ok FEES, GRATUITIES, & c. 4 charge of their feveral dudes. Confidering, however, that by adopting this mode of remunerating thefe Officers, the ftimulus to exertion may be weakened, and he public fervice confequently m hazard of being neglefted, we ffiould not think it neceffary to carry the fubftitution of falary for fees to the extent we are at pre" lent dupoled, if an Officer were appointed to whom a fixed ftipend was affiled and who was precluded from pradifing as a law agent, whofe dutv it fhould be' under the folemmty of an oath, and fubjeCt to the controul of the Court of King's Bench, to tax all bills of cofts referred to him on the part of the Public and who ffiould be prohibited under a penalty from the taxation of cofts affixing private individuals. To this propofition we are not aware of there bein- any material objection, and though we have not the means of accurately afcertaining the total amount cf the law expences paid annually bv the Public, yet from what we have already feen of them, we are perfuaded that by its adoption, a moft im- portant faving would be effected in that branch of expenditure. With refpeCt to the Solicitor of this department, we propofe that for an increafed falary he ffiould, in addition to the fervices he at prefent performs, write all neceffary letters, give his attendance in ail cafes that it may be required in Dublin; that he ffiould' iffue fummonfes to witneffes, caufe the neceffary notices to be ferved upon them, pre- pare informations to be fworn before Magiftrates, and the warrants and ' other proceedings confequent thereon, make the drafts and copies of all cafes and briefs for counfel, that he fhould prepare drafts of indictments, ' and that he ffiould draw and attend the taxation of his bills of cofts, which ought for all other fervices performed by him to be furniffied quarterly, and in which he ffiould be allowed to charge his feveral difburfements. When fent out of Dublin, we propofe, that he ffiould be allowed is. 6d. a mile for travelling charges, one guinea a day for fub- fifter. ee, and for his perfonal attendance two guineas a day, the latter being the rate of allowance made to the Solicitors of Cuftoms and Excife, whenever they are fent to the country. From the view we have taken of the ftate of this department, much appears to have been done towards improving its fyftem of management, and though more may be yet effeCted ftill it will be incomplete, unlefs the fpirit and principle of arrangements when judicioufly formed be ftriCtly adhered to. The office of Poft- mafter General in Ireland is ufually vefted, as in England, in two perfons, one of whom, though they hold the office jointly, is it fcems in praClice confidered fuf- f; cii. nt to form a Board. In England, the prefence of both are effential for that purpofe, and the fignature of both requifite to complete an order. The Com- miflioners of Enquiry into fees, & c, in their Report on the Britiffi Poft Office in the year 1788, recommended that a Board ffiould be held once a week at lead; it appears, however, by the Report of the Committee of Finance, that a Board is only held as often as any particular and urgent bufmefs requires, but that all official papers are laid before the Poll mailers General daily, fo that prompt and immediate attention is paid to the wiffies of the Public, and the exigency of the fervice. To make daily references to the Poftmafters General of Ireland is alto- gether impracticable, they being often abfent from Dublin, frequently for months together, during which the bufmefs cf the Office is wholly under the controul of the Secretary, whofe orders on the daily Reports made to him of the official tranf- acticr. s of the Office, are aCted upon and held as valid as thofe of the Poftmafter General; to him it belongs during their abfence to maintain the difcipline of the Office, and to fee that the Officers of each department are attentive in the dif- charge of their feveral duties, to take care that the Revenue is duly collated and faithfully accounted for, and upon his difcretion depends the amount of a great portion of the contingent expenditure, he being the fole judge of the propriety of incurring tire expence, and of the rcafonablenefs cf the charge ; in like manner, in the abfence of the Secretary, fimilar powers are exercifed by the Chief Clerk in his Office. If the duties attached to the Office of Poftmafter General can be fo difcharged with advantage to the Public, it would feem to follow that the office might be aboliffied ; but to the good management of this important depart- ment and for effcftually checking and controuling its expenditure, we conceive the exiftence of a paramount fuperintending authority, Caily exereffing its funaions, to be effentially requifite. To the want of fuch a controul, may be attributed the defeftive ftate ot the arrangements of the General Poft Office, previous, to the late reforms, and the length of time tney were permitted to remain fo, the accumulation of errors in the Accounts, the frequent em- bezzlement of private property j and the delay and irregularity in the conveyance ( 54.) G ^