TOPICS OF THE DAY.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIVIL LIST AND PENSIONS.

THE first " Practical Measure" was brought forward on Thurs- day night, by Mr. SPRING Rice, in a speech of voluble confi- dence, and rather overlaid with details having no direct connexion with the business in hand, but skilful, plausible, awl very well adapted to the conventional weaknesses of the audience he was addressing. Its effect, however, arose as much from its contrast to the Ministerial displays of Monday and Tuesday, as from its in- tiinsic merits ; for the more calmly and closely it is examined, the more will its claptrap qualities—its " semblance of worth, not subs( ance "—be discovered.

Dividing the Civil List into two heads, the Minister proposed that the direct expenses of Royalty should be considered apart from the Pensions: each division of expenditure being relegated to a distinct Committee. Upon the first four classes of the Civil List, the Ministers suggest no other reduction than the 50,0001. granted to the Queen Dueager as Queen Consort; and which

in fact could not have been retained without implying that Queen VICTORIA was personally more expensive than GEORGE the Fourth.

Unless the Committee (which, judging from its composition, is very unlikely) should spontaneously recommend the abolition of the sinecures of the Great Officers of the Household, these very improper places will remain as heretofore. The only

difference between the salaries under Queen Vicront a. and GEORGE the Fourth will be the paltry saving of 9,829/. pro- posed by the Committee appointed to consider the late King's Civil List, and which was then rejected as too trivial for notice. Even this reduction, slight as it is, will be nearly counter- balanced by 8,8001. which is to be expended on Ladies of the Household,—though surely neither Lady DURHAM nor the Dutchess of SUTHERLAND requires the 500/. a year. The number of the menial domestics it will be competent fur the Committee to deal with, but not with their wages. The expenses of the House- hold will also, as we understand, be laid before the Committee;

but if it be determined to leave the sinecures untouched, we do not suppose that any retrenchment will be effected in the cost of clothing and of feeding man or horse. When the Committee make their report, we will look into it : in the mean time, we suspect the following will be the result.

Kiso GEOROE THE FOURTH'S QUEEN VieTORIa's EsTAULtsilsiENT. EsTAtir.isti SENT.

1st Class—Privy Purse £G0,000 160,000 2d Class — Salaries of the Royal Household 130,300 129,271 1141 Class — Expenses of the Royal Household 171,500 171,500 4th Class—Charities, and Special and Secret Service 23,200 9.3,200 .£383,971

Saving 1,029

£365,000 1385,000

As regards the existing Pensions on the Civil List,* the Minis- ters promise well. They are to be given up to the scrutiny of a Committee, who are to decide upon the merit of each individual case, "having due regard to the just claims of the parties, and to economy in the public expenditure." Future abuses are to be guarded against, by requiring an annual return of each pension granted to be laid before the House. So far as publicity can operate, this will be a check against any very vicious or improper grant. It will not, however, be a sufficient guarantee against persons being placed upon the list who have no right to be there by reason of their services, or of distinguished literary or scientific merit. A case of worth and hardship can always be made out; and every one who has watched Parliament must have seen how difficult it is to oppose Government even when millions are at stake, much more when the single amount is thought a mere bagatelle. Under these circum- stances, we cannot help regretting that the Pension-list had not been entirely got rid of in its present form. As Ministers are to be avowedly responsible to Parliament for the grants, there is an end to all pretence of Royal grace and bounty. And were it otherwise, a Queen with a Privy Purse of 60,00411., Charity allowances of 23,0001., and a private revenue of 100,000/..h a year besides, would have ample means to exercise generosity.

But until the Committee shall be really appointed, the public has only a promise of good, because very much will depend upon the men who compose it. If, however, it be fairly chosen, we anticipate that many pensions will be voluntarily withdrawn. And if we are to form a judgment of the whole List from the crack cases brought forward by Mr. SPRING RICE, nothing but stern necessity or consummate assurance will support the majority through the inquiry. The Miss CHARLOTTE STEWART, of whom he talked so loudly, is doubtless an amiable lady, and her pension is very likely acceptable. But her father had a salary of 2,5001. a }ear; he received a retiring allowance of 1,200/.; and had surely ample means of providing Mr his daughter. How many profes- sional men have toiled quite as hard as the Honourable Colonel

we say on the Civil List, because we do not deafly understand whether thoe transferred to the Consolidated Fund on the death of (conger: the Fourth are to be included in the inquiry. 11 they are not, the Ciril List pensioners have hard measure dealt to them.

f Mr. Ileum's estimate of the revenues of the Dutellits of Lancaster and Curnwall. STEWARTT for one. third of his income, and left families as edu- cated, aa accomplished, and as seusitive as his child. not only un pro- vided for, but wiihout ever having had the means of laying by a provision? Mr. MORTON, ;Witt—the crack man auto iarst the un- known males—was, it seem:, employed in some investigation conneded with terminable annuities, awl saved the country 170,000/. Very well: pay him fur his labours, but why pension him? Actuaries are existantly employed in sim ler investiga- tions, theugli on a smaller scale.: lawyers daily gain money for those w ho retain them : but nobody ever vet heard of their being pensioned for profe-sional exertions. We should like to know, too, what rendered these investigations neees.ary : were Mr. MORTON'S services reqnired to rectify saints other person's. blunders? The nation, we believe, has lost ntillinns through the annuity-tab'es having been calculated 00 weeig data : have any steps baen taken to make the original cause of this illi,chief contri- bute any thing towards t he expense of the remedy ?

The literary and sciten ilk examples were not very mach better than the miscellanems ease:. Sourarsv's 455/. tIi a his Lau- reateship is taken into aecowit, and Moon.e's 3001., if not equal to their positive merits, contrast indifferently with C A NIPHEI.L'S 1841. and Moerroomeav's 1501. It was in bad taste to instance the pension of FARADAY; which Sir Roomer PEEL really gave, and which Lord MELBOURNE was only badgered into ienifirming, after he had personally affronted the philosopher. Mrs. SONIER• VILLE, though no doubt (Laser% insa for her merits, should hardly have needq a pension; for we believe her husband holds public appointments to the extent of 10001. a year. And although, when Mr. AlltEY accepted a pension for his wife, his means were limited, yet lie has now 8001. a year, with a house, servant, gardener, and other allowances, and plenty of time on his hands to engage in profitable pursuits. These remarks are not made inviliously ; they are forced upon us. Nor do we either mean any thing un- friendly to the persons or object to their pensions. But we ask, if these are the very best cases that a Finance Minister can pick out, what must the worst be?

In the course of his speech, Mr. SPRING RICE made some observations which appear to have been aimed at the Spectator. "Sir," said tin: Finance M inlster, " I must be permitted to say. that with respect to the whole subject of the Pensivn-list we have :net with a great deal of no very fair Matters The greatest ellbrts have tan made to bring the whole question into disrepute. Matters which heen charged d satisfactorily refuted have re:infs.:tied- reap- peared. I :o nut say in this House, bat elsewhere, for the purls or at least with tho effect, of deluding the public mind. I repeat, that this subject has not bees fairly treated. It is very easy to object to names; and it is very easy, also, to say that

which is true as applicable to a state of things at one time which is no longer

true as applied to a state or things at another. Now I have seen names most unjostly pointed out• and made matter of reproach to tho Pension- list. I will take the case in the first instance of a political opponent. It has been made matter of reproach that Lord Farnborough is in the receipt or .1i' pension ; :and it is said. what has he done to merit the continuance of a pension' Sir, the slightest possible attention would have shown that Lord Parunorouh has not been in the receipt of that pension for many years past. One single question put to me, or to any of toy noble or honourable ourable colleagues. would have elicited that Lord Farnborough. when he came into possession of property which had devolved to him, gave up that pension of his own accord, with a statement that his eircamstances having improved he felt it due to the public to give up that pensiou. I have seen another attack of a. similar kind made upon auot tier noble Malawi political opponent -Lord Sidmouth-lbw he likewise receives a pension. Now it is perfectly notoriousAhat upon unq tiring property that devolved to him, that noble lord at once resigned his pension, with a similar patriotic declaration. So much, then. for two pensioners on the other side of t he House; and now for two noble friend.' of my own political views. First, there is the nobleman who is now Governor-General of India : within the week I have seen it asked in the public prints, why does. Lord Auckland. the Governor Geum al of India, continue to receive Ins pension? :sow the fact is, that my :wide friend instantly upon the receipt of his appointment gave up his pension. Surely, bel■Ire charges of this deset iption are made S.Me little authentic inforneuh n should 1,e, sought as to the facts of the ea,e. Again' my made t'lietal Lord Elphinstoue, the Governm of Madras, is iu a similar way Charged with still receiving his pension ; whereas the first act he (lid whou he recei%-ed his air point meet was to write to say that he resigned that pension."

As regards Lord St DMOUTH, if Mr.Rics means that the pension on the Consolidated Fund has been resigned, he will find it stated at page 75 of the last volume of the Finance Accounts, that his Lordship was paid 1,1201.17s. 7d. in the year "ended 3th January 1837 ;" and we have met no account of the repayment. If there is an error here, might it not be well to inquire into it, and reco- ver the money if wrongfully drawn? With respect to Lord AUCK- L AND'S pension on the Consolidated Fund, we expressly stated that it was not receivable whilst he holds au official appointment. If we did not except his pension on the Four-and-a-half per Cents., together with the pensions of Lord ELPHINsToNv and Lord Fetter- noeounn, it was because they were lights hidden under a bushel. If a publicist, every time he noticed a fact in a Parliamentary re- turn, were to ask Mr. SPRING RICE, or "any of his noble or how urable colleagues, to elicit" its truth, the public business must stand still whilst the Minister was answering such questions, and the 'mess whilst the journalist was waiting for the answer. It would be very much better, instead of complaining about mis- statements, to publish regular, intelligible, and correct accounts.

The only person besides our Finanee Minister who can he said to have taken any part in the debate, was Mr. HARVEY; who made a very clever and effective speech. He is entitled to great credit for his skilful exposure of the fallacious insinuations about the value of the Droits of the Admiralty, the Four-and-a-half per Cents., &c.: and for showing the probable value of the income derivable from the Dutchies of Lancaster and Cornwall ; as well as for the dexterity with which he pinned down Mr. SPRING Roca beyond the power of retraction. But the Member fur South- wark is entitled to the far higher praise of indomitable courage Mr. niceas flaming account of this gentleman's official services pro luced an odd effect upon us ; for we hail imbibed notions directly tints rev, vse of his staten eat. We had heald that Colonel SirwAnr was not an qiicitnt servant, besides being as drat as a post; yet he won'd not tt tire in spi•e of al: coaxing. `onto scents to conjecture his ddiO.tet's seasien was a last bide to get rid a and perseverance. He has stuck to bis subject unflinchingly for years; and at length, in despite of every difficulty, succeeded in running it down. Radical Members, here is an example for you all !