The Express.
London, England, 1847-02-08 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8, 1847.

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.
REPEAL OF THE RATR-PAYI NO CLAUSES OF' TIIE RE-
trona Acv.—On Saturday, Mr. George Daniell, at • meet-
ing of the Vestry of St. Marylebone. the Rev. Dr. Spry in
the chair, brought up a return, which bad been moved for, of
the number of persons omitted from the list of borough
voters last year, consequent on the omission to pay the
assessed tun, pour rates, and other onuses, rendered com-
pulsory by the rate-paying clauses of the Reform Act.
The return showed that the number of persons dis-
franchised for non.payment of assessed taxes was 1,032;
for nonpayment of poor's. rates, 334; on account
of rates being compounded for by landlords, 1,448 • ,
and females, 1,950—total number of houses in the panel;
of 101. Mums' value and upwards, 14,017; deduct as'
ineligible to vote on account of being compounded fur, and
being females, 3,398 ; and also deduct disfranchised for non-
payment of poor's-rates, 334—it left the actual number out
of which the 1,032 persons were disfranchised for non-pay-
ment of assessed taxes, as 10,R4S.—Mr. Daniell said, that
by the return he had presented, it appeared that
one in every ten of their fe low rate-payers had been
disfranchised through the operation of the assessed taxes;
but more particularly oa account of the odious window
duties, which he contended government ought to abolish.—
He moved that the return be entered on the minutes.—Mr.
Harbert seconded the resolution, and said the assessed-tax
coil, eters were greatly to blame for so large an amount of
disfranchisement amongst the people.—Mr. Grange, as a
commissioner of *messed taxes, defended the collectors from
the charge of doing all they could to disfranchise the rate-
payers.—Sir Peter Laurie certainly considered the assessed-
tax collectors did not do their duty properly, and he had
himself nearly been a victim to their irregularities. They
all knew that on the day the Queen went to the City, ha (Sir
Peter Laurie) had command of the city cavalry. Her Majesty's
tax-collector had selected that very day to call for the assessed
taxes; and because he (Sir P. Laune) was not there to pay, in a
day or two after he received a notice from Somerset-
house, threatening to put him into the Exchequer.
(Laughter.) He made it his business, however, to go down
and remonstrate with the authorities of the Tax.office and
they hail been very quiet with him ever since. (
hear.) The Vestry Clerk then brought up and read the
report of the delegates appointed as a deputation to Lord
John Russell, with a view to obtain a repeal of the window
duties, which, after enumerating the various districts repre-
sented, and stating the names of the delegates who sccompa-
nied the deputation to the Premier, on the 29th ult., pro-
seeded to Mate that

CLERGY ORPHAN CORPORATION. A general
court of the governors of this institution was held on Satur-
day, at the Freemasons' Tavern, fur the purpose of receiving
the treasurer's statement of amounts, to appoint the officers
of the institution, rod to r lect sin boys and nee girls into the
charity. The Lord Bishop of Barbadoes was nominated to
the chair, and the treasurer having read the statement of
accounts, which was unanimously passed as perfictly satis-
factory, the other business of the meeting was gone through,
after which thanks were voted to the chairman, and the
meeting reparated.
A CHARTIST LEADER IN TROUBLE.—Mr. Stewart,
who wan tried at York with Mr. Feargus O'Connor, is new
in Lincoln gaol, charged with having married Min Caroline
Harrison, of Lincoln, his first wife being alive in Scotland,
whom he married in 1837. _ _

•
REPORTED CHARGE OP NIURDER.—The apprehen-
sion of Captain Kerr, of the barque Lavenside, for running
away front the ship, off. Folkestone, with two caskets of dia-
mond., and other pvcious stones, valued at 3,3001. who
was examination at the Mansion-house, on Wednesday) has
created considerable interest among those connected with
the shipping of the port of London, more particularly on its
being known that government had received notice from the
British Consul at Rio Janeiro, to the effect that the accused
was suspected of having murdered one of the crew while on
the barque's outward passage from England. The Secretary
of State, on the receipt of the communication, gave inetzuo.
tions to the commitsioners of police to institute the necessary
inquiries on the wieet. The principal portion of the crew
were taken before the Crown solicitor, at the Treasury, who
carefully interrogated them, and the subjoined facts were
elicited. The ship, ou her departure from England, took
out a cargo of coals for Patagonia, in order to take on
board guano. On reaching Gibraltar, however, the Cap- 1
tabs violated the instructions of the owners, by disposing of
the coals. and entering into a speculation with a Jew of
that port, to trade with miscellaneous articles to Cadiz
and elsewhere. Two supercargoes were placed on board
the barque •S a temporary protection over the property, the
understanding being that, u soon as she had discharged her
freight at Cadiz, they would be returned to their homes at
Gibraltar, both being married men, and having large fami-
lies. The ship proceeded, as was thought, on a soya.. to
Cadiz ; but for some reasons, after their touching that port,
her course was altered, and she was steered for South Ame-
rica, taking with her the two supercargoes. The men
implored Kerr to set them at liberty when she re-started,
which he peremptorily refused. One of them became an
object of much sympathy, and evinced the deepest grief on
leaving his wife and faintly for so distant a land. At last:he
manifested symptoms of aberration of intellect, and une
night, in a very excited state, he jumped overboard and was
drowned. The ship was brought to, and attempts were
made to save his life, but to no purpose, the unfortunate
man having almost immediately disappeared. It was gaffs-
factorily shown to the Treasury solicitor, that it was the poor
fellow's own act, and that the captain did not throw him
overboard, as described by the other supercargo on his
arrival at Rio Janeiro to the British consul.

(I Dm dsingates appointed hiving elected Mr. G. Daniell as their
chairmen, proceeded to Downing-street, and bad an Interview, by
With Lord John Russel', as First Lord of the Treesury.
derpte ware Introduced by Lord Duman; and to the outset of
the preseallap lard John Russell waa asked by the chairman whe-
ther It was kb wish that they should go over the proofs of the in-
justice, iniquity, and injurious effects of the tan on the health and
morals et the esualry, or whether be would let the subjectrest where It was lett be Sir Robert Peel laid year, with the
admissions et the.. Das ; sill that his lordahip allowed It to rest
them silittlag that my Lord Gorman had proved hi, cue. That
the dakesia litim wended to point out But it is in the highest
&Wu VI Da the poperty of Ireand should oe exempted from
histWeik whisk Odd Great Britain is subjected, whilst, to make
up the alder y, the heemboltless d}helm% an colic' upon for the
additional asestad et Ills most unequal, =just, and impolitic tam
(Loud dielmq.lie dr wed that the eilemptka of Ireland from the pro-
perty awl limegehins, emmeed tams, sal maim duties on carious
articles etre rdesamydes, sad the dregs on the consolidated
tend be Da st hi* es well as the ateorp-
Man et gee et the tithes by the landed
~elm ef sa mak burden upon all
01..44
pnilk=inny wpmllB nearer dames in this country ;
be end y Masted ca as repeal of the windowdan
as allegedly ascemary In mimed= with the sanitary measure which
the iromrsinent were about to inambete; declaring it would lead
to a doubt of their sinewity in rehears be thews mamas, if they
refused to take the me aim*" alp reenamerkd sasealy in the
apart of the many ammbeilea, Mika sement et the t
ministry bed etteehei Oak Emma, ot medlar • het MI
L. health nal resale; nwirks Lord John Rene Oat my realika7
measure set esempended by this repeal, weal he ressedea
merely es a men in the spasm centriduaties lir the yawn et
pationage, and not es Mimed ke the public geed. Oa this -.Wee!
air Benjamin Hall aka the attention of the Premier to the made to
which thh tan acted is plembeee en the defective asminestlen
Me sweets etaiderable number et hams vide&
lib: unmet( la year et this mischomos alba. Mx.
Roebuck, Me. Mostermsm Ur. Pankan, Mr. Hume, De Ley
Evans, and Me. Williams, Me Lard Damen, all supported Os Mews
of the deputation, se did also Man. Walker, Creme, Oman, sad
others, pointing out the aril malts el the tan, and or tits acres-
•ity for its repeal; and Lord John Russell soured the deputation
that the subject should be considered. That he feared that If the
tax should he repealed, OthCll, would he found equally ahnoalous,
but that he would consult his colleamice, and give It his deliberate
conadletstion.

INQUESTB.—SATURDAY.—DEATH IN THE MILL-
BANK Poison.—By Mr. Bedford, in the Millbank prison,
on the body of William Stance Kennett, aged 22. John
Richard Groves, the governor, said that the deceased was
tried and convicted at the Northampton sessions, on the let
of last July, of stealing some wearing apparel, and sen-
tenced to lb years' transportation. He had presioualy been
convicted. He was reared into that prison en the 20th of
July, and he died in the infirmary on the 4th instant. He
had frequently been punished previously to entering the
infirmary. On one occasion he was kept on bread and water
for talking to • prisoner after having been Ml-
timed. On another occasion be was placed in the refrac-
tory ward, and kept there three days on his full rations,
for refusing to work, and threatening to cut his (witness's)
liver out. Oa another occasion he was placed in the refrac-
tory cell, and kept on bread and water for two days, for
refusing to draw his pewter and laughing at the officers.—
By the Coroner The punishment was inflicted by witness,
and the deceased did not complain at that time of illness.—
Wm. Head, one of the warders, said that he had charge of
deceased from the 10th of November to the 13th of December.
On the latter day he placed his name in a book to see the
doctor, and he was then transferred to the infirmary. The
deceased 'entered in good health when he first came under his
charge.— W. Bailey, physician to the prison, said the deceased
had died from consumption.—Verdict Natural Death."—
Reviles! or FORTUNE.—On Friday afternoon, by Mr.
Bedford, at the George, Carey-street, Lincon'a-inn-fi.lds, on
the body of Thomas Rolx rts, aged 65. It speared that the
deceased had for some time past slept in those wretched
casual lodging places in which the inmates are crowded to-
gether in dark unwholesome rooms. He was totally desti-
tute, and apparently friendless. Wednesday last, has land-
lord observing symptoms of dissolution, endeavoured to re-
move him to the King's College Hospital from Wild street,
but the poor man died, during his transit, in Vere.street.
Upon his person heaps cf duplicates, some dated as late as the
31st ult., were found, but not a farthing in money. Mr.
Baker, the beadle, said that having observed the address of
Mr. Virgo, solicitor, on a scrap of paper, in deceased's
pocket, he inquired of Mr. Virgo concerning him, who said
that deceased had been an eminent architect, and possessed
large property in Cheltenham, but of late • reverse of for-
tune unaccountably took place, and he was reduced to desti-
tution. He also stated that his daughter, the widow of a
Corsican officer, enjoyed a pension of 8.51., and lived some-
where in the metropolis. Mr. Stephens, house-eurgeon of
King's College Hospital, having given his evidence respect-
ing the post-mortem examination, a verdict of " Natural
death" was returned; but the jury at the same time ex-
pressed it to be their opinion that want and exposure to the
inclement weather hastened his dissolution.

Kr. Daniell moved that the report be adopted and entered
on the minutes ; and the resolution having been seconded,
was carried unanimously. _ _

ENGLISH lierrlLLEns.—Sir,—The liberal principles
which your paper has always tulloaited, and the candour
you :nice shown in inserting answers t n statements made in
your journal, induces me to stud the following letter, though
opposed to the sentiments expressed in an article in Friday's
paper, upon the subject of British and Colonial spirits. Some
part of those observations apply to the English d,stillers who
are opposing the introduction of the new customs' duty bill.
I wish, therefore, to correct the impression given in your
paper that their opposition is based upon illiberal and selfish
grounds. Now, I conceive the very essence of free trade
doctrines, as applied to this subject, to consist in putting the
distillers' trade of this country upon an equality with the
foreign and colonial, as regards duties and fiscal pressure,
levying such extra duties only upon the foreign and colonial
manufactured spirit as will, as nearly as possible, balance in
money the difficulties and duties inflicted upon the home
manufacture which the former are not subject to. The
excise regulations under which the English distillers work,
occasioning so much waste and expense, are conceived to be
necessary for the collection of so large a duty as 300 per
cent. upon the value of the material; but whenever the
legislature see fit to alter these regulations, so as to relieve
the British distiller of any part of this expensive burden,
the East and \Vest Indies would then be entitled to a corn•
spending reduction of the differential duty. I think you must
acknowledge that you have fallen into an error in referring to
local advantages which the British distiller enjoys, as a set-off
to hislegislative restrictions. The object of every manufacturer
if perfectly unshackled, is to price himself in the most ad.
vantsgeous aituatioa, enabling him to supply the public with
his commodity at the lowest possible cost, and you surely
would not advocate the doctrine of levying an extra duty
upon that individual for the purpose of enabling a worse
situated and more expensive manufacturer to compete with
him. I, therefore, in my calculations throw out of the ques-
tion all considerations of this sort, and apply myself only to
the direct taxation and legislative interference, weighing
upon the English distiller which does not weigh upon the
East and West India colonies. I now proceed to give you
the calculation upon which the English distiller grounds his
claim for a larger differential duty than the 6d. per gallon,
which the new Customs' Duty Bill proposes, and as this bill
is bro4ht into the house under liberal cohorts., I hope you
will assist in preventing the stigma of injustice being attached
to the free trade =mural of the present administration. The
torn-laws not being entirely abolished, I, in the first place,
estimate their enhancement of the price of British spirit at
Id. per gallon. Secondly,—The actual amount of malt duty
which the distiller pays upon the quantity of molt used in
his distillery is equal to lid. per gallon. Thirdly,—The
Excise restrictions are calculated to weigh upon the distiller
to the amount of 4d. per gallon. Fourthly,—The
advantage glean to East and West India rum by
paying the duty upon what goes into consump-
tion, instead of whit is landed in the first iusturce,
is by the returns of the Custom-house within a fraction of
31d. The English distiller, on the contrary, pays his duty
immediately on the production of the spirit; being allowed
nothing for decrease by waste. The excise-ofilcer being
obliged to impose the highest of three gauges taken during
the progress of the manufacture of the distiller's spirit.
Filthly,—The malt distiller is not allowed to complete his
spirit fit for consumption, which he could do at a very little
additional cost, he is obliged by law to send it to the ex-
pensive establishment of the rectifying distiller, where it is
prepared for the market. This additional expense has been
variously estimated by the rectifiers at from id. to Bd., accost
ding to the extent of their establishments. Supposing I
take the medium 6d., and halve this, allowing 3d. for the
difference of completing the spirit for consumption on the
distiller's own premises instead of the rectifiers, the calcula
tion will stand thus:

-- • Par O.U.
Enhasmasat by corn-laws
Malt du*
Allowadiel. Wadi Wank 4 we r ilmeires r bold

—.Tar diners
Legbialhe as Midi -daft set la-
psed sante sad by
dlstlibee
Daseserat °teat by lerielaore la sallkation. ...... 3d.

131 d.
I feel that the foregoing calculation will fall very short
of what many better acquainted with the subject than myself
would estimate the distiller's Weal advantages to amount to.
I am, however, anxious to give you *calculation which will bear
the closest scrutiny even by the advocates of the new bill,
and i feel confident that the above can be fairly and truly
substantiated. Though this letter is exceeding all bounds, I
must give you Oae instance of the pressure of the excise
regulations. The utmost a London distillery is at present
capable of making is 1,000,000 of gallons, but only remove
the single regulation which prevents it from brewing and
distilling at the same time, and the same distillery weld
make 2.000,000 gallons at almost the same expense of iahoar
and no additional expense of premises. This restriction
alone causes the distiller an extra expense of 5000/. or 90001.
alear. Remove all restriction, allow the distiller to use and
mix any material which produces saccharine from any
country duty free, and he is prepared to compete with the
whole world upon equal duties lou blame the distillers for
making common cause with what you call " the fag end of
the old Protectionist party." 11'ow, though I have the
greatest respect for the men and measures of the present
government, I am not so much of a party man as to wish to
sacrifice my own, or I hope anybody else's property, to a
rapidly taken up and 'mistaken notion of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer. I beg to observe that, though I may differ
from the political opinions adopted by Lord George Ben-'
thick, nobody will deny that he is essentially capable of
taking a clear view of a question of this nature, investi-
gating closely the grounds of the calculation so as to detect
any mistake or endeavour to deceive. If such a man can
distinctly and accurately show to the house the error it is
likely to fall into, by adopting the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer s bill, surely you cannot blame parties whose interests
are so deeply concerned as the English distilled are. for
seeking such legitimate interecisioe.—l rennin, yours, Le.
---- . . .

THE LATE. REV. Ma. IfEWLETT.—Sir,-1 wish to
correct an error in your paper of this day. Ina short
notice relating to the affair, of the late Rev. Mr. Hewlett,
you state, " You have learned with much regret that Ws
wife and large family have been left, &c." I beg to
inform you that Mr. 11. had been a widower some }tars, his
wik haying died prior to his going to reside at Starahridge.
This makes the case much worse, his large family, principally
girls, being now left orphans, and, I believe, totally unpro-
ildmi for.—G. D.tria.—Abingelon. Fah.