Page:Passages from the Life of a Philosopher.djvu/178

162 This system of awarding large sums of money to certain favoured public officers who are already paid for their services by liberal salaries seems to be a growing evil. At the period of the Irish famine the under-secretary of the Treasury condescended to accept 2,500l. out of the fund raised to save a famished nation. Some inquiries, even recently, were occasionally made whether any similar deduction will be allowed from the liberal contributions to the sufferers by the cotton famine.

The question was raised and the practice reprobated in the House of Commons by men of opposite party politics. Mr. Gladstone remarked:—

"If there was one rule connected with the public service which more than any other ought to be scrupulously observed, it was this, that the salary of a public officer, more especially if he were of high rank, ought to cover all the services he might be called upon to render. Any departure from this rule must be dangerous." Hansard, vol. 101, p. 138, 1848. Supply, 14 Aug. 1848. See also "The Exposition of 1851," 8vo., p. 217.

The following paragraph appeared in "The Times" a short time since, under the head Naval Intelligence:—

"A reply has been received to the memorial transmitted to the Admiralty some few days since from the inspectors employed on the iron frigate 'Achilles,' building at Chatham dockyard, requesting that they may be placed on the same footing as regards increased pay as the junior officers and mechanics working on the iron frigate for the additional number of hours they are employed in the dockyard. The Lords of the Admiralty intimate that they cannot accede to the wishes of the memorialists, who are reminded that, as