3 FEBRUARY 1956, Page 18

Sly iiintiator

FEBRUARY 5, 1831

WERE we called on to give a short definition of the British Government, we should say tt was a machine for regulating the Army, the Navy, and the Tax-gatherers—for what does it besides? The Government cannot take the trouble even of paying the interest on its own debt—it hires the Bank of England to do it The people . . do everything for them- selves, and give the Government fifty militols a year for doing the rest.