THE ADMINISTRATION OF STATE AFFAIRS. EVERY Englishman is proud of his country, and it is not long since that in every part of the world it was freely acknowledged he had good cause for his pride. It must be confessed, however, that during the past twenty years, we have not grown in the world's esteem, and the name and person of an Englishman are far less honoured in foreign countries than they were, Neither can we justly wonder at that fact. At home, we have become somewhat discontented with our statesmen-have felt that they are incompetent. Time was - when our statesmen were our boast-when we could say that they were acting as our leaders without regard to personal advantages, and as patriotically as the best in the land. We have altogether ceased this talk, and for reasons which are unanswerable. Those reasons we know, but do foreigners know them? It is to be remembered that we are known to other nations through our statesAnd if we have ceased to respect them and their works, how can we expect that they are to be respected by the people of other lands? Either we must submit to the loss of respect, or effect such changes as will enable us to demand its continuance, and this can only be done through a complete overturn of our administrative system and departments. The whole affair is a thing of the past; and to do well, our Downing-street men and systems must be brought more into accordance with the spirit and progress of the age. men. But there are some who question the possibility of accomplishing this. They readily concede that Englishmen are still endowed with resolution and patience, with the highest courage and industrial virtues, and that, as a people, we possess pecuniary resources hitherto unequalled; but they seem to doubt if we have the great requisite for success-wise men to conduct great affairs. The question is not, are the men who now stand at the head of affairs wise and capable? but have we in the land wise and capable men who could fitly conduct our affairs in any great emergency? We have; and here is the proof. At the present hour if anything great is to be undertaken in any part of the world-anything involving creative genius, great scientific acquirements, and mechanical skill, it is the Englishman who is sought after, and employed as the director. It matters little in what field, in all the Englishman will work to a successful issue. Difficulties, to him, are not troubles, but incentives to greater exertion; and the greater the impediment which lies on his path, the VOL. II. B cooler he advances to the work of subjugation. Even the elements themselves are trained to obey his commands. If, as a nation, we say, behold, the land shall be covered with a net-work of level roads, over which we will be borne at varying speed-from 20 to 80 miles in an hour, and this, by the mere vapour of water as a motive force; yet a little while, and the task is accomplished. Whatever the command, men rise up to do our bidding; they turn water-courses into new channels, and throw their tubular bridges over rolling rivers, so that the passengers may be whirled along in perfect security over the mast-heads of our tallest ships; unto vallies which have slumbered in peaceful security through untold ages, these men say, "ye shall be vallies no longer"; vainly does the mountain rise to check their progress; for, either its proud head is laid low, or tunnelled through its heart, it concedes a free passage. The nation has said, do this work; and, behold, it is wisely done. Do we demand luxuries from farthest East, behold, how our merchants steam through the ocean, carrying with them the potent gold to procure what will gratify our wishes. All the bounties of earth, with the wonders of creation torn from the most obscure and hidden recesses, or collected from the most distant corners of the earth, are laid upon our tables, or stored in our museums. And all this is done without the sound of trumpet, or any commotion. Noakes's and Stokes's sitting in their city counting-houses, coolly receive the order for building a city, or making a railway, or chartering a ship, and the work is wisely and economically done; and, seeing that in every city and town, we have such thorough business and scientific men, we feel that it is no idle boast to say, that in this year, 1859, England has more wise and capable men to conduct great enterprises than she ever had in any by-gone age. The So far, then, as England's self is concerned, she gives no real cause for the loss of foreign respect. No actual gem has fallen from her crown. She still has the high and honourable resolve, still has the ready band of brave and steady veteran warriors, still commands monetary resources unparalelled in history, and still possesses the men, wisc and prudent, who are capable of successfully conducting any great enterprise. And yet with all this, our state affairs are badly conducted; and, as we have admitted, we are fast becoming the butt of neighbour nations. To see how well business can be conducted, how great enterprises can be worthily conducted, we have only to spend a few hours in the City; and then, in order to see how badly, how absurdly business can be conducted, and how enterprises of great pith and moment can be ruined through incompetent directors, we need only spend a few hours in Downingstreet. The contrast is terrible; for in one we have men of the age, men who meet the hour in its own spirit, while in the other we have men three hundred years behind their times, and who persist in persuing their red-tape routine, although ruin stares them in the face. They seem to have but one gospel, and that the gospel of red-tapc. "As it was in the beginning, so it is now, "and ever shall be, red-tape and routine without end, Amen." This is the Downing-street declaration of an unchanging law. Demosthenes was asked what were the requisites of an orator, and after stating there were three, he added, 1st, action; 2d, action; 3rd, action; so that with him the great law was to impress by manner, rather than by the uttered words. Inquire at Downing-street what are the requisites to ensure success in governmental departments, and the Demosthenic answer will be given-1st, Faith in red-tape; 2nd, Unbounded faith in red-tape formularies; 3rd, Unchanging faith in the perfection of redtape. In those offices there is no light of the age, but the men walk by the aid of rushlights, as their fathers walked before them; and they can only view it |