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    They take a complaint of grievance into consideration , or not , just as they please ; and even when that is done , the parties heard or examined are not the complainants who have sustained the injury , but the agents of the Board , who have inflicted it ! It is in vain to appeal to the " responsible " minister against the injurious action of the subordinates . If you " memorialize " the Treasury against an injustice done by the Board of Customs , or that of Inland Revenue , for instance , be the inju sticeever so glaring , or the inquiry ever so grave , the " memorial" is handed over to the delinquent Board , which is invited to sit in judgment upon itself and report the result of its inquest to " My Lords , " who have no time to look into these affairs of

    individual concernment . Can the bureaucracy be placed under any check or restraint ? or must the only satisfaction which an injured subject of the Crown can get continue to be , as now , the amount of public sympathy he may excite by an exposition of his hard case through the columns of" a newspaper ? There is only one way that we know of likely to be useful for this purpose , that is , by drawing aside the veil of secrecy and exposing these governmental departments to public view . We do not think it likely , if the composition and personnel of the several " Boards" were well known—if the

    apparent motives which influenced the appointments to them were subjected to a public ordeal—if the individual relationships and interests of th e several persons composing them were inquired into and brought under public notice—that either their composition or conduct would be so liable to strong reprehension as they often are now . Sir Robert Peel , when under examination before the Committee of 1850 , on official salaries , very ingenuously , though jocosely , suggested the corrective course now adverted to : — " You have stated the power which the Minister had in former times , " observed Mr . Bright , " of bestowing appointments on his relatives and connections : is it not the fact

    also now , that the Minister has the power , and does still exercise it , of doing that which is advantageous to his family and relatives , by the distribution of appointments among them ? " " Thatcertainly is one of the advantages of office , and one that remains undiminishcd , " replied the right honourable baronet ; " I think , " he added , " there is more care in making appointments than there was in former times ; but still the power remains undirninished . " Now , note the next question and answer . " It is more controlled by public opinion , and the influence of the press , and of more responsibility in Parliament ? " " Yes , " replied Sir Robert Peel . " and the conscience of the Minister "—

    whereat there was , of course , a laugh . What has been eJlecled in a limited degree , through the force of public opinion , the influence of the press , and the responsibility of the Ministers in Parliament , in controlling the exercise of ( lovernnieiit patronage , and the appointment to office , may be eU ' eeted , in a stiil larger degree , by strengthening public opinion , extending the influence of the press , and increasing the Parliamentary responsibility through the means of

    constant publicity . That will cheek or influence the appointments to the CJovernmcntal Hoards ; and the proceedings of the Hoards may be checked or influenced by the same thing . Believing this , we have charged ourselves with the duty of seeking the information necessary to insure these objects . We purpose to exhibit to the readers of the Leader , the personal and structural functions of the public departments through which the administration of the nation ' s a flairs is earned on . In the mean time , the following exhibition of the several parts of the . Executive ( lovcrnincnt may not be useless . If- will , at all events , serve ; to guide us through the labyrinthine mazes of Downmgetreet , and its adjuncts and dependencies : — I . —Tiik Piuvr Council : — 1 . The Cabinet . ' 2 . Judicial Committee . 3 . Committee of Trade and Plantations . 4 . Educational Committee . II . —Tiik Tkkasuhv : — I . The . Exchequer . ' 2 . Exchequer . Hill Loan Ofliee . II . The Commissariat . 4 . Audit Ollice . 6 . National . Debt Ollice . ( J . Suite Paper and Record Ofliee . III . —Tiik Homh Okkhik : — 1 . Legal Department . 2 . Magisterial and Police "DepartmentH . 3 . Crimiiml and Convict DepnrtmentM . 4 . Alien Department .

    5 . Inspectorial Department . 6 . Signet Office , &c . &c . IV . —The Foreign Office : — 1 . Consular Department . 2 . Slave Trade Department . 3 . Precis Writer , Librarian of Manuscripts , &c . V . —Colonial Office :- — 1 . Administrative Department . 2 . War Department . 3 . Colonial Land and Emigration Board . YI . —The Irish Office . YII . —Th * Privy Seal * : — The Signet Office . YIII . —Thb Admiralty : — 1 . Naval Department . 2 . Civil Department . 3 . Judicial Department . 4 . General Register and Record Department . 5 . Scientific Department . 6 . Hydrographical Department—Naval Yards —Victualling Stores—Medical Establishments—Transport ditto , &c . IX . —War and Commander-in-Chief's Ofiices : 1 . War Office . 2 . Commander-in-chief ' s Office . 3 . Quarter-Master-General ' s Office . 4 . Paymaster-General ' s Office . 5 . Adjutant-General ' s Office . 6 . Comptroller of Accounts' Office . 7 . Medical Board . 8 . Judge-Advocate-General ' s Office . Military Asylum-Hibernian Military School-Royal Military College Normal and Model School , &c . X . —Board of Ordnance : — 1 . Master-General ' s Office . 2 . Cash-Account Office . 3 . Store-Account Ofliee . 4 . Secretary ' s Office . 5 . Inspector-General of Fortifications' Office . 6 . Survey Department . Eoyal Military Academy—Engineer Department at Chatham— -Hoyal Military Repository , Woolwich—Ordnance Establishments—Barracks , &e . XI . —Board of Control : — 1 . Revenue Department . 2 . Finance Department . 3 . Military Department . 4 . Marine , Ecclesiastical , &c . Department . 5 . Political Department . G . Judicial and Legislative Department . XII . —Tiik Post Office : — 1 . Offices of Control— - Post-Master- General ' s— Secretary ' s to ditto —General Secretary ' s—Acccountant and Receiver-General ' s—Solicitor ' s . 2 . Executive Oiliees—» Ship-Lett < r Oilicc—Mail-Coach ditto-Inland and Foreign ditto—Letter Carriers ' ditto—London District and Newspaper ditto . 3 . Oflices of Public Convenience—Dead Letter Ofliee— Inquiry ditto — Money-Order ditto . XIII . BOAIU ) Ol' 1 ' lJIIMO AVoiiKH . XLV . — Boaki ) oi' Woods , Fouksts , and Land Rl ' . VKNUK . XV . —lioAui ) or- Inland Rkvknuk : — 1 . Exeise Department . ' 2 . Stamp * iind Taxes Department . . ' { . Legacy Duty Ollice . 4 . Solicitor ' ** Oflice . C > . Receiver-General ' s Oflice . (> . Accountant and Comptroller General's Ollice . XVI . — I 5 oaki > of Customb : — 1 . Civil Department . 2 . Harbour Vessels and Cruising Department . , ' 5 . Preventive Guard Department . 4 . Quarantine Department . t > . Surveyor ' s Department . ( 5 . Comptroller-GeneraTa Department . 7 . Solicitors' Department . H . Muihling , Victualling , &c , Department . 0 . Reeeiver-Generiil ' K . Department , <* fcc . Ac . &c . XVIL—Tiik Mint : — 1 . Master Worker ' sOfliee . ' 2 . Deputy Master's ditto . . ' { . Comptroller ' s Ollice , &c . tkv . &c . XVIII . — Poor Law Commission . XIX . — itoAitn or IIi : ai , tii . XX .. —Commission ok Shwhiw . ; , _ XX 1 . —CnrYiioi . n , Tiriii ; , and Inoi . ohujuj Commission . XXII . —( Jr . NiniAi , RiajisTUAu ' s Ofviuh . XX 111 . —Station khy Oi'kick . XX I V .-j-Pa VMAtiTHR- ( JKNKUAI , ' H OlI'IClC .

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    Metropolitan Buildingr / Office— Metropolitan

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    Roads' Office-Ecclesistical Commission-PolioZ Commission-British Museuta Commission National Gallery Commission - M ™ ? f Practical Geology Commission - cSSJiidf mS & ^ mmission -Chelsea Hospit ^^

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    - 1815 IMPROVED . Louis Blanc says that there will be three empires-the Austrian , the Russian , and the French ; but will not that position leave certain little irregularities unpleasant lo the eye of the political geographer ? Let us suggest a plan for removing them . Louis Napoleon has an army to feed and arousewanted , therefore , a war . Let him pick a quarrel with Turkey—about Tunis , Morocco , or the Exposition prizes it matters not what—and having conquered Turkey let him hand it over , with Greece of course , to Russia . Austria then take

    can Sardinia and German Switzerland leaving the rest for Louis Napoleon ; giving the Rhine provinces also to French desires , with Belgium . Prussia can be paid with Schleswig-Holstein ; Denmark with Norway and Sweden , Liberal kingdoms . Eventually , Spain and Portugal can be annexed to the French empire ; Holland and the Danish dominions handed over to the new " Emperor " of Prussia . When Russia has taken India , France can annex Ireland , absorbing England in the process ; unless , indeed , Queen Yictoria , permitted to join the quintuple alliance for the sake of Palmerston , should be suffered to stand as a new " Empress , " and permitted to annex the United States of America . This would make geograph y much more square and simple .

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    " SOCIETY IS SAVED ! To " save society" is an universal pretention . Among the various schemes which find admirers , what do you think of this ? A low scoundrel , deeply in debt , and at his wit ' s end , proposes to some kindred spirits a bold yet easy burglary . The inmates of the house are startled from their sleep , and commanded to give up the keys . Thosewho hesitate

    are gagged , those who protest are murdered ! The drawers are ransacked—the property secured . Then , when murder and violence have silenced the cries of the proprietors , the brutal ruffian , moving amidst corpses , his feet slipping in their blood , announces to them this bulletin : —" Brothers and sisters ! Your property is saved ! I thank you for the confidence you have reposed in me ! Continue your peaceful attitude ^ and be assured I will not suifc-r Socialists to pillage your house !"

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    POLITICAL LETTERS . II . Fhanck ani > England . December 10 , 1 S !> 1 . What can Englishmen do in this matter of France to vindicate the outlined rights of humanity and their own honour ? 1 do not know , my trusted companion , what Englishmen can do , because 1 am oppressed with doubts as to the amount of spirit and will remai n ing to my countrymen ; hut 1 know what they ought to do . They ought to nee that their ( Jorermnent truly represents them , and : icts as Midland would act , not as Downing-strcct has acted . Hut in order to do that , Eng lishmen should first know what their ( Jovernment is doing . Now , what is that Government doing ? Not a man of us knows . There was a rumour , on Tuesday hist week , that Lord PalmerHton was " to go out , " beeau . se the Grey . section of the Cabinet eould not tolerate him : he is not out . lias he become more tolerable to the Grey section ? There is a rumour , this week , that Lord Palmerston lias expressed satisfaction at the success of Loui . s Napoleon : is that true ? and bus a concurrence in that approval reconciled the Crey section to their dangerous colleague ? These are rumours , you may say , and an fit" : " not worth noti ; . But they are rumours current amoiifjf well-informed men ; and 1 believe that political action suffers from the fact that such rumour b ans allowed to float about , not explicitly Hinted nor

    explicitly contradicted . One word on our right to infer grave charges against ; a public Minister without incontestable " proof . " There is a squeanrislmess growing up "J the English character , very dillerent from the old lovo of straig htforward fair dealing . \ our M > tf lishman , nowadays , must be ' perfectly accurate in his statements , as impeccable uh an old mam , or bis silken conscience y ields under the load oi hysteric ! possibility of » n imputation of havi"K been "in error . " H « ignores what does not coimbefore him officially . Now perfect accuracy w m > - noHsible ; judicial blindness is the most paraly zing infirmities ; and the Englishman is losing <> faculties both of eyes and bands . Hamlet baa

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    1184 ® Dt ILeatiet . [ Saturday

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 13, 1851, page 1184, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1913/page/12/