May we hope that our Government will no longer persist in unprofitable endeavours to turn cultivator, or to raise its own supply? We laugh at the Pasha of Egypt becoming cotton-planter and merchant himself, in a country where the exertions of a man enlightened beyond his subjects, who has influence {183} to introduce intelligent cultivators, possessing the knowledge of more favoured nations, may be necessary to teach and stimulate the ignorant Copt to raise a new production: And here, where discovery in every branch of knowledge almost exceeds the progressive—here, where so many public and government _fixtures_ stand out, as if left on purpose to indicate the recent march of mind, contrasting so strongly with private and individual attainment in science and art,—with every thing the reverse of what affects the Egyptian’s conduct; or, at least, with no excuse beyond affording a cover for a wasteful expenditure of the public money;—will our Government continue the system, heedless of reason or ridicule? or will they not at once end these practices, and immediately commence sales of every acre of ground to which the Crown has claim, excepting what is necessary for the use of royalty, abolishing Woods and Forest Generals, Rangers—every one who has taken rank under Jacques’ Greek, or the devil’s own invocation, and pay off a part of the debt which is crushing the energies of the first of nations? Yet it is not of individuals that we complain; perhaps nobody could have had a stronger _desire_ to do his duty, than the late Surveyor-General. It is the system that is naught; where, to the lowest {184} labourer, none have individual interest in the success of their work; and where the efforts of the really honest, intelligent, and industrious are, by directions and trammels, rendered unavailing; or even through misrepresentation by _those_ of a contrary character, (as would seem in the case of Mr Billington), are the cause of dismissal.