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| Archive Reference / Library Class No. | D5459/4/40 |
| Former Reference | D5459/2/37 |
| Title | John Bull Reading the Extraordinary Red Book |
| Date | [1816] |
| Description | John Bull sits in a chair reading the 'red book' of pensions. He is stamping his feet and shaking his fist, and his wig has flown off in his rage. He says:
"Oh!! - Monstrous!! - that twenty-six state cormorants should swallow annually an aggregate sum; under the name of salaries, independent of the indefinible[sic] emoluments which result from the other sources of gain amounting to £453,652 can we any longer wonder that the love of place in these men should supersede every more exalted consideration". On the table next to him lies the mace and a list of names with the pensions they are paid, including Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville.
To the right of John Bull sit the MPs. One holds a giant 'List of Placemen | Pensions | and Sinecures', which lists prominent political figures and their pensions. These include Ellenborough, Eldon and Castlereagh. The MPs reply to John Bull:
"I swallow £10,000 and do very little for it", "and I £16,00 - for doing next to nothing", "and I 40,000£ for doing less", "and I £71,000 for doing nothing at all". On the right a man in Scottish dress, taking snuff, adds: "And I 18,000 for doing worse."
Available on CD 167. |
| Level | Item |
| Repository | Derbyshire Record Office |
| Artist | Elmes |
| Archive Creator | George Murgatroyd Woodward (1765-1809), artist and writer |
| Further Information | 205
by Thos Tegg 111 Cheapside
Date based on BM Sat 12781
The subject of corruption and sinecurists was of recurrent interest. |
| Privacy Notice | Data Subjects in Archives Privacy Notice |
| Physical Description | Hand-coloured print. Size 430 x 273 mm. |
| Copies | A digital copy can also be viewed on the public computers at the record office. |
| Related Material | See D5459/1/93/31 etc for more on the campaign against corruption.
See D5458/1/93/1etc for more depictions of Dundas.
See D5459/1/93/13 etc for more on Castlereagh. |
| Publication Note | BM Sat 12781 |
| Image | 
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