order. It was a general scramble. There was not a commis of any consequence, who had not a line of his own distinct from his principal, and a correspondence of his own to support it. Stockjobbing pervaded the whole to such a degree that a broker was actually lodged in the Treasury for the purpose of more speedily acting upon intelligence on its arrival.
"The best means were adopted, of which the time would admit, to stop the immediate effects of this state of things, and to lay the foundation at the same time of a permanent reform.
"Mr. Gilbert was appointed to examine every Department under the Civil List, of what reform it was susceptible, in consequence of which the whole of it was newly regulated and simplified.[1] The King's expenses were for the first time brought within his income, a regular mode of accommodating was chalked out from the highest to the lowest, and a saving in the establishment to the amount of nearly 100,000l. a year, besides indemnifications for fees and other profits, so as not to leave a single ostensible complainant except one Captain Wolseley, who was out of the kingdom at the time.
"Sir William Musgrave was appointed to examine the state of the Customs, both the office and administration of the customs, and Mr. Stiles, who was a clerk, was made secretary with the same view.
"Mr. Brooksbank was appointed to do the same as to the Excise, and to look out a proper person to be secretary; Mr. Rose to examine the incidents of all the offices, and to see a proper distribution of business among the clerks of the Treasury.
"The American claims in Lord North and Lord Rockingham's time, were left to the discretion of the Minister, and the decisions of course were the consequence of influence more than of justice. A commission was now established of two persons[2] of the most respectable fortune and character, unconnected with ministry, who would accept no salary and undertook to examine publicly the several claims, and decide upon the justice of each claim, without any communication whatever with Administration.
"A commission of the like sort was established to examine into the state of the Crown Lands, the Woods, and Forests.[3]
This was undertaken likewise by two gentlemen of the same- ↑ It was Mr. Gilbert's researches into the Public Offices which caused the value of the post of Usher of the Exchequer held by Horace Walpole to be revealed. Walpole, Correspondence, viii. 396. Lord Holland in his edition of Horace Walpole's Journals of the Reign of George II. has pointed out how apt the author was to be influenced by momentary and personal considerations in his criticisms of public men (ii. 196, note). See too Memorials of Fox, i. 50.
- ↑ Mr. Wilmot and Mr. Parker Coke.
- ↑ Mr. McCall and Mr. (name illegible).
