of a bill, which having passed the House, was carried to the House of Lords on the 17th of June, and in the session of 1813, when the same bill was carried to the House of Lords on the 5th of April. The classification of the several offices, and some of the provisions of that bill, are followed and referred to in the course of this report, as the most convenient mode of conducting the inquiry relating to them. The object of your committee was to ascertain, first, what offices may be reduced or regulated (after the expiration of the existing interests) without detriment to the public service. Secondly, under what regulations such of those offices as it may be deemed proper to continue ought to be administered after the expiration of the existing interests. Thirdly, as it is obvious, that whenever such regulations and reductions as are contemplated by your committee shall be carried into effect, the means of rewarding meritorious public service will be in great measure taken from the Crown, your committee deem it indispensable that provision should be made for enabling the Crown, under proper regulations and restrictions, to afford a reasonable recompense for the faithful discharge of high and effective civil offices. OFFICES IN ENGLAND. The view which your committee have taken of the two offices of Chief Justice in Eyre, North and South of Trent, is, that they may be abolished without detriment to the public service, and the emoluments thereof become a future saving to the public; regard be ing had in these, as well as in every other office which forms the subject of this report, to the existing interests. In the Exchequer, reasons of a like nature exist for dealing in the same manner with the offices of Auditor of the Exchequer, Clerk of the Pells, Four Tellers of the Exchequer; so that, whenever vacancies shall occur in any of them, the salary payable to the principal in such office shall cease, and become a saving to the public. Warden of the Cinque Ports, Governor of the Isle of Wight: The same rule applies to these two offices, so that the salaries payable at the Exchequer, or out of any public funds, may cease, and become a future saving to the public. Commissary General of Musters. -This office may be abolished without inconvenience to the public service. Joint Paymaster-General.-The office of one of the Joint Paymasters may also be abolished, being wholly inefficient and useless, with regard to all business connected with the army; but it must be recollected, that an effective and very important situation, without salary, has been frequently held, and is now held, by one of the Joint Paymasters; for the discharge of which your committee do not consider the salary of 2,000l. at present attached to the office of second paymaster, as more than adequate; but they submit to the House, that it will be more consistent with the system which they wish to introduce, that the Vice-President of the Board of Trade should receive a salary as such, such, than be paid indirectly as one of the Joint Paymasters-General. dom, and many of them resident abroad. It must be further observed, that though the salary of paid out of the produce of old stores, is now annually voted in the naval estimates, yet the appointment is not vested in the Crown, but in the governors of this charity. One Deputy Paymaster-General. this office, having been formerly -The office of Paymaster-General being recommended to be executed by one person, it follows, of course, that one deputy in the office will be sufficient; and that the salary now received by the second deputy should be saved. There are no longer any Deputy-Paymasters abroad acting by deputy; and the duties of all the Deputy-Paymasters themselves, during peace, are transferred to the commissariat. The office of Paymaster of Marines is now discharged in person, under regulations adopted in 1813, without any deputy allowed, or paid by the public; but as some further inquiries may be necessary before your committee can finally report upon it, they defer their observations until the estimates for the Navy shall come before them, with which this office is immediately connected. Upon the office of Paymaster of Widows' Pensions, although no strong objections occur to your committee against uniting it with the foregoing office, yet so long as it continues at the low scale of expense at which it is now fixed, it does not seem expedient to recommend any alteration for the purpose of effecting a saving, which would, if any, be very inconsiderable. The annual charge is no more than 680l. and ample security is taken, amounting to 20,000l. for the money in charge, and for the punctual payment of nearly 70,000l. in very small sums, to 2,200 widows, scattered over every part of the United King Law Clerk in the Secretary of State's Office.-It appearing that no duties whatever are annexed to this office, your committee recommend that it should be altogether abolished. Collector and Transmitter of State Papers.-The same observation applies as to the last office. The inconsiderable offices of Principal Housekeeper and Warehousekeeper in the Excise Office, Established Messenger in the War Office, and some others, included in the table of the bill of 1812 and 1813, were at that time held as sinecures with regard to these, it is sufficient to lay down as a rule, that no person in future should be allowed to hold any inferior office of this description, without performing the duty in person; and where no duty is attached (as in the case of Cartaker to his Majesty) all such nominal offices should be suppressed. The offices of Joint PostmasterGeneral in England and Ireland do not appear to your committee. to come under the general description of those which form the subject of this report. They are, therefore, not prepared at present to suggest to the House any alteration in this mode of conducting this important department of the public service. If, on the one hand, hand, they are strongly of opinion that it would be inexpedient to place this branch of the public revenue under the direction of a board, with a constitution similar to that of other revenue boards, as recommended by the finance committee of 1797, in their seventh report; on the other hand, they are by no means prepared to state an opinion, that the management of the revenue of the Postoffice, amounting in England to a gross receipt of 2,116,0871. and involving an expenditure of 593,620l. and amounting in Ireland to a gross receipt of 230,000l. and involving an expenditure of 148,000l., together with the complicated concerns by which this department is connected with the convenience of the community, and the commercial interests of the empire, can, without disadvantage, be permanently confided to one individual. Your committee have learnt with satisfaction, that, by the last indenture of the Mint, the office of Clerk of the Irons has been merged in that of superintendent of the machinery, which is a very necessary and effective office; and that it is provided by the same indenture, that the office of Comptroller of the Mint should, at the termination of the present existing interest, be executed in person by the present deputy, at the salary which he now receives, thereby effecting a saving of the salary and emoluments of the principal. The office of Warden of the Mint, it is understood, will, in like manner, be discontinued; as well as every other office in this department which comes within the principle of regulation or abo lition, which it is the object of your committee to extend to all offices of this description. Clerk of the Parliaments.Your committee recommend that this office should be abolished, and that the fees, if continued, should be appropriated towards defraying the sessional expenses of the House of Lords. Four Clerks of the Signet, and Four Clerks of the Privy Seal.— Your committee are not aware of any detriment which can accrue to the public service from discontinuing these offices, the duty of which is executed by deputy. Comptroller - General of Accounts, Excise, and InspectorGeneral.-These offices being connected with the collection and management of the revenue, and having no efficient duties, ought of course to be abolished. Register to Commissioner of Excise, Inspector-General of Coffee and Tea, &c. and all other offices, whether enumerated in the table to the bill of 1813, or not, the duties of which are connected with the collection and receipt of the public revenue, ought, in the opinion of your committee, to be abolished, so far as the salaries of those offices are payable to individuals who do not execute in person the efficient duties of such offices. SCOTLAND. Keeper of the Great Seal.Your committee recommend, that this office should be preserved ; but the salary regulated, so as not to exceed 2000l. per annum. Keeper of the Privy Seal.-In recommending that this office should be continued, a salary of 1000l. a year appears to be suf- which is stated to be 30,000l. they ficient. The office of Lord Justice-General. Your committee recommend, that after the termination of the existing interest in this office, the President of the Court of Sessions, for the time being, should assume the title, rank, and privileges of Lord JusticeGeneral, and that the salary now annexed to this office should be discontinued. Keeper of the Signet.-All the duties of this office may be annexed to that of Lord Register, and the fees should be carried to the public account; and with respect to the office of Lord Register, a fixed salary of 1500l. a year appears to be an adequate provi sion. Knight Marshal.-The office to be retained, but the salary discontinued. Vice Admiral.-Ditto. Governor and other offices in the Mint may be abolished. The buildings of the Mint in Scotland should be disposed of in such manner as may appear to the Lords of the Treasury most advantageous to the crown. Receiver-General of Bishops' Rents. Auditor of Exchequer. Assistant Surveyor General of Taxes. Comptroller-General of Cus toms. These offices may be abolished. The Cashier and Receiver-General of Excise -Your committee cannot too strongly express their opinion that this office ought to be executed in person; and even taking into consideration the amount of the security required, are of opinion that a salary of 1000l. a year would be ample to insure the regular attendance of a responsible person competent to give security to that amount. Three old Inspectors of Wheelcarriages, Gazette Writer, and Inspector-General of Roads, are offices to be abolished; the last being added to this list as included in the army estimates. IRELAND. Clerk of the Pells. The necessary duties attached to these offices must continue to be performed; but the salary and emoluments now receivable by the principals should become, as in the English Exchequer, a saving to the public. Keeper of the Privy Seal.-This office is now held for life; but it should, after the termination of the existing interest, be granted during pleasure only, and always annexed to the office of Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant. Surveyor-General of Crown Lands. Keeper of Records, Birmingham Tower. Keeper of the Records of Parliament. Clerk of the Paper-office. These officers have charge of public documents, which may be transferred to the building which has been constructed for the custody of the public records of Ireland; and the several appointments above enumerated may be abolished. Accountant to the Board of General Officers. Secretary Secretary to the Board of Gene- to the bill of 1813, in the Cusral Officers. toms and Excise departments of Corrector and Supervisor of his the revenue, the duties of which Majesty's Printing Press. were not performed in person. Compiler of the Dublin Gazette. Your committee have learnt with satisfaction, that to any of these nors. since the passing of that bill by Accountant-General (an office the House, no appointment has paid from the civil list.) Supervisor of Accounts, Barrack Department. Barrack Master of the Royal Barracks. These offices may be abolished, or if in any instance they have powers or functions attached to them which it is necessary to retain, they may be transferred to other effective offices, without any addition whatever to their emoluments: as the transfer cannot impose any additional labour or responsibility. been made by the Irish government; and that the salaries attached to them have been saved, by removing the individuals holding them to other effective offices. They therefore have only to express their opinion that such of the offices enumerated in the table as yet remain, should be abolished as opportunities occur, and to recommend generally that the duties of all offices, of whatever description, connected with the collection and receipt of the public revenue, should be performed in Constable of the Castle of Li- person, by those who hold them, at reasonable rates of salary. merick. Ditto, Dublin. Ditto, Castlemain. The salary payable to these offi cers out of the civil list should ENGLAND. become a saving to the public. Offices in Courts of Law in the Gift The offices may, if necessary, be retained without salary. Clerk of the Council. Muster-master-General (held by two persons). Pratique Master of the port of Dublin. Storekeeper of the Customs. The duties attached to these offices ought to be discharged in person by those who hold them, and the salaries now paid to the principals to become a saving to the public. There were several other offices enumerated in the table annexed of the Crown. The appointment to the under mentioned offices in the Court of Exchequer having been stated to your committee not to belong to the judges of that court, but to be in the gift of the crown, and it appearing that the duties of them are executed by deputy, there appears no reason for their being continued, except upon such an establishment as may afford an adequate remuneration to the proper officers hereafter appointed to discharge the duties in person. EXCHEQUER. |
