[p. 92]
|92| diminution; the other, the costs of the land and naval forces including pensions, is bound up most intimately not only with the political situation, in particular with the interest of the basis of English existence, trade, and with the danger of internal risings, but also with the habits and demands of the individuals devoting themselves to this estate, not to be behind the other estates in comfortable living and luxury, so that without danger nothing could here be bargained away. The accounts which the outcry over the so notorious sinecures has brought to light have shown that even a complete abolition of them, not to be effected without great injustice, would not be an important object. But one need not go into the material side, but only observe that the untiring efforts of a Hume, entering into the smallest detail of the finances, are as good as always without result; this cannot be ascribed solely to the corruption of the aristocracy of Parliament and to the compliance of the ministry towards it, whose support it needs and which procures for itself and its relatives the most manifold advantages through sinecures, in general lucrative posts of the administration, of the military service, of the Church and of the Court. The relatively very small number of votes which such proposals for the reduction of expenditure are wont to have on their side points to a slight belief in the possibility, or to a weak interest in such relief from the alleged general pressure, against which the Members of Parliament are indeed protected by their wealth. That faction of them which passes for independent is wont to be on the side of the ministry, and this independence shows itself at times inclined to go further than its usual conduct or the reproaches of the Opposition would suggest, on occasions when the ministry sets forth an express, closer interest in a grant of money; as, for instance, some
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