A Hundred Years Ago
THE " SPECTATOR," DECEMBER Jar, 1832.
THE DO-NOTHING SYSTEM.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SLR,—I have road with great interest your " Rationale of Govern- ment Expenditure " of November 3rd. A curious exemplification of your exposé of the " Do-nothings, Do-somethings, and Do- tittles," came under my notice some years ago, when I was a resident in one of the Western counties.
A gentleman of my acquaintance accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, that he might accept something better—the Receivership of the Land-tax. This produced him about 1,500/. per annum. Being a gentleman, of course, he was not fond of work ; he therefore engaged a tradesman of the place where he lived, a respectable character, and conversant with accounts, as his Deputy, with a salary of 500/. per annum. The tradesman, of course, had his own business to attend to ; still the work must be done by some- body ; therefore the Deputy also employed a Deputy at a salary of 1001. per annum to do it. It is true that the 5001. Deputy made occasional short journeys within the compass of the district, and kept the accounts; so that the account stands thus :
" Do-nothing," 1,0001. per annum ; " Do-something," 5001. per annum ; " Do-the-Work," 1001. per annum.
A CONSTANT READER AND (IN GENERAL) APPROVER.
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