Inland "ind Foreign ditto—Lett * r Carrier .- / ditto—London District and Newspaper ditto . ' A . Oflices of Public Convenience—Dead Letter Ofliee—Inquiry ditto — Money-Order ditto .
XIIT . —Board of Puhuc Works . XIV . —Hoard of Woods , 1 ' okknth , and Land Ekvknue . XV . —BoAJtn ok Inland IIevknub : — 1 . Excise Department . 2 . Stumps and Taxes Department . . ' 5 . Legacy Duty Olliee . 4 . Solicitor ^ Oilice-. /> . Receiver ~ General \ s Ofliee . 0 . Accountant and Comptroller General ' s Oilice . XVI . —Board of Customs : — 1 . Civil Department . 2 . Ifurbour Vessels and Crviining Department . . ' { . Preventive Guard Department . 4 . Quarantine . Department . /> . Surveyor ' n Department . ( i . Comptroller-Ueneral ' H J ) c ]> artmcnt . 7 . Solicitor ** ' Department . 8 . Building , Victualling , & c , Department . 9 . Keeeiver-GencrarN . Department , & c . & c . & c . XVII . — -Tub Mint : — 1 . Master AVorker ' w Office . ' 2 . Deputy MiiHter ' tt ditto . . ' 5 . Comptroller ^ Ofliee , ike . Sec . Sec . XVIII . I ' OOR liAW CoMMlHHION . XIX . — Hoard of JIhai . tii . X X . —Commission of Skwhkh . X XI . —CorvnoiiD , T ' jtiik , and In ( 7 I-osukh Coh-M 1 HHIO 1 N . XX . II . —( iiiNF . RAr . Rimiihthau'h Okfich . XXIII . — -Station kry Offiok . XXIV . —Paymasthr-Cunkrai / m Offioh . Metropolitan Buildingn' Oilico ¦— Metropolitan
Roads' Office—Ecclesistical Commission—P ^ r """ Commission-British Museum cSXSj National Gallery Commission — M ^ nm " 7 Practical Geology Commission - GtoSJLSf Hospital Commission-Chelsea HospitaWW mission , & c . < J ° "
1184 &Ft* &*&&**? [Saturday
1184 & ft * &*&&**? [ Saturday
1815 Improved. Louis Blanc Says That The...
1815 improved . Louis Blanc says that there will be three empires—th Austrian , the Russian , and the French ; but will not that position leave certain little irregularities unpleasant to the eye of the political geographer ? Let us auReest a plan for removing them . Louis Napoleon has an army to feed and amuse wanted , therefore , a war . Let him pick a quarrel with Turkey—about Tunis , Morocco , or the Exposition prizes it matters not what—and having conquered Turkey let him hand it over , -with Greece of course , to Russia Austria can then take Sardinia and German Switzerland lea the rest for Louis
ving Napoleon ; giving the Rhine ' provinces also to French desires , with Belgium . Prussia can be paid with Schleswig-Holstein ; Denmark with Norway and Sweden , Liberal kingdoms . Eventually , Spain and Portugal can be annexed to th e Frenc h empire ; Holland and the Danish dominions handed over to the new " Emperor " of Prussia . When Russia has taken India , France can annex Ireland , absorbing England in the process ; unless , indeed , Queen Victoria permitted to join the quintuple alliance for the sake of Palmerston , should be suffered to stand as a new " Empress , " permitted to annex the United States of America . This would make geography much more square and simple .
" Society Is Saved "I To " Save Society ...
" SOCIETY IS SAVED "I To " save society " is an universal pretention . Among the various schemes which find admirers , what do you think of this ? A low scoundrel , deeply in debt , and at his wit ' s end , proposes to some kindred spirits a bold yet easy burglary . The inmates of the house are startled from their sleep , and commanded to give up the keys . Those who hesitate are gagged , those who protest are murdered ! The
drawers are ransacked—the property secured . Then , when murder and violence have silenced the cries of the proprietors , the brutal ruffian , moving amidst corpses , his feet slipping in their blood , announces to them this bulletin : —" Brothers and sisters ! Your property is saved ! I thank you for the confidence you have reposed in me ! Continue your peaceful attitude , and be assured I will not suffer Socialists to pillage your house !"
Political Letters. Ii. Fkance And Englan...
POLITICAL LETTERS . II . Fkance and England . December 10 , 1851 . What can Englishmen do in this matter of France to vindicate the outraged rights of humanity and their own honour ? I do not know , my trusted companion , what Englishmen can do , because I am oppressed with doubts as to the amount of spirit and will remaining to my countrymen ; but I know what they ought to do . They ought to see that their Government truly represents them , and acts as England would act , not as Downing-street has acted . But in order to do that , Englishmen should first know what their ( Government is doing . Now , what is that Government doing ? Not a man of us knows . There was a rumour , on Tuesday last week , that Lord Palmerston was " to go out , " because the Grey section of the Cabinet could not tolerate him : he is not out . Has he become more tolerable to the Grey section ? There is a rumour , this week , that Lord l ' ahnerston has expressed satisfaction at the ( success of Louis Napoleon : is that true ? and ban a concurrence in that approval reconciled the Grey section to their dangerous colleague ? These are rumours , you may flay , and as such not worth note . Jiut they are rumours current among well-informed men ; and 1 believe that political action sullcrs from the fact thai , such rumours are allowed to iloat about , not explicitly stuted nor
explicitly contradicted . One word on our right to infer grave charges again *!; a public : Minister without iiK ontcataUJe " proof . " Th « re in a aqueanuHhness growing up m the English character , very dillbrent irom the old love of straightforward fair dealing . I *" ' " «; li . slnr . an , nowadays , iniiNt be < perfectly aceu .. uX in his HtatementH , as impeccable as an old inm , or ki » nilkeu eonmience yieldn under the Jrnul m hysteric ; possibility of an imputation <>\ <™ * been « in error . " Ho ignores what ilocn «« t como olliciall Now perfect accuia y h " ouiciauv A .. — --
before bun y . Oelore nun . ,,, ,. u ,. \ . Ur of possible ; judicial blindness ih the >»«<* para y ^ . g ot InfinuitieV ; and the Kng hHhinan , » < >» » K the faculties both of cyeH and hand * , lliunlot has
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 13, 1851, page 12, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13121851/page/12/
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