The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-25 00:00:00

cuItPoRATION COMMISSION.
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The l'oromiwioners met yesterday, Mr. Laboul
ebese is the chair.
istetuit, one representing the oyster trade, sad
h„ the vestry of liaryleboue, attended before the
ge
cesps.os yester.lay.
50. st Bibb. and Mr. Alston haying bees sworn on
the depetAtion of the oyster trade, proceeded to
tit fu; 't
✓At the dertutat,eu represeuted the oyster Mods of
Lcl,r, sad several oyster companies in Kest and EMI.
omen came principally from Colchester, Que.}
hurt Whasteble, Farnham, sad Malmo. The pria-
aiopter somp,hi.s were in Kent and Rees'. The value
tithe trade in London, which extended only over a portion
two pm, wee ,tr,uttet , and the grievacoes of which they
,complain referred to the metage, porting*, and
dos, Mr. Alstou alone sent up between 40,000 sad
7.000 wow, or oysters, the meows charge on which was
boo II& to lid. per bushel. The duty paid by bin
esointel to about SOUL The duty levied on the whole
tu„re was about 3,0001. The charge for portsregs
wove per srors. The trade understood that
tut was to be the charge, sad that the pub.
woe to pay nothing, but the meters made
tee pubqe pay as well as the trade. If left to them.
rlm the charge would be diminished by oae-half. Rail.
beeee mon paid no duty. But oysters brought in boats
ps.d il. fee moue, 41. fur porterage., and an additional
, to get tatea up to the market by porters nein.
the charge of B'. per score to the trade, the public
wen also mAtt to pay far metage and porterage,. Fur
ar Mt, it a poor person CSOIO to bay a bullet of oysters,
le 0,44 t fay a penny for memorial' them, and a penny for
pingttthere us shor, all of which he could do for himself
if allowed.
J rettesan—lf the servant of the seller:Nem
armed to WE tore the oysters, what protection would the

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Myer lam ?
Mt Gibbs—He could be present to see them measured ;
sail donut hai.pcned that the meter gave the buyer more
ty,,a so right measure for as indoeseseat.
Chairman—liow is the oyster trade in ether towns
aisqfd
!,tees—There is nothing in other towns, to our know_
we. plaid,/ to what takes place is Leadow.:,The sense.
clout le that there is a great obstraetion to the trade.
TUN arc circumstances which render it more convenient
to brim cider, by ship rather than rail, although in the
leo/ cam the oysters would pay no duty. Then is ano-
ther cireaniciaam iaiarioualy affecting the trade, namely,
that every venal his to pay 2s. to the Marine Society,
elm ohm is is Bithopegate-street.
The Chairman.—ls that misty comaseted with the co,-
p Mr
orthole
Csibbe-1 believe est. It is is eaisteeas only two or
Uwe years, sad we could aver ascertain why it is we are
ailed on to pay this tax. There are from 1,000 to 13,000
4'o:a Kasen *raised annually from the oyster fishery alone.
The corporation aft desirous, I believe, of remedying the
gravure of which we complain, bat they say it is not in
their mere/.
The deputation then withdrew.
The liaryleboue depilation were this called, sad hdr.
Cloned 13,orge and Mr. Thos. represented their
go. )Ir. time stated that they were deputed from the
Marylebeas vestry to represent the Omar* M the pariah
tf Natileboee arising from the tax on seal, mad the tee es
emu utensil the City of Losdoo. The ammat of the coal
at levied al the people of Merylebem am aated to about
11,000/., so porticos of which was sprat is the parish. The
at fell with peculiar hardship cm the poor. It we 501. a
pie on the coal conaumed in the public baths and wash-
Imes The respectable inhabitants would rather pay an
oprosemeat rate than have the poor of the whole of
Lead. a laud in their coals. Their view was, that the bd.
;tr ton levied for the exclusive basalt of London aloe.
rtou'al at once be abolished, and that the remaining 84.
'weld be allowed to lapse by time, which they calculated
r would do is 18:4. - .

The Chairman—Do you agree with one of the witnesses
who said that it would be well to anticipate the time when
tie deity would expire, and substitute a general improve-
aunt tax in lieu thereof /
George—l think a general improvement rate, com-
busd with representation of the tax-payers, would be right.
No portion of the tnx has been expended in llarylabons.
Mr. Lewis—But don't you think 311ml/dm* has bene-
tui by New Oxford-street ?
Me. George—The new maga brought over the thorough-
fire has cost us thousands. Poor persons were dislodged
from their habitations, and they made their way as they
meld into the neighbouring districts.
Mr. Lewin—How would you propose to raise funds for
the building of bridges over the Thames, or widening the
greet thoroughfares of the town
Mr. George—lt it was made to appear that the improve-
ment was a metropolitan one,by a rate on the whole metro-
** but if for a particular locality, the inhabitants of the
kality should tax themselves for the improvement. With
maid to the tax on carts entering the city, it was ex
tersely inconvenient and unfair. The pavement of Mary-
loons, which extends to fifty miles of carriage way, is most
extensively used by the traffic on railways, yet we ask for
xi tan. We say live and let live.
Mr. Lewis—Can you give us any opinion es to the feeling
of the inhabitants of Marylebone regarding its relation to
He City ?
Mr. George said that be did not wish to speak as that
rsbject as the representative of the vestry. But if there
was to be a casual board the lees it retained of its former
name sad character the better; and the mere likely would
it be that men of a superior class would join it. There were
gentlemen i• the Marylebone, vestry who would not like
to be called common councilmen or aldermen. Marylebone
we, ander Hobbosse's Act, and its ;vestry was in fact •
had of maaisipality. Its vestry was well attended, and
the duties well performed.
Mr. Lewie—Do yea think the parish of blarylebons is
anions for iacorperation ?

Mr. D'iffesger —I Walt they an. They ben not here-
tofore applied for lareeperatien basun of the expease.
Mr. Lewis—Do they wish to be hatorperated es the pa:-
Wintery ►orough of Maryleboas
Mr. D'lffaeger-1 think they weeld rather be laeorpo-
rated separately, as the perish of Marylebase. The pops-
latioa of Loudon is 129,000; theta Ilaryleboae 157,629; of
Paddington, 46,303 ; el St. Yemens, 104966. The parish
of M►rylsboee aloe. has a larger pripalatiom than the City
ofLoadoit, whin has a separate corporatism:

Ms. Lewis—Do yam tink the parochial holing Is es
stung that it would lead the inhabitaate to :abject to UNI
imoeporation of the three parishes as ens 'separation ?
Mr. D'lltaispr—l deal think it is; bat I thigh they
weld peen to be separately ismorporated. If the:wkoke
metropolis were divided into sathicipalities, with a °astral
hard, contsiaing the principle of npseseutatios, I think
it would be more desirable that sack a board should have
the power of taxing for general improvements.
Mr. George expressed his opinion that It would be MOTO
adr sable to make the provisions of Hotthouse's hat ewe-
pulsory on all the parishes, mad to combine therewith a
astral authority for geneni purposes. In the use of
null parishes, they could be grouped together. They bad
sew lugs powers for the local managument of ilarylabosei
sad they were afraid they might lose the. if united with
3ther parishes. _ _

]lr. Hodges expired his opinion is (avow of a con-
tate corporation of the three perishes Cl the portionsetary
twoigli of 3f arylobems, is prefimesee either to separate
ilowporatism, sr to rensathlag as they wore at present.
The depilation them withdrew.
Hr. John =ammo said —I am a whartlager, and am aware
that peat inemovesience arises from practices which, how-
ever they may have been useful what first enforced, are
sat suited to the present tints. Porterage and nature an
iome of these practices. la the ease of auto, the bap fre-
',neatly cheap heads as 6d. par bag relit. The porterage
oa that is 2d., and the metage another 2d. Consequently,
forrignen, especially Spaaiards, are reluctant to sand
goods of this 'wad to the port of Loudon. I thick that
these duties could be does for half, if those privileges
were abolished. The importer is oleo subject to great
delay. This expense and delay act detrimentally to the
trait trade of Losdoa. Metage applies only to ants,
apples, sad onions. The atop is not the least protection
to the importer or to the purchaser. I Wok metege
should not exist at all ; and the porterage is too ozoneive
by one half. I think the City gauger a very useful
officer. H. is the general refers, in the moo of wises
sod oils. His charges are very moderato, and his duties
are very bonehead.
The Chairman—Do you wish to say anything of the frail
porter' ?
Wiener—They consist of 40 men, who are of course not
sufficient to perform the duties. They have, therefore, a
set of dependants and supernumeraries, who alone perform
the duty. They have the right of entering the ship, and
no ono an order them to be removed, although you know
that their object is plunder. The eorporatioa seems to
have De power over these men. 1 do sot know who has,
though I have frequently tried to ascertain. The police
will not interfere, unless you give one of them is custody.