3 NOVEMBER 1832, Page 48

I t Tic Wadi Ann one of the most fertile

sources of official jobbing. The stuns that have been squandered, during the present century, on " works' that were either utterly useless or quite unnecessary, would probably grieve, and certainly surprise, the stanchest advocate of the " Tax and Spend" principle. Some other modes of expenditure perish, as it were, in fruition. The job is planned, the money voted, the service done-and there is an end. But a building furnishes patronage for years. An account is presented, "founded on the most careful calculation, and there is not the remotest possibility of the expenditure exceeding the estimates." The money is voted after midnight, as a matter of course : in a few years the affitir is forgotten even by those members who might have looked at the estimates. An additional stun is required ; and voted, like the former, as a matter of course. Third, and even fourth additions, may sometimes be made to an original grant. By the time the under- taking is finished, it is found that the opportunity for which the build- ing was required (if it ever were required) is gone. But it must neither be sold nor abandoned. And the original job generates other jobs, in the shape of paid " residents" and perpetual "repairs."

It is to snuggeries of this kind-to 10,000/. here, to 20,000/. there, to 50,000/. in another place-that the attention of the Reformed House of Commons may usefully he directed. Any single sum is, in the words of Lord A urtione, "too paltry" for consideration ; but the ag- gregate, in a course of years, swells into millions. We know not what the expense of a return-showing the sums originally voted and the sums subsequently expended on ail public works (including the improve- ments of the Woods and Forests department)-would cost, bent we are certain it would exhibit an astounding mass of profusion and jobbing.

The errors arising from part of our data being payments for the past year and part grants for the present, will be greater here, probably, than in any other place. We have, however, no means of remedying the diffi- culty. The expenditure for " Works and Improvements" will be less this year, we think, than it was last. A part of the sum paid by the Woods and Forests is in strictness incapable of reduction, as it is borrowed money. We have concluded that the money repaid to the Commissioners for French Claims, was advanced for improvements.

F.,: invited. ExpenaeO

(in I300 already,

PALACES.

Windsor Castle

B tighton Palace

Ordinary Repairs of Windsor Castle and other Buildings connected with it, II ampton. Court Palace, I [timpani Court, Kew Palace and Buildings, Kensington and St. James's Palaces, 77151 ul'ul 1 . 5471,10250

77,000

570;807050 &v.

35,241 Ordinary Repairs of the Palaces in

Scotland

1,187 PUBLIC BUILDINGs.

Ordinary Repairs of the Houses of Par-

liament, Speaker's house. King's

Bennett, Fleet and Marshalsea Pri- sons. Somerset House, Whitehall,

Public Buildings at Westminster, the Tower, Rolls I louse, Chapel, Sze., the Horse Guards, Royal -Picture

Gallery, Mint, National Debt Office, Sze,

14,535

Providing Furniture, Fixtures, Sze .and various other i itch actual Expenses to (little-Nit Public It tiinlings, anti pav- in, various Parochial Rates on ditto

16,037 Repairing and Restoring the Paintings in the Ceiling of Whitehall Chapel.

850 Expense of Removing Mr. Babbage's

Calculating Maclaine to East Street,

Manchester Square, arid erecting a

Building to roceive it

State Paper Office

21,500 . .. 12,000

29;559030

British Museum, for Buildings and In- ternal Fittings, and for placing the

Marbles, 8r.c. (From ISIS to MS.)

17,000 10,000 College of Edinburgh - 120,000

6,000 HARBOURS OR ROADS.

Port Patrick Harbour . . ..

124,q8.0*. .. 117,212

5 668

Donaghadee I [arbour 145,133* ... . 135,577

4,556 5,000 Holyhead and Howth Roads and Har- bours

9,913

(Paid out of the Gross Revenue e the Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues.)

MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENTS.

Paid in 1831.

Salaries and other annual allowances in the Department of the Wardens. Rangers, Keepers, and others holding Ancient Offices in the Parks and Forests £7,037

Payments for Land and Buildings Purchased on behalf of the Crown; for In- vestigating. Establishing, and Defending Rights and Interests in Crown Pro- petty ; for Improvements thereon ; and for Rates and Taxes (including Monies Paid for the Redemption of the Land-Tax) and Allowances to Crown Tenants 54,217 Payments for Repairing and Maintaining RIIRdingS, Walls, Fences, and Roads, and for Making Enclosures and Plantations in the Royal Parks and Forests, and upon Estates of the Crown reserved for raising Navy Timber, together with Rates and Taxes charged thereon 73,174

* It is by no means clear that these are the original Estimates. They are called. "-accounts," or a reference is made to Papers.

f These works appear to have been going on for years, but no amount of former ex- penditure is given. The sum of 7,6191. was originally required, but refused by the Lords vi' the Treasury, nentalas to be comma on tile Amount Eat-

tnate.1 after the Voted Vote orate CM,. for rent year.

Auditor's, Treasury, and Parliamentary Fees 3,351 Transferred to the Fund standing in the Names of the Commissioners at the Bank of England under 7th Geo. IV. e. 77, and to be applied in the Purchase of Property in and near the Strand; which, when the ground shall be islet

on building leases, will become a part of the Land Revenue 73,186 Interest upon, and part principal, of a sum of 400,000/. advanced by the Exche- quer Bill Commissioners under 7th Geo. IV. c. 77, and Interest uponthesum of 300,000/. advanced under 10th Geo. IV. C. 61,by theEquitable Assurance

Company, for the purposes of the Improvements in and near the Strand 35,450 Payments towards the Rebuilding of the King's Palace in St. James's Park ; being the first since the commencement of the Works by Mr. Blore Keeping up the Grounds 560 In part Repayment of Monies advanced to this Board by the Commissioners of French. Claims 75.000 Total Public Works X 490,756 £ 163,754 27