12 OCTOBER 1839, Page 13

. WHIG AND TORY .CORRUPTION.

THE Governorship of Greenwich Hospital is a sinecure, of no real use except as a retreat for some distinguished veteran of the Navy. It was last filled by Sir Timaiss Hsunz, the comrade of NELSON at Trafalgar. Admiral FLEMING, who has just been appointed to the place by the Whig Admiralty, never was distinguished in any action. But a Ministerial journalist alleges another reason than naval celebrity for his selection—namely, that he is "one of the very few Admirals who hold Whig principles.' This is candid at least. The appointment is not professional, but political—not patriotic, but partisan. Now the utmost that can be conceded to party

m'en in the ease Of eminent Parliamentary services, is to cast the balance between competing candidates of equal pro-

fessional lif6r1ts. Guided by• zeal for the interests of the seriite; the Admiralty ought to have bestowed the Green- wich Governorship on one of the twenty-five Admirals who have won, by their achievements, the honours of the Bath,— perhaps passing over MARTIN, SMITH, STOPPORD, and COCKBURN, because they hold other sinecures ; or on the senior officer who was wounded,—Vice-Admiral Sir GEORGE SCOTT; or have pro- nutted the present Lieutenant-Governor, BRENTON, and given the Lieutenant-Governorship to Rear-Admiral Sir CHARLES BeLees, 1(.0.13., who was at Trafalgar ; or more properly still, to Rear- Admiral Sir JAMES GORDON, K.C.13., who has often signalized him- self; and lost a leg in action. But all these distinguished officers, and many others, have been passed over to make room for the "Whig" NIL FLEMING. Of thirty-seven Admirals, there are only eleven, be- sides Admiral FLEMING, who are not Knights Grand Cross or Knights Commanders of the Bath, and Ministers have taken their Governor of Greenwich Hospital from the minority who are not distinguished,—for though the Morning Chronicle calls Admiral FLEMING "Sir CHARLES," Ile was never knighted. In a word, no appointment could be more unjustifiable than Admiral Feemixe's : the afibir stands forth an unmitigated job. And it is only one -job of many. The nepotism of the pre- sent Government did not cease when old Lord Gner went out of office. To be related to a Minister, is the best qualification for employment, or at any rate salary, in the public service. A few fami- lies engross a very large proportion of the best appointments in the gift of Ministers. LAMB, ELLIOT, PONSONBT, COWPER, STANLEY, Fox,: HOWARD, RUSSELL, SEYMOUR, PIIINIRosn, EDEN', CAVENDISH, GOWER, and their connexions, are the names which 'constantly meet the searcher through the lists of well-salaried officials. To trace the ramifications of this extensive' "Family Compact," would be a •work of time and labour. Many unworthy influences are constantly 'operating, traceable to the existence of an obscure connexion. •Numerous appointments are made in the Colonies', and in.the' Diplomatic service, 'little noticed by the public, r and. 'Which are -soon 'forgotten. How few, for example, are aware that 'a Colonel MACDONALD, at Honduras, on better terms with the great men of Downing Street than with the English merchants and' residents of Honduras, annually Pockets some 5,000/. ayear. Stink offices at home also fall out of view and remembrance. Take• another instance : BOUVERIE PRIMROSE, the Whig Earl of RosEts,' EERY'S son, is no longer molested in the enjoyment of his comfort.

i able place n the Scotch Post-office.

We have reason to believe, that if the private proceedings at the Horse Guards were laid bare, it would be found that Lord Hum and Lord FiTzaoy SOMERSET retain their places on the understanding, that the military jobs of the leading Whigs are to be done under the rose. There is a sort of compromise between the two parties. The public is blinded by the continuance of Tories in the command of the Army ; and it is a common remark that Ministers are blameable in permitting the immense patronage of that department to remain at the disposal of their political enemies. But Lord MELBOURNE, omnipotent at Court, is too worldly-wise to allow the Tories to continue at the head of the Army without " a consideration." Perhaps it gives him a hold on the Duke of WELLINGTON, to whom Lord HILL is habitually submissive : but unless there were something more direct and tangible—unless Lord Himr. bowed to Ministerial behests—if he resisted Whig jobbing in pro- motions and other military matters, it is reasonable to suspect that he would speedily be replaced by a more tractable Come mander-in-Chief. Seeing the use made of Government influence in other departments—how very eagerly the desirable offices are clutched by Ministers for themselves or connexions, it is impos- sible to believe that time same description of" rank rascality *"s- excluded from the Horse Guards ; though the dirty work is done under a Tory cover.

The Standard asks us, whether "any of the imputed corrup-

tions of former days can compare, in reckless audacity of dis- honesty, with many of the Whig jobs" which we have assiSted in exposing? The .great difference between the modern Whigs and the displaced Tones is this—that the Whigs, besides a general and long-standing profession of superior virtue, made special procla- mation when they took the Government, that they abandoned the old system of ruling by patronage, and stood on the merits of their measures alone. They were "Reformers," whom Tory corruption. quite disgusted and shocked. But as they are now continually guilty of acts for which a reference to similar doings of' their pre- decessors is the only apology—when even their Naval appointments. are defended on the principle that Government must use its patronage for its political support—their party dishonesty is cer- tainly more audacious, and implies a greater degree of' vice, than like acts in Tories, who never pretended to transcendental purity, but protected sinecures, pensions, and other abonai- atiouis, avowedly as necessary means of carrying on Monar- chical government. True, this was in a very different state of public opinion, and under very different circumstances. The ex- istence of close boroughs rendered jobbing absolutely necessary. Allowing for the great changes in public opinion, and for the effect of the Reform Act, there is no fair comparison between .what the Tories did and what the Whigs do. Still, as regards the magnitude of the jobs themselves, we certainly think that the worst of Whig achievements might be matched by Tory exploits in the same line. Why, nearly the entire Pension-list was a Tory job, and to the tune of some 200,000/. a year. In the days of NELSON and COLLINGWOOD, the Navy was jobbed, and the Duke of WELLINGTON'S own despatches show how Parliamentary and Court influence crippled the Army during the Peninsular war. Immense fortunes were acquired by contracts, which were jobs for the most part. When Mr. MABERLEY could afford to make presents of hunters to official gentlemen, and maintain an establish- ment like a nobleman, is it credible that the Army-clothier and the Government did not together pillage the public ? The Orange Lords Jobbed Ireland, and the DENDASBS "ma- naged" Scotland. As for single jobs, we beg to remind our con- temporary of the affair in the Irish Prothonotarv's Office, where stamps were charged for but never supplied. the Tories pre- tended to effect a reform here—but how ? They removed the guilty parties, owners of the borough of Dungannon, and then stanch supporters of the Government, but with retiring pensions amount- ing to upwards of 7,0001.a year ! Recollect Mr.c'CANNING'S mission to Lisbon with a salary of 14,000/. a year, and the late Mrs. Au- eunrsor's pension. In large and small matters, the Tories jobbed. They maintained themselves in power by a gigantic system of cor- ruption perfect in its details. But there was little or no disguise—few professions of purity, no pretension to the character of Reformers—in the statesmen of the PITT and CASTLEREAGH school. Public morality could not be said to be undermined. Now, under the garb of Reform, corruption lurks, and does its work effectually. Herein lies the peculiar dan- ger of the present. day — the especial turpitude of the existing system ; for systematically is support purchased by the Melbourne Whigs, from high and low. Deprive them of the strength which lies in patronage, and where would they be?

* O'CONNELL on BROUGHAM, passim.