The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1826-10-11 00:00:00

LETTER THE SEVENTH FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF 'FHB BOARD OF STAMPS, TIII: RIGHT 110 N. T. WALLACE. 011,1.11 TAT lONS SUBMITTED TO THE LORD% OF 1113 31A. OAT V . , TREASURY, ON THE REPORT or messes. sv tees A „ r , l emurs. teonertsetosains OF INQUIBT INTO 1111 STAMP n reenenrwe tN Enimornon. Nonelluti , d from the British Pros of yesterday.) I next proceed to the subject of the appointment of Messrs. Hatton and Cameron. AN these two appoint ments have been from the first most retennottely resisted at the Head Olin at Edinburgh by Nlr. Ilepburrie and Mr. pender ; as ro effort has been left untried to get rill of them; and as the Commissioners of Inquiry concur in austlemning them as ill.advisell and unnecessary ; I owe it, in justice to myself, with whom they originated, to show the teal ground on which they were proposed, and the true cause of that opposition which is made to the carrying them permanently into effect. I shall now state distinctly the grounds on which I re eeeerientled the arrangement objected to, and which the Board, b u rg h m consideration, adopted. When I went to Edinbrg in March last by the direction of your Lord ships (to treat for the purchase of the ground behind the New Stamp Office, as well as for the sale of the old pre- Alien), it was stated to me by many persons that the situa ewe of the New Office was such as to require that some ' a ccommodation should be provided to enable the mercantile iuhabirante of the Ohl Town, RS well as the professional persons in the New Town, to procure stamps without the etremity of going to so great a distance ; strong complaints were at the same time made to me, from many quarters, of the general inconvenience which was felt from their not be ing able to procure stamps after three o'clock. nor on Sq uallsy after twelve (at which hours the Stamp Office closed), without going to the house of one or other of the clerks, who sold them at s high per centnee, on the plea that it wis vet of office hours. I intimated, in reply, that I would, on my return to London, submit to the Board, that a supply of stamps should be furnished to two persons of credit and respectability, who might be found to reside in situations teffieiently centrical to afford the accommodation required. Accordingly, on my return I proposed the two individuals at present appointed—the one residing in theOMTown,theother at the further end of Prince's-street, in the New Town ; but I proposed them with this precaution—that they should be appointed first for twelve months ash, by way of ex periment, 113 the amount of stamps sold by them in that time would be the best test of the accommodation to be afforded ; if it were Pilling, it would show thnt the accommodation was not important, if few persons availed themselves of it, end the appointment might then be discontinued ; if, on the other hard. their demand was considerable, it would show that the advantage was commensurate, as there could be no inducement for not getting them at the Stamp Office tat the facility thus Worded to individuals of obtaining them nearer hand. No remuneration was stipulated to be g:ren to either of the persons thus appointed, but it was to abide the result of the experi:Lent fur the year, and to he regulated when the extent of the sale of stamps should have been eseertained. " The corrmpondence which took place with the Board has been laid before us, non which we learn that Mr. Hepbutne was finally introcted to curry this arrangement into effect." It it necessary to the full developement of this subject to lay the cerrespondenee itself before your Lordshipa, since, notwithstanding the opposition raked to these two appointments, it is not too much to say, that no measure could have been adopted undt r the guidance of a more re served anti cautious disert lion than was manifested by the Beard on the preßent occa,:ion. On the Tit (lay of June, 1'!121, the intended arrange ment was notified by the Secretary to Mr. Hepbttrne, as follows : " June 21,1031. Sts.—The B lard being desiroila of asrertaining whether the intik of Edinburgh can, without additional expense, be accom. modatcd with lump% without the r.eccasity of obtaining them immediately from the StasnisOtEce on the Regent's Bridge. di rnt that you *apply Mr. Hatton, of the upper end of Princes ' . tie r, wlth a stock of stamps foe sale, on Lis giving you accutity fur the daly amounting forth* amount thoeuf. I am, kc. " R. Hrphunw, Et.q. " W. KAPPEN. A similar direction was given for the supply of Mr. Cameron. • - • Ou the 3inli of June, a letter was received from Mr. Ilepburne, in the course of which he writes as follows: " &lit appears that Messrs. Hatton and Cameron are in *epee_ to! mof some emolument for their trouble, I hope to be favoured ine determination of the Hoard as to this point." In answer to which the following reply was written 13th July. 1821. "St n„—l am directed to inform you, that the Board deem it wish dde to ascenaia what mat be the amount of Stamps void at the end of twelve months. previously to deciding on any specific teear.eration to be allowed to Mr. Batton and Mr. Cameron, who neat therefore accept the appointment on these terms, and in the :cm lime account to you, at the end of each quarter, for the aieount of stock sold. I am, de. " It. llepburne, Esq." " W. KAreitw. No steps were taken to carry those appointments into' etl'ect ; on the contrary, every endeavour was, in the mean time, made to frustrate them ; and on the 20th of July the following letter was received 'from Mr. Hep home :-- " Stamp Office, Edinburgh, July 20, 1821. " Honourable Sirs,—Since I had the honour to receive your lever of the 13:h instant. Mr. funds'. Member of Par lament few the City of Edb:bur4ll, and the Lord Advocate for Scotland, have been to this office to inspect the house, and more especially to make some inquiries respecting the new appointments tow in contemplation fore better accommodation of the public of Edinburgh, in purchasing stamped paper. I believe these gentle men intend to correspond either with your Board or that of the Trdasury on this subject. as they ale both of opivion that these aphointments, particularly that in the New Town, will not be re quired. " The Lord Advocate informed me, that the Treasury are about tosend three gentlemen, to make a general inquiry into this de partment, and to make a Report thereupon to his Majesty's Go vernment. Thia will be very satisfactory to us; and what I have at present to take th..: liberty to euggest to the Board is, to postpone doing nny thing farther in regard to the appointment of the new Sub- - Distributors, until the arrival of these Commissioners. And, trusting that your Honours will think it advisable to agree to this sug;;estion. 1 will not trouble the Board at present with sonic re f.:arks sal the subj.:et of these appointments, which I feel it my duty to do at the proper time. " I have the honour to remain, de. " ROHERT 11EPBURNE. " To the lion. Commissioners of Stamps." To the above letter the Secretary was directed to reply us follows: " July 28, 1821. _ . . •• Sir,-1 am directed to inform you, that the Board Cm at no tint , : he unwilling to receive any suggestion, from whatever quarter, which may be submitted to their consideration, previously to carrying into effect any regulation which they may deem it expe dient to adopt. With respect to the inquiti's which you inform the Board that Mr. William Funds% Member of Parliament for the city of Etlin !ugh, and the bird Advocate of Scotland, called especially to malt, respecting the proposed arrangement for the sale of stamps, which the Board has deemed advisable, for the better accommoda tiA of the public of Edinburgh. if any result arising out of those e tuiries had been communicated to the Board, the Commissioners would hare given it every consideration, and would willingly have suspended or relinqiiished any regulation which had appeared, from eirournstene-s which they bad not foreseen, likely to produce an effect in any manner at variance with the end proposed. But vie Commissioners do not expect that any one of their officers should be made the medium of communicating to them an opinion, unsupported by any reason, of persons unconnected with the office, that arrangements, which the Heard bad conceived to be expedient, • will not be required ;' and that, because those persons had ex pressed an intention of corresponding with the Treasury upon the subjeet,.such officer should therefore take upon himself to postpone carrying the Board's orders into effect. " I ant directed to add, that these appointments arc not of sob distributors, as they are termed in your letter ; that the Board feel ii incumbent upon them, in the discharge of their public duty, to make such provision as might appear to them most conducive to the better and more convenient supply of stamps to the inhabitants of the New and Old Town of Edinburgh ; and as it is intended, by this aerangement, to ascertain, by experiment, at the end of twelve months, the extent of actual advantage arising from it, the Board desire that you will take the necessary steps for carrying their in structions into effect. 1 am, &c. " R. Hepburne, FAO." " W. Karrax- Having laid thus much of the correspondence on the subject of these appointments before your Lordships, I shall now proceed to observe on what is urged by the Corn tnissioners of Inquiry against their being carried into effect. " As Mt. ilepbsise is responsible for all the sub.distributors in the country, be states to as that the Beard of Stamps had never before directed any portieniar person to be appointed to that office ; and lie farther thought that the nature of the appointment had not been, well sonsidereo, nor with a sufficient attention to local cir cumstances." _ . _ _ ..... It is, to ssy the least of it, not within the ordinary rules of official coui tray that Messrs. Sykes stud Forbes should make their Report the vehicle of disrespectful reflections on the Board as uttered by a subordinate officer; and this was still less justifiable, after having themselves stated that the above Correspondence " had been laid before them," which alone should have induerd them rather to have repelled these undeserved imputations on the Board, than to have recorded them. That Correspondence mani fests throughout that the measure was not only well con sidered, but weighed with a view to the r.dnoval of every oliji ction that might be made to it ; and that so far from its . b, mg adopted " without a sufficient attention to local circumstances," It arose wholly out of local circumstances; it was exclusively adopted for local conveniences, and ori ginated in views of local expediency. Their Report thus proceeds— '''' In the Sale Office stamps are sold to the amount of 130,0001. per annum ; and if two individuals were known to profit from the 'ale of stamp., and, by receiving a pound ige, were enabled to give a bonus fiw dealing with men of business, it was more than pro. ' bible that by far the greatest eropartion of these sales would be made at their office." But on what principle of fairness can these Commissioners of !equity justify the thus throwing out an insinuation, for which they must have known that there w.ts not the most remote foundation? If had been the slightest reason to suspect that any such hones had been given, there would not have been any difficulty in proving the fact. I remark this, because I mean professedly to call your Lordships' at tention to the spirit in which this measure is opposed. And while I am un this topic, I will jest pause to recall to the recollection of po ' your Lordships the favourable representation that is given, throughout both this and the former Report— as to Mr. Bremner department—of the character and ma nagement of the persona acting under the present system ; but no s toner does any measure of the Bo a no come to be con sidered, than it is found to be unfit and ill-advised. It was endeavoured to be shown, that the delay in the delivery of Mr. Bremner's bills was imputable to the Board.— Whew power is withdrawn from Mr. Bremner of institut ing prosecutions without the Board's knowlolge and con curreece, the regulation is represent. 11 as being injudicious, and it is recommended that this power be motored. When the Beard. with the approbation of the Treasury, appointed a separate Solicitor to the Legacy department, the Coinntis sioners of Ingeiry, notwithstanding its return of duty bar. increased fourfold, recommended that this appointment be set aside, and the two offices again consoiidated. The Beard had suspended Mr. Bremner with a view to his re tnoval from office ; but Messrs. Sykes and Forbes are so well satisfied with his management as to recommend that he should have either an increase of his former salary or an extra remuneration for his services. Si.. likewise, with the present appointment, which was adopted, not only for the accommodation of the public of E linburgh, but to put an end to elitists which were very generally complained of, the Commissioners find nothing that could have called for their adoption, or that can require their continurnice. I shall now proceed to observe upon the objections, in the order in which they were made. " We beg leave to report, that it appears to us, if the two dis. tribitors are to be appointed for the supply of Edinburgh, that it would he better to abolish V • Sole Office, with its establishment of Clerks, the business of which would be prodigiously reduced, and, so far as the supply of Edinburgh is concerned, quite un nreciatrov ; but, after bud ling an office, and furnishing it with a Sale Office, it certainly will not be desirable to supersede the use of it for such an establishment as has been commenced experiment ally for a year,unkets the advantages to the public are very great." That the increased facility given by these appointments to the procuring of Stamps is a great accommodation to the public of Edin burgh is here sufficiently proved by the extent to which they avail themselves of it. Now, if, in addition to this, a reduction, as it appears, may be thereby . , effected in the number of clerks in the Sale Office, it is so much the more in its favour. As to the abolition of the Sale Office, it does not necessarily follow that that would he expedient, since it might still continue the sale of Stamps, by which, all who live in the neighbourhood of Leith-walk, and adjacent to the new Stamp Office, would have equally the benefit of a supply of Stamps at band. " Again, we do not approve of the (lead Distributor being re lieved from the responsibility of any sub-distributor, whether in Edinburgh or in any other part of Scotland. Mr. Ilepbume shoal be left with the responsibility of accounting for every farthing of Revenue derived from the sale of stamps in Scotland. and we doubt the expediency of any appoiuttnent which relieves him from this responsibility." This ground of objection is peculiarly inapplicable to the appointments in qui scion, as Mr. Ilepburne is not re sponsible for stamps sold at the Sale Office, the Distributor for Edinburgh and Leith having a distinct appointment from the Board, pennant to a Treasury Warrant. The Report thus proceeds " Nor can we conceive, that If no inconveMence was found, as to the accommodation of the inhabitantsof the New Town with stamps, when the Office was in the Old Town. that it can be necessary to have a Sub-distributor in the New Teen, since the office Is re removed to the New Town." If no inconvenience were found, then certainly this rea soning might be true ; the fact is, however, that great in convenience was found, but it was submitted to be of ne cessity, for there was no avoiding it. The accommodation speaks for itself. No person wanting a stamp would will ingly go a mile for it, if it can be got within a hundred vault ; but, if it cannot, why, he must go a mile for it. 11: fore the new Post-cffice was built there was no receiving house, but it was found that such an accommodation was necessary, and the advantage of it was obvious. The Com missioners, moreover, forget, that from Mr. Hatton and Mr. Cameron stamps may be bad at all hours, whereas, at the head office, they cannot be obtained after three o'clock, nor on a Saturday after twelve. " For men of business residing in the New Town, we think the New Office peculiarly well situated, being between the General Post Office on the one hand, and the Register Office on the other, and within a few yards of both. To the one, men of business must be daily sending clerks with letters, and in the other are kept all the proceedings going on in Law C quits, and the various registers in which deeds are recorded, and through means of which executions, or, as they are termed, diligence is raised, by which means there is a constant resort of men of business and their clerks to the Register Office." lam perfectly well acquainted with Edinburgh, and it is a fact well known to every professional person there that very little business is done in the Register Office during the early part of the day. Professional men and their prin cipal clerks are invariably in the practice of attending the Parliament House during the forenoon, and it is not until the evening that they apply (if they have occasion) at the Register Office. iVith respect to the Post Office, the mails are not despatched from Edinburgh until after seven o'clock in the evening, with the exception of the Carlisle Mail, which, however, does not close till five ; were professional and mercantile men, therefore, induced to purchase stamps at the time they may be sending to the Post and Register Offices, they could not procure them, as the Stamp Office close's at three o'clock, and is therefore shut at the time they have occasion to send in that direction. The neces sity, therefore, of these centrical appointments, where stamps may be had at any hour, is not in any manner su perseded by what is here urged as to the situation of the new Stamp Office. The objection next urged is the situation of the respec tive residences of Messrs. Hatton and Cameron. " When It is considered that Mr. Hatton's shop is situated in a continuation of the same street with the Stamp Office, and within about half a mile of it, we ronceiVe, that even if additional facilities for the sale of stamps are thought advisable, this would not be con sidered as the beat situation. " With regard to Mr. Cameron'. shoe, which is situated in Bank -street, we think that it also is not well adapted for the supply of the Old Town. Its local situation is in that part of the Old Town which is situated nearest the New Town." But if the situations of both these persons are so ineligi ble, how can it be accounted for that the resort to them has been so great, and the sale of stamps so considerable, that the Commisaioners of Inquiry, just before, express it as their opinion, " that it would be better to abolish the Sale Office, with its establishment of Clerks; but that after building a new office, and furnishing it with a Sale Office, it certainly would not be desirable to supersede the use of it ?" Surely, nothing can evince more strongly than this the convenience of both places, or more completely refute any objection to these appointments drawn from the local station of the persons appointed. " It is oar opinion, that some additional accommodation may be easily given to the public for the sale of sumps; and we beg to sub mit two modes for consideration. either of which, we thins, will an swer better than the two experimental appointments." The first plan proposed is, " That a branch or the Sale Office should be opened in Hunter's. square far the accommodation of the Old Town, and that both this new Sale Office, and the present Sale Office, should be opened an hour in the evening, and should be kept open ! an additional hour on Saturday afternoon." Of this plan the Commissioners state that— " The only expense would be the rent of a shop, and the salary E BRITISH PRESS. of a clerk (ac we do not think that any should be spored front the present Sale Office), and probably a small increase of the salaries of the clerks in the Sale Office, on account of additional attend ance." Now a shop in Hunter's-equare could not be procured under a rent of 1001. a year, and the clerk's salary could not be fixed at much below 1.501.; but the Commissioners must have considered the subject very slightly, if they conceive that this would include the whole expense. In the first place, a sufficient stock of stamps of every de scription must be supplied to this branch of the Sale Office; but if the clerk is not to reside there, this stock of stamps must be left every night on the single lock. In this state of insecurity, no sureties would hold themselves respon sible, should any amount of' stamps be stolen. To provide against this danger, the clerk must reside; there must con sequently be proper accommodation ; a shop or Sale Office will then not be sufficient; there must be a sleeping , room and sitting-room, which must be furnished ; and, as the clerk cannot sweep his own room, or light his own fires, nor perform various other offices that are neces sary, a charwoman becomes indispensable. There must, of course. be an allowance of coals and candles; for in Edinburgh the use of them will be required for three parts of the year. In addition to these apartments, there must, of course, be a coal-cellar; and as candles, brooms, brushes, and other requisites for the charwoman, cannot be kept in the bedroom, there must be some spare room approptiated to this purpose. Here, then, we have an office to be fitted up, and a house furnished; an allowance of coals and candles, and a charwoman, all for one clerk, which will be an expense of not less than Soo/. a year. But even when this expense is incurred, it would be insuf ficient, for there being only one clerk, he could not be ab sent fur any period, however short, during the office hours, there being no person to supply his place, without locking up the o ffi ce for security .Curing his absences The great inconvenience of this is obvious, - and would eery soon be felt. Neither could los- be absent of an evening without danger, as be could have no person on the premises; and to leave a stock of Stamps, to the amount of many. thou- Rand pounds, thus exposed, would be a risk, against the consequence of which no sureties would indemnify. Thus all this expense would be incurred to support a plan which puts the am curity of the stock most imprudently to hazard, independently of all the inconveniences which it brings in its train. And all this for the purpose of superseding the two appointments by which the public are already infinitely better accommodated, and all this attendant expense and ill consequence avoided. The second plan proposed is— " Teat the allowance given to those who purchase stamps in large quan•ities by schedule C. of the 44th of the late King, be ex tended to purchasers at the Head Office, at Elinburgh." But this plan is liable to still greater objections than the former. The object to he attained by enabling the public to obtain stamps from Mr. Cameron, in the Old, and Mr. Hatton, in the New Town, was, as has been already stated, to remedy the inconvenience so long complained of, occa sioned by the Stamp Office closing so early, and to put an end to the improper practice of the Sale Office Clerks of taking stamps home to their own houses, and retailing them at a high per centage ; but this plan would not re medy either of these evils—its only effect would be to in duce a few of the booksellers to purchase a small quantity of rece;pt stamps, which they would retail again with a profit of 91. per cent. But in Edinburgh, where Bankers pay et. per cent. for money deposited for however short a period, and 4/. per cent. if exceeding six months, no per sons can be expected to keep a complete stock of law stamps, for which they must pay ready money, at the risk of losing taste, on the pr..carious slow sale of high price stamps, than they would gain by the 14 per cent. profit on those of smaller amount. The public of Edinburgh would still be restricted to the &amp-office hours, or be subjected to the additional price charged by the Clerks, if they had occasion to put chase them after three o'clock, when the office closes. It now remains to develop the real cause of all this stre nuous opposition which is manifested on the part of the head officers in Edinburgh to the creation of these two ap pointments. The retail sale of stamps at the bead office amounts, as stated, on the average, to 130,000!. annually; ihe receipt of cash is consequently about SUN. per day; it is on this daily receipt, placed out at three pounds per cent. interest, that the great profit is made; but these two ap pointments, whatever accommodation they may give to the public of Edinburgh, tend greatly to diminish the private source of emolument, becauae that daily receipt is lessened by one-half; and though Messrs Hamm and Cameron account to the Head Distabutor, still the cash is nut paid in regularly, day by day, and the interest does not, there fore, accrue upon it so early nor so constantly as before. And as this profit of the interest was not exclusively re ceived by the Ilead Distributor, the Comptroller, also, who kept the interest cash-book, with his whole system of du plicate accounts, found these appointments interfere with the accustomed regularity with which this profitable part of the system had been conducted. The Clerks in the sale Office also lost one great share of I profit. The selling stamps at home after office hours was wholly done away by these appointments. The Commis.. sinners of Inquiry profess to state the salary and emoluments of each Clerk in the different departments, when detailing their respective duties ; hut it is somewhat remarkable, that with respect to the Clerks in the Sale Office, this source of emolument is not noticed, but is adverted to under the mar gined head of "Holidays observed, and hours of at tentlance," a topic with which it is quite disconnected. It is important, however, that it should not escape the attention of your Lordships, as it is one of those prominent abuses which led to the appointments under discussion. Their inquiries appear to have been made by the Com missioners in those channels in which the nature and ex tent of this extortionate practice might have been disco vered ; but, es is the case throughout, the parties them selves are alone examined, and their communication alone is reported. The lint clerk states that he is sometimes applied to for stamps on holidays, or after office hours, and that he has often come from his own house to the office and supplied the demand, without any remuneration, but more generally he charges something for his trouble, in consequence of the party not applying during the olless hours of business. The additional charge he makes is according Is the amount of the stamp wanted, from Is. 2d. to 2s. He has never taken more than the last-mentioned sum, however high the stamp. For a stamp of the denomination of Sis. he charges It, and so in proportion for those of a larger amount. " We shall afterwards submit what occurs to us as the proper means of remedying this incorrect practice, after we have nealecd tire late appointment of Sub-Distributors in Edinburgh." Your Lordships, however, will not fail to observe, that the Commissioners do not submit any mode of remedying this practice, which they thus admit to be improper, and is hich deserves to be characterized by a much stronger epithet ; since both Mr. Hepburne and Mr. Pender sanction this practice, which, as well as the receipt of in.. tercet on the public money, makes part of the system. But not only is no remedy suggested, but then two appoint.. menta, which did remedy it, they labour to set aside; by which means this improper practice would be suffered thus to continue, and the public of Edinburgh remain subjected to the payment of such extrei charge as the clerks may choose to impose, for the means of accommodation, which they are thus permitted to monopolize. Now, with respect to this statement, width is given by the first clerk, it ss not correct. It is capable of proof, that 5/. per cent. was charged os the value of stamps sold at his own house after office hours, and which of course made it his interest to keep the Sale Office open as short a time as possible. A very considerable profit was also made on the sale of bill stamps, arising from the extra charge on the paper. " T he third clerk (Mr. Neils) has never been applied to for any stamps, except during office boors." This assertion is so notoriously contrary to the fact, that the slightest inquiry would have proved it to be quite un warranted, and have shown how liable these Commissioners were to be imposed on, by taking as the ground of their Re port the information of the party interested in withholding the truth. This third clerk, litr.Neile, in addition to hissituation as clerk in the Sale Office, keeps& shop for the sale of shoes in the high-street; and even up to the time I was last at Edinburgh, there was always an oval board over the door with the following inscription— Law Stamps of all kinds." Whether it was removed after the means hail been established by the Board of procuring stamps, both in the Old and New Town, or whether it was only removed pend ing the Commission of Inquiry, I don't know ; but that the' stamps were regularly sold then, and at a high per tentage, is so notorious, that It is somewhat surprising that he should venture his assertion, and expect it would find a place in the Commissioners Report. So much pains have' been trim, to set aside the appointments of Messrs. Hatton and Cameron ' that I have gone mor e f u lly int o d e tail on the subject of them than I should otherwise have done. having myself originally recotnmended them, from a con viction that I was essentially serving the pnblic by so doing, the opposition raised to them math• it incumbent upon me, in justice to myself, to show what were the motives of that opposition, and how little weight it deserved in any serious deliberation as to their permanent establishment. When Messrs. Sykes and Forbes, in addition to other instances in which they would reverse the judgment of the Board," beg to submit two modes of examination, " either of which, they think, will answer hitter than the two experimental appointments," I shall only observe, that they undervalue the endeavours of others towards the public service rather more than is warranted by any evi dence which they have themselves given of their superior fitness either to examine or decide. I have the honour to subscribe myself, my Lords, Your Lordships' most faithful and obedient servant, JAMES SEDOIVICK, Chairman. It must, by this time, have sufficiently appeared to the public, that the aim of the Comtnisaion of Inquiry, as con ducted by Messrs. Sykes and Forbes, was to tweure impu nity to the agents in that nefarious system which the Stamp Department in Scotland established—to destroy the credit due to the representation which I had given of it to the Treasury—and to east obloquy on the Commissioners of Stamp, by indirectly ascribing to the remissi.eas of the Hoard in London whatever it was found impossible to con ceal of to palliate in the conduct of their officers in Edin burgh.—The space I have already occupied will not permit me to do more at pres,:nt than remark—and it is a remark which I would fain keep uppermost in the mind of the reader —that the iniquitous system of mismanagement here deve loped had been brought under your investigation, and-was every particle of it within your knowledge, as were also those Reports of Messrs. Sykes and Forbes, with my re marks upon them, which have occupied my three last let ters—when you deliberately drew up and delivered to the House of Commons, as the truth, under the sanction of the oath you had taken, and where you sent forth to the world as widely as the public press could disperse it, the fol lowing statement, which I quoted in the outset, and which I now again transcribe:— " In the course of our detailed examination in Scotland, which, as we have already stated, preceded that in England, it came in evidence before us, that various representations mede by Officers there, with a view as well to the security as to the better collection of the public revenue, had rot received the attention from the chief office to which they appeared entitled; and our general inquiries in that part of the United Kingdom %misfit d us, that the superintend ence exercised by the Board in London over the collection of this branch of the Stiunp Revenue was neither regular nor effectual. Under these circumstances, on our return to London, we felt it our duty to postpone other investigations for the purpose of directing our attention to this department; and as the causes out of which a situation of things apparently so defective and unsatisfactory had arisen could scarcely fail to affect the commissioners, and as we had reason to suppose that such rouses were in a great measure to he traced to the state of the Board, it became necessary to give to our examinations a character more personal, as well as to put to the subordinate office's questions mere pointedly directed to the official habits and conduct of their superiors, than, under other circum stances, we should have thought advisable." That I may avoid interrupting the pain of reflection to which this must give rise, I subscribe myself, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, Somerset-house, Oct. 10, WM JAS. SEDGWICIC. [We have received the Chairman's Remarks on the concluding Report of Mews. Sykes and Forbes, on the Di%tributore Depart ment, which shall appear on Friday.—EnlTon.l ALEXANDRIA, Auo.lo. [EXTRACT OF A PRIVATE LETTER.] I am happy to acquaint you that the French General Boyer has quitted the service of the Pacha. There has been a constant con flict of authority between the General and Mohammed Las, 51i :lister at War, which his Highness the Pacha in vain endeavoured to suppress. So far had the pique been carried by the panics, that some officers having been dismissed by the Minister at War, were re-engaged in France by order of the tlener.d, under contract, and at double their former pay. It appears that the Pacha had made all sons of concessions to please the General, but his demands in. creased with his Highnes.'s compliance. At length the General having asked an audience to make demands which the Paths knew he could not grant, he declined the interview. Upon this, General Boyer demanded his dismissal, which, probably unexpectedly to himself, was immediately complied with. It is espousal that Go. neral the Marquis de Livron, sine is as pt she Pashere lIA*6 talfgent in France, will be promoted to the vomit pest , and Gal led to this country. He is a man of a nrach more conciliating temper. The Paths has procured two cloadoperdit and the English and French Consuls have been desired to cast lots for the choice, they being designed as presents to their relived's Sovereigns. The Nile is now rising. and appearances are considered to Jodi cate a favourable inundation ; but it is too early to speak of it with any confidence. The crop of all snicks of export has been shipped with the exception of a stock of beans, of which there may I be a deposit at Cairo of about 3d0,000 ardeps, which are to be brought down as soon as the navigation opens. This quantity is the surplus of the last two years of scarcity. The Levantine', spe culating on the ravages that are likely to be made by the locusts in Syria, have purchased 12,000 ardeps of beans, at whatever price his Highness may hereafter fix. These people calculate, that, as his Highness is partial to this mode of cone acting, he will not fix a price exceeding the highest price of the highest market to which, the article can be sent ; and, as they will pay fur the whole in the Pacha'a own assignments,* which are at present at a discount of 25 per cent., they will still be gainers. A great deal of intetest has been excited here by renal' from England of the sailing of Lord Cochrane for the Levant. Some persons are afraid of bad consequences to British residents frotn his Lordship's interference : but the alarm is not general, for we reflect that our interests can be very little affected by it, as, from the nature of the Niche's commercial system, more than nine-tenths of the property that leaves the country is either actually shipped for the Pasha's account, or for the account of his officers or sub jects. With regard to the safety of our persons, there certainly cannot be any well.grounded alarm. We are brit few individuals, and it would be difficult to assign any reasonable motive or ob ject for the Puha to molest us. Add to this, his Highness is tenacious of a character for generosity and maderation, even to. wards his enemies; for, be it mentioned to his praise, that during the whole of the contest in the Mores, the Greeks have been al lowed to come to this country and go from it when they pleased, without molestation. The British Government certainly, towards him, has behaved with the strictest impartiality. British vessels assisted in transporting his troops and provisions to the Mores, without impediment or reproach. English engineers are employed in his service, and his steam-boat, the London Engineer, has been actively employed against the Greeks, worked by British subjects, and is actually, at this moment, with ' the British arnis painted on her aides. We have not much to fear from any popular excitement, for the Arabs take very little interest in the dispute ' and they are governed with a strong arm. To suppose that his Highness is capable of stirring up any bad feeling towards us• is not doing justice to his character; for, however we may complain that he has trampled on every commercial privilege and treaty that has been made in our favour with the Porte, it is but fair and proper to confess, that Europeans have ever enjoyed, under his rule, the most perfect and Impartial protection. • The Pacha obliges the peasant to bring in the reduce of his land, which is paid for at the price his Highness fixes, by assign. ments on the,Treasury. The Pacha will only receive these assign ments, in payment for produce, under a special agreement ; so that they . generally fall to a heavy discount, as the Treasury is open fo receipts, but sot for issues. INCORPORATED MEDICAL SOCIETIES.-•Mr. Lawrence, in his first lecture at the New Medical School in Alden ple-street, save—" It may be doubted whether laws are capable of aiding the progress of medical science. The public bodies in this country have certainly done no good ; while the artificial distinctions, the prohibitions, and re strictions, which they have so much delighted in, have been palpably mischievous. The great progress which surgery as made here in the last quarter of a century is clearly due to individual exertion, and to the patronage which a more enlightened public has bestowed on those who have become distinguished by talent and knowledge. The pub lic bodies, instead of leading the march, have been always found in the rear of advancing knowledge. They might have attempted to lessen the evils of quackery, to protect the public agtin.t the knavery and ignorance of unprinci pled men ; but they have only been struggling to maintain their own privileges, to exclude and depress competitors, to fortify their own monopoly, and thus secure their own trading advantages. Can we wonder that such proceedings are viewed by the public with contempt, and that they t en d to degrade an honourable profession ?" Monday, a gardener, of Wished', for a wager, walked ten miles, with a bushel of potatoes on his back, which he undertook to carry the whole distance, without resting.— He accomplished it in two hours and forty minutes. An Irishman, who heard of the exploit, o,la a bet that be would perform the same, with the addition of eating the potatoes afterwards, in half the number of minutes, pra tided they were boiled.—Eura Herald. LAIV NOTICES. COURT OF L: HANCE 11 Y. Seal* and Petitions before the 1. ,, ,r4 I Seat . Plea., Deampaaaap, a 4 Peu • Chasiceilor, previous to Mielis•O• thug, 1,,r,,re t6a igka.amdleCtot. tsar Term, 14%. previ11i•t0141.611= 1 .41411.1,116 Wednesday', N6V. 1.... First Seal. ; lVelsesday,Nors.l.. ASS. Thur-day. 2.... Rank. Petit. !lliiirvdsy. %.41)0sapliliPal • Friday, 3.... Second Seal ' Friday, S., Seat. Saturday, 4.... Petitions. Ssturtts7. COURT OP KING'S BENCH. TILDVSTDAY, ocroaxa I I.—mo atT AT UAL...Asir Rua. London Common Juries Cox v. Delele Joue. v. Ranbnry 1 PfiddLomtse v. ilzwett I Riby v. Pratt Gramiri v . . Rermatitten Llad .n v. fl,.tie Christi* v. Walter Herby a. England Guthrie v. Crowley Weil% v. P.) ,. .ma1l IH.lmes v. Kerstith 114):mes v. Alchorat Tliorlikn v. Meux allittor v. Gm. G.E.nv v. 1. eaver Jackson v. /Wilton Barrio v. Raker Bridgman v. Lodge Beard v. Jinklnorie Baker v. AppMen Corot. v. Blacken Cleo.! v. Roberto Rati.tield •. Metier Eit:r, v. Clarke Vaua..an v. Green Fletcher v. Heath Thorp v. Town Legit v. Vreehiteld Lane v. hte..ee Maeierroan v. Ham mond Hui telt r, Laasa•le Brn r, caik I. Stickler Chcitk v. Hooka Rowell V. Heil :44-Itobln v. fleii Cncki •. Pyttersaa Berger v. Pilling Pr.cctor V. *titilLy St clidolic V. Cr.,Wast4l Simi, on v. Fitas %Uncivil ♦. Hard . 1 Smith v. C ark Cox Y. Wi son Saa.e v. lia,rl - 11 . 1 . r . din . i;:ias ' bet Miller •. Scott, October 3O. INktle•ex Common Jut, Wales v. Morton Button v. Pm k . Chrt..) , v. Gibbs glare v. 1 4 itmc Fame v. name Harillton v. Jones Devil v. dt . f,aughlin Uarron v. Chcire Freeman v. 9404 Geltlem v. June," Doe, &e. v. :dedcraft rertington v. West Mitchell v. Conk Turner v. Crowder Breilbwalte v. Churehtl4 Williams V. Tumlinvon II erri.son V. Crowder Cook v. Hall_ Hoe, Re. v. Tipton The Rini v. Rllluid Anderton v. Millie Hendry v. Collier White v. Hell Roe, &c. v. Chalmers Mpedd.he v. Glover . °peon v. Poleter Smith v. Deeds UM, Lae. v. Reed Chave v. Vesture %acne v. Slav Setobleu v. Buck/vie Guuldvbotettgh v. NA SA]. Hrenning v. Steven.' Pemberton v. ruling Doe, tee. v. Ogle Edward* v. F.rered Hatfield v. hater Bentley v. Walker Same v. C. Walker Same v. W. %Calico. Waters v. Weldon Itichardson v. Bick ford CLI : 4 - 11 3leredrtb _ LAM INTELLIGRATZ. • COURT OF RING'S BFNCR, Grr4DRA44, eTr ESIDAT, OCT. 16. Remanet oft.t- Trirrify Teem, befbre tit LOUD CifiEr Jrsrtcs and CommonJarirs. This day the Lnrd Chief Intake coounereed his iltings before :Michaelmas Term, in consequence of the immense numbertaf cases still remaining untrie:! front the sittings before the Circuits. The list presents nn less then 342 causes. of which 48 ate Speeds! Juries, and it is understood that the Court will take common 111Vy Case, only, darning tite remainder of the week. Special Juries are Axed for Monday next. We are happy to state that th a Lord Chief Justice apron mucs improved in health since tite lest settings, and to have regained strength enough to enable him to perform his arduous labours with his usual assiduity. IIAHlt1:-ON v. JACKSON AND ANOTIIES. This was an acti.:l of t rover hr, sight by the plaiotir, to recover from the defendaitts. who we.re flharfiugers, carrying on business at Cox's-quay, two tons or sn ap . It appeared from the investigation of the rue that one Special owned the soup in question. and after it had been landed at the defendants' whatf, a detainer aas lodged against it at the instance of the Excise. on account of some irregularity with respect to the payment of duties, and Sdicial could not get his soa_p. fn this predicament he was introduced to the present plaintiff', an indivi. dual who transacted the business of persons who had applications to make to the public offices of Government. and who designated him.. if "a Treasury &gory." For a reasonable reward to be re ceived its fularo. the plaintiff busied himself in his applications to the Board of Excise, and obtained their decision is favour of Special. Special was an ignorant and illiterate man, and to a paper presented him by the plaintiff he put his mark, be ing unable to affix his signature. This paper turned out to be an order upon the defendants to deliver the two tons of snap to plaintiff, wnicb they refused to comply with, for divers reasons and suspicions they entertained ; and in consequence of this refusal the present action was brought. The Loan Cuter JUSTICE intimated a strong opinion that Special did not know the nature of the paper to which he had affixed his mark, and said. if necessary, he should lease that as a fact foe the finding of the Jury. with all the doubts about it. A nonsuit war then consented to. EVANS V. CURTIS ANT) DARER. This was an action of covenant to recover a compensation for a distress levied upon premises which the plaintiff had taken of the defendants, they having guaranteed him against all claims made by other landlords. It appeared that the plaintiff; who keeps an nyster.shop in Fleet street, in the autumn or 1825 contemplated an extension of his business as the winter of that year approached, and accordingly took from the defendants n house and shop, situate No. 1, by renee-lane, Cheapsitle, upon their entering into a written guaranty of the above-mentioned description. The plaintiff immediately proceeded to ornament the premises fin the accommodation of his customers, and expended 50/. in improvements. lie had only just got settled, however, when 31r. %bestow, the surmise. Isodioid of deisrstoisea, put in a distress few nears of rent ; and afl du plain flw"u ousrry—otho. spins. shells, even the cyst(' know*. pawn [lllll mere ernes—were swept away. for the injury thus sustained the present action was brought. Some technical objections were taken, which were overruled, and ultimately the Jury found for the plat itiff—Darages Thee were the only eases worthy of rubl c mention. POLICE. BOR.STRElT.—Yesterday, John Goodman and IFilhows Car. lick were charged, before Sir R. BiltNIE, with being concerned with others in stealing a parcel containing 1.0001. to Bank of England notes, from the General Pos:-office, the property of Sir Richard Carr Glynn, Bart. For many years a case of more public importance has not been the subject of inquiry before the 31agivrates of this office. The prisoner Goodman is a mai of most respectable exterior, and is said to be worth not less than 20,000/. He has been known to the police for nearly twenty years, and has had the reputation of being the planner and contriver of all the coach robberies which have taken place, in connexion with one Welch (who has escaped), who was the go-between of the rubber and the receiver. Garlick was connected with the Post-office. The tollowing evidence was taken : Daniel Callaghan sworn—l reside at No. I, Brazier's-buildings, Fleet-market, and am a fishmonger. I have been acquainted with Welch for above twenty years. Welch has been married about two years, to the daughter of John Goodman, wholives in Old -street, City-road. Welch also lives near the City-road. About twelve months ago I was in Holborn, in St. Andrew's Church. in mover 'anon with 51r. Garlick, a letter-carrier in the service of the Gene ral Poet-office. Garlick was at that time in his plain clefts, but ' Welch had, on a previous occasion, seen him in his postman's coat, and knew him as a general postman. After Garlick had left me, Welch said to me, •• That man (meaning Garlick) might be of great service to us he might get some parcels there" (meaning, se I understood, at the General Post-office) " that are valuable." Nothing more passed at that time. ' ut in a few (lays afterwards, I saw Garlick, and we went into Thoilipsonit wine -vaults, on Hol. born-hill, and on coming out we met Welch. Welch used fre quently to come to my stall in Fleet-market, and, on one occasion, while he was talking to me. Garlick carne up, and we all went to the Key public-house, in Fleet-market, and had two pints of stout. At this time Welch said to Garlick, " You have got a good chance of making some money, and if you do any thing, Dan" (meaning me) " knows where I live." Gai lick replied that he had got no. thing, but he would be upon the look-out. We had several inter views together. and had a little drink at the Key, and also at the Robin Hood public-house, in Robin Hood -court, Shoe-lane. • About the latter end of November last or beginning of December, Garlick came to my stall one evening, about nine o'clock, and said that he wanted to speak to me. 1 walked with him as far as St. John's-street, anti there he informed me that he had got a parcel with some notes. lie thought there were between live and six hundred pounds, but he did sot k•-ow except by guess. He showed me the parcel ; there was no direction or seal upon it. Gallia l obed me where Welch lived, and I showed him. We found , Welch at home. and we tome went into a room up trairs. Gullet , then produced the parcel, and gave itto Welch, who opens( It, and took out some notes and emoted them. Ile Also took out a paper, rather large, with some writing on it. Garlick said the paper was a bond. Welch threw the paprr on one si le, and counted the notes. There were one thousand pounds, in notes, in the parcel. These ware several 10!. notes, end some of larger amount. Weith wanted , to keep the but d ; he said it was for 2,0001. and above, as I think; hat Garlick said no, it shculd be "burnt ; and Garlick himmilf hetet the hoed, and also the outer wrapper. 1 omitted to martian tint ' when we get to St. John's-street, and before we got to Waicra • house, Mullett informed me that he had been at the pent.elleg d aa leveeing, and had stopped till the mail v•eat out, by going Mike • privy, and that the parcel had come from a banker's-4 :Male b said Glynn's ; but the parcel was going many miles and would not be missed for three days. After the bond and the • wrapper were destroyed, Welch put all the notes into his peehet, and we three went to the Ivy-house public-house. in Goamill- • street. Garlick and Welch waited some distance off. I trees in and Inquired for Mr. Goodman, and he came out to me. I mid him that blr. Welch was close by, and had got sonankdos= Goodman asked my name , and I told him Callaghan. Where is William ?" meaning Welch. I said—" Ant rowed the corner." Goodman said—" Go and fetch him." I went to Welch, and told him that Goodman was round the corner, anti Welch took the notes out of his pocket and gave them to me, and I took them to Goodman, and gave them all to him. Go Best asked me how much there was. I said one thousand pounds. He . ' I kept them in his hands. and said—. Tell William (Wells) f wilt L give him eight hundred pounds for them." I went bwek to Welch, ' and Garlick, and told them what Goodman had sate. Welch add he would not agree to it, but that lee would take 850 L for them. I Ws.. tinned to Goodman. and told him he :night have the notes for figsw. • I and be =mewled to purchase them ; and he said If we 'nun moo Moe on the foll Owing night at Welch's house he would settle die , shun. We had two boccie,. of sherry at a esteem; and pond. On lie nest evening, at nine o'clock, Garliek tamer le Ear stall in Fleet market, and we went together to Welch's. We ems / so stairs, anti I"eich said that h notes had been ehenvit so t he • Hank, that he did not know the man who changed them, sordid be want to know him ; but the man got all the cutup insavateigpa i~~ ~. ~; ~~ ,S ~~ i ~,; :1 .1 i • .. ..: • t V .1 ~.s . .1 . 1 , . ‘i . ',. I.