§ Mr. Francis Baring moved for the re-appointment of the Committee on Sinecures. The inquiries of the Committee of last Session were stopped by the dissolution of Parliament, and as an investigation into colonial sinecures, and cases of compensation for abolition of office was highly necessary, he apprehended there would be no opposition to this Motion. He trusted, that the Report of the Committee would enable them to frame some rule for regulating all future cases, particularly those of compensation for abolished offices. The allowances to superannuated public servants were under a certain limit and regulation, but where offices were abolished, the only guiding principle was, that some saving should be made. Whether that saving should be great or small was left to discretion, and a person fitted by age and health to engage in other occupations was, in the abolition of his office, frequently provided with a life pension of a most unreasonable amount. He had in his hand a long list of pensions and sinecures, but he should not read it to the House, as his Motion would most probably be agreed to.
§ Motion agreed to, and the Committee appointed.