Page:Rose 1810 Observations respecting the public expenditure and the influence of the Crown.djvu/15

 In the Cutoms there was a clas of offices, granted by patent, in the gift of the firt lord of the treaury, abolute inecures, and many of them of great value : this patronage was the more deirable, as no local claims interfered with it at all, which left the miniter at liberty to dipofe of it among the relations and private friends of himelf, or of thofe on whom he was mot defirous of conferring favors. Thee inecure employments, to the number of one hundred and ninety-ix, amounting at that time in value to 42,000l. a-year, and which would now, from the increae of trade, have been worth much more, Mr. Pitt took a determination to abolih o early as Chritmas 1784; from which time they remained vacant as they fell in. In truth he dipoed of only two of thoe from his firt entrance into office; one given for public ervices, and the other for the upport of ome of the younger branches of an ancient, noble family,