TOPICS OF THE DAY.
Ttut Ministers have patiaticallidirected. the attention of Parlia- ment to their own emoluments in the firstplace—we hope theywill direct their Own attention, in the next place; to the emoluments of those who come more . immediately under their individual notice. The Parliament itself.is a roosting-place for sinecurists; and there is not a braneh of its • multiplied Machinery where two or three are notperebed, sleeping for their hundreds and their thou- sands. We shall, for the present, suggest one case to 'Lord AL- THORP. Has his Lordship ever heard Of Sir EDiVARD STRACEY ? That worthy baronet holds four officeSthree of them sinecures- which bring him in at least 4,000/. per annum. 1st, He is prin- cipal Clerk of COmmittecaa sinecure, which he returns as worth 1,0201. ;" but thanks to a, n. ew table Vim, it is probably worth double that amount, ., grid, He is Clerk of Engrossments, a sine- cure, worth—we forget how many hundreds-; but it also has the benefit of a new table, and. the return is known). to be far under the mark. These two offices he has held- for forty years ! - 3rd, He is agent for passing the annual Land and Malt Taxes, a sineeure. 4th, He is Counsel to the Chairman of the Lords' Committees, at a salary of 1,5001.; which salary he has not returned at Here are sinecures and appointments to the amount of 4,000/. year for duties which would be too well paid at 1,000/. When this case is attended, to, we, may give another. We commend it to the care of Lord ALTHORP in particular,_net only as an honest man, and the Minister of Finance, but as one of the Commis- sioners for, Regulating the Offices of the House of Commons.
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