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from those who received them, on the implied understanding that they were to retain them for life, I trust the circumstance will be a warning to future governments, and induce them not to entail such an expense on the nation.
In the management of the debt, Sir H. Parnell has fully proved that 270,000l. might be saved; in the attempts, the useless attempts to prevent the Slave Trade, 350,000l. Why are we to go on squandering money for this purpose, whilst the trade is increasing, in spite of us?
In the management of the expenditure and the civil government; by an improved mode of collecting taxes, which is now done at an enormous and unreasonable per centage, very great reductions are possible.
But I conceive that an income tax of two per cent, would of itself nearly be sufficient to make up the deficit. My only objection to this tax is, the fear it should stand in the way of retrenchment. Square down, I would say to the Ministers, the public expenses to the uttermost farthing; maintain, indeed, the safety of the state, but beyond that sift every expenditure with the most rigid impartiality. Placemen, sinecurists, and all who receive public money for no public services, must be heard of no more. The time is gone by for these shameful appendages of the Constitution! But if, after these retrenchments, there
