The National Register. — London, England, 1815-09-17 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER, SEPT. 17. CROWN BUILDINO LEASES. TO THE RIGHT HON. W. HUSKISSON, &e. SIR,-Knowing how ;nue!) you must be occupied with tour various engagements, I am well aware of the impro. priety of adding to their number, but the peculiar import. ance of the subject, and the palpable error into w hick some of the servants of the Crown are falling, doubtless ?tom the best motives, have induced me, although a stranger, to intrude the following observations on your notice. It is needless to say that there is at present an immense portion of unemployed labourers, not only in the metro polis; but in the provinces. It is as unnecessary to add, that a great portion of the labourers thus unemployed con sists of niasons, hricklayers, and carpenters : that their want of employment arises more immediately from the step put to building, is equally evident. Were I to-address an ordinary individual, and one not profoundly versed in the best principles of political ceco nomy, I should fear 'that an attachment to old prejudices would stand in the way of this application. Such a one would place an extinguisher on all I could say, by utter ing the simple expression, "We are overbuilt." With yen, Sir, I flatter myself, I shall not run that risk. The circumstance to which I now particularly call your attention, is the prevalent idea of obtaining large rents for the leasehold, and high prices for the freehold land, about to be leased 40 sold by the crown. the new houses in Portland Place were imprudently taken at 951. whereas the old ones only pay 291. or 351. The consequence has l•ek.ti a total stoppage' to the erection of houses, the ruin Cl' the builder, and - of course a loss to the community. To the Crown the rent of the land is of no consequence, itia=much as it has greater objects in view—the Excise (ltitis on bricks, and Custom-house charges on timber in the last, the taxes in the second, and the employment of art::,ans in the third. It 'weds but little argument to prove, that the Crown being thus able to let the ground for a small, or even no rent, the property is always more marketable than that a a Duke of Bedford, who has no other means of revenue than a ground rent, and who is thus compelled to load the capital necessary to the erection of a building with a heavy additional buithen. But, so far from this idea having been adopted, and ade quate benefit being derived in the present exigence, dis tressing to the artizani from the vantage ground on which the' crown stands, it is understood that exorbitant rents and high prices are asked for leasehold and freehold crown land. Indeed, I have heard the price of ground in the lieighbourhood of Piccadilly stated (but perhaps in correctly) as high as three guineas per foot. Thus the property is to be loaded with a tremendous charge, and it is perhaps not going too far to say, that the fate attending the first tenants of the expensive erections, and, indeed, the erections themselves in Snow-hill and Temple-bar will be that of the new houses in Westminster. Hence, I would impress on your mind, Sir, the simple idea of letting the ground at a very low price, and, to pre vent, as far as possible, jobbing speculation, in single houses, and with a compulsory condition as to the period in which the houses should be built. The consequence perhaps would be, that builders would he found to take it particularly as at this Mometit they can avail themselves of the low prices of labour and brick. As to the idea of the town being over built, it is not so 603 correct as many imagine. In fact, it is overtaxed. This occasions families huddling three or four together into one building. Let the Assessed Taxes be either partially or wholly withdrawn, and we shall soon see whether we are overbuilt or not. But, in a public point of view, 100 houses at 501. per ann. are as beneficial as GO at 1001. per ann.; and, indeed, more so, as property is more di%ided, and more labour is necessary to their erection. I should imagine the operation of the taxes will be self evident in the excellent speculation of shop-building on part of the ground belonging to Burlington-house. Some persons go so far as to say, that thole will be 50 shops, which will be worth 60 or 701. per ann. equal to 30001. or 35001. besides a premium of 001. each, which, at five per cent. will be equal to 12501.----together 47501. per ann. on a property for which (1 believe) 60,0001. could not be publicly obtained, and property taken from a still princely house and gardens. The taxes bearing on these shops will give them the ad vantage, and the builder of one of them, who does not expend 3001. on it, will obtain a larger profit than if he bad expended 30001. on an ordinary building. I have the honour to be r &c. &c. VI TM:VIVI. Sept. 14, 1813. THE PRINCESS OF 11 / 4 1 . A ES.—They write from Swit7era land, that her Royal highne s s the Pi ineess of Wales, after having made a little tour to Mount St. Gothard, to visit the Devil's Bridge, and what else is remarkable in the country, arrived on the 16th at Lugano. ller Royal Highness, as soon as she arrived, went to the Franciscan Church to see the fresco paintings of the celebrated Luini; she examined the has reliefs of the porch of the principal church, and conti nued her journey on the 17th. NEW SH ERIFFS,—Monday, a Comtnon Hall was held for the election of two persons to serve the offices of Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, when Thomas Chapman, Esq. an 4 John Gladstone, Esq. were elected Sheriff, for the ensuing year. Notwithstanding the various revolutions Drury-lane The atre had undergone since the days of Mr, Garrick, one part of the old building still remains to he seen ; this is the outer door of the then entrance to the pit, in Nlarquis-coast, and which now forms part of the premises of a printer. The* stage-door, so ()lien passed by our inimitable Rosen's, when going to enrapture his audiences, is at this time the duor to the baking-house of a baker in Maiden-lane. Captain Maitland. the Commander of the Bellerophon. arrived in town on Thursday, and delivered to Sir Iludcon Lowe, the new Governor of St. Helena, the 4000 gold Na poleons found among the property of Bonaparte. It is said that the Governor will retain this money in his possessirsn, to be given to Bonaparte in such propoitions as may not be inconsistent with the proper security of his per son. ELOPEMENT IN HIGH F F.! A young married Lady of rank, and highly distinguished in the fashiori.iiiie c 6c:its by her personal attractions, is said to have abscomir-d trots the neighbourhood of Berkeley•square, a few d.iys since, in order to throw herself into the arms of the brother of an English Duke. In conformity to a late Act of Parliament, checks on bar kers cannot he paid unless the name of the place from whence . they are draww (which must he within ten miles of the hank) ; is inserted with the date. Nor can any drafts, dated for ward, drawn after date, or which contain ()triers for bilk, he paid or taken in payment, unless snrh ()Niels or 'hafts are written on their proper stamps rev i;.e4l by the said acts. -sh