The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1866.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1707, 6 June 1866, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1866.

One of the most absurd humiliations which it ia possible for ft professional man to receive was encountered by Lord Exuiouth wbon about to bombard Algiers, then a nest of ferocious pirates. As Ins ships were moving in and taking up their position for effective firing, a small boat was seen darting out from the harbour with a flag of truce. It bore under its flag a messenger from the Dey, who offered to burn down his own city of Algiers, to the entire satisfaction of the British Admiral, for half the money which it would cost the fleet to do it by shot and shell. Now we don't wish to humiliate our Government officials; but we cauuot help asking whether we might not get a good mercantile firm to contract to do the government for us at half the amount of its present expenditure. It is known that Lord Exraouth did not accept the very reasonable offer of the Dey; and it is not likely that Canterbury will invite tenders for its government-work; but it is very certain that the province will expect to see economy and retrenchment carried out.

What Mr. Stafford proposes to do for the Civil Service administration might, with great propriety, be done for the general population of our Provincial Government Buildings. Let a commission be appointed to consider what reductions may be effected, without injury to the public service. Such a commission might be composed partly of leading political men of different views, and partly of some of our principal merchants. It would be their business to present to the Superintendent, what would afterwards come before the Provincial Council, a view of such alterations as they thought advisable, in the way of combining offices, reducing the number of assistants,- or lightening their labours. How much superfluous work may be created by the multiplication of officials and their clerks, it ia needless at this time of day to mention. Perhaps our readers may have noticed in some of the English papers the correspondence about the pair of bellows which somebody applied for, for the use of a military depot not far from Dublin. Had Dickens dared to perpetrate such a story, the world would have scouted him as a worn-out exaggerator of hi« own sufficiently extravagant fancies. How the application for the bellows was made, returned with directions to apply elsewhere, repeated elsewhere, again returned, referred to Dublin, seat back to the dep&t, referred again to Dublin, thence to the Horse Guards, and bo back again, till at last the bellows were actually sent, it would take a longtime to tell. They must have cost a good sum to the public in paper, pen and ink, not to speak of the salaries of all the correspondents. Now, in the colony we are in danger of doing worse than at home. Taxation causes a certain amount of jealous supervision. This is gradually but surely telling in many departments of the Government service, and in time it will tell even at the Horse Guards. But we are paying out of a Land Fund money which no man directly feels the loss of; and therefore its outlay is all the less attended to.

It is in view of the elections for the Provincial Council that this subject can receive the due consideration of the public. It would be invidious to cast the burden of it upon the Superintendent and the "Executive he may surround himself with, No Government can be eipected to enter upon such a work, unless urgad thereto by the general voice of the community. The time when public opinion can best make itself felt is now, when candidates for the representation are before the people. We hope to see every man stand pledged to consider this subject; not indeed committed to any particular way of carrying it out, nor bound to certain details in special cases; but pledged to Bee that the details are carefully examined into, that due provision is made for the public service, | and that unnecessary Bources of eipense are removed.

Those who have made themselves acquainted with the political history of England, after the passing of the Reform Bill of 1832, are aware of the great complaints made against the reduction of expenditure instituted chiefly by the Whig Ministries. They made ever so many small Bavings on every important part of the service, where liberality would have been the best economy; but the great jobs and the old perquisites were more than they could dare to meddle with. Among other things, the great trigonometrical survey of the country was put at a snail's pace. On the other hand, the salaries of Commissioners—who were appointed only to still some popular outcry, and whose reports, it was well understood, were never to be acted upon—formed a serious item of expenditure in themselves, and a means of rewarding political supporters.

So at least it was said. We do not propose to fight old battles over again; but we call attention to dangers which might threaten us here, and prefer to do so by references which can wound the susceptibilities of none, And if history be something better than an old almanac, we may profit by the lesson.