The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-18 00:00:00

STAMP OFFICE•

• [From the Edinburgh Star.
The 13th and 14th Reports by the Conottiminoers of Inquiry
intp the Collection of the Revenue have holy been printed. Tney
relate to the management of the Stomp-office in London, and seve-
ral alterations are recommended, both iu regard to the constimtion
of the Board and the general establishment of the office. The
greater part of these Reports, however, are devoted to the restia of
a personal inquiry into the conduct of the Chairman, James Sedg-
wick, Esq.—a gentleman no lees distinguielleti for the qualities of
his head and heart, than fur his fearless intrepidity in. the exposure
of corruption, and his Spartan-like independence of character.
On first perusing these Reports we were struck with the unge-
nerous and partial manner in which the examination of several of
the witnesses had been conducted. In feet, the Cobiniimioners'
principal object appeared to us to have been to run down the Chair-
man of the Boatel of Stamps in every possible way ; mei, to obtain
this object, circumstances which appeared to us so trilling in them.
selves, that even an avowed enemy would have srorned in have'
availed himself of them, appeared to blob!: een patiently collected,
and—by dint of twisting inference and insinuation—were made to
supply the place of that direct and positive evidence, which alone
should have been entertained where the character of a gentleman,
holding so respectable a situation, was at stake.
Ignorant as tee were of the private history of the Stamp-office,
we naturally felt considerable surprise at all this : but nor eyes have
been opened to the real state of the case, by a perusal of the series
of letters addressed to 31r. Wallan by Mr. Sedgwiek, tow in
course of publication in the British rms. We shell enact.-
your to give a short abstract of the principal heads of the Re.
port, with Mr. Sedgwick'a explanations. Our limits prevent us
from doing more.
It &preset that Mr. Sedgwick, in 11118, was deputed by the
Treasury to go down to Scotland, for the purpose of inquiring into
the management of the depareneet of Stan,co there. We have not
space for even a short sketch of his (Recoveries in that department ;
' but to such of our readers as admire the tinion of brilliant wit with
shrewd and sarcastic observation, we recommend warmly a perusal
of Mr. Sedgivick's four letters to Mr. Bindley, lately published. in
the British Press. They contain a graphic and a correct description
of the state of the Stamp-office at that time, and such an exposure
41,4111maaklam been our lot to peruse. Upon Mr. Sedewiek's re-
Zirell London, the Board, on his representation, Stiefetillea one
Yaw no more, and several improvements in the Office were
contemplated, which, eventually, might have affected others.—
From that moment the influential party in Scotland, the Dundasses,
the Melville., "et/megrims °nine," who have for so long a period
fattened on the vitals of our country, employed their rhole influence
to oppose his recommendations, anti to thwart his views ; and by
the influence of this party. the officer who had been suspended was
restored to his office, and Mr. Sedgwiek's plans for the improve-
ment of the revenue were completely frustrated.
At the bead of the present Commission stands the Hon. Thomas
Wallace, M.P.. a meter of the Melville family, and who is indebted
foe the situation he.enjoya entirely to their influence. It is not at
all to be wondered at, therefore, that he should ham brought a
prejudiced mind and a biassed judgment teethe ipvestigation which
he was charged to conduct. We say unhesitatingly. Mat Mr. Wal-
lace ought not to have been at the head of the Commission appointed
to inquire into the management of the Stamp Office. His feelings
and prejudices, it is only natural to suppose, were enlisted on the
side of those whom his friends had been in the custom of sup-
porting; and every one knows how difficult it is for even the best of
men to act honestly and impartially in a matter, where, from
eat ly impressions or associations, their minds have received a par.
ticutar bias. Accordingly, as was to be expected, the Commis-
donee( left Scotland, already prejudiced against the Stamp Board.
" In the course of their detailed exert:infidel) in Scotland (say they),
which preceded that in England. it came in evidence before them,
that various repreeentations made by officers there, with a view to
the better collection of the revenue, had not received that attention
from the Chief Office to which they appeared entitled : and that
therefore it became necessary to give to their examination a cha.
racier more personal, as well as to put to the subordinate officers
questions more pointedly to the official habits and conduct of their,
superiors titan under other circumstances they would hare thought
advisable."
All this information, which induced the Commissioners, let it be
recollected, to give their inquiries so much of a perramal character,
was received From the very officers whose proceetliugs form the lead-
ing subject of that cerrespondence with Mr. Bindiey already re-
ferred to, and who, of all others, had a direct interest in attempting
to throw reflections on the Board, and more particularly on the gen-
tlemen who had the honour to preside Mere.
Acting, however, on the mere ipee di tit of these officers, it Is
almost ludicrous to perceive the nervous anxiety displayed by*,
Commissioners to support the good Scotch folks, at the expel.. if
the Board in London. The poor Secretary is potted mose
in order to click from him what was the nature of these comma.
nitations, which did not le ceive the attention they merited; and alter
all these intended home thrusts, what, after all, is elicited from
him ? why simply nothing more than that he had recollected of sere..
cal applications from the Scotch office for an additional porter—
that the Chairman had opposed theme applications, and had stated
that " be considered it to be a job, and therefore would not armadera
It." Really this beats the old storyeif the parturient misantahl
, Was this the amount of the information which Induced
the Commissioners to give their inquiries ssi much of a personal
ebarecter, or ware the Commissioner humbugged by the canny
Smockmaes t. Ws abesilil *le like, te.kaot 'baba thaikrhile-
mistier& after the Chairman • declaration, that the appointment of
the additional porter was a Scotch job, ever considered it necessary
to inquite whether a second porter was absolutely necessary or not.
We venture to say, had they done so, and given to their inquiries
ea much of a personal character as they considered it proper to do
in another case, they would have found that the Chairman's deslg.
nation of the transaction in question, though it may sound harshly
in some ears, was ready the correct one. So much for the impor-
tant communications which did not receive the attention they me.
cited. [To be continuetlei

LATE MURDERS AT FETCHAM.

In the account which appeared in this Paper of yester-
day, relative to the murders committed near Leathethead,
it was stated that three officers belonging to Union-hall
police-office bad been despatched into the counvy in dif-
ferent directions, on receipt of the Rev. Mr. Bolland's let-
ter, for the purpose of tracing the route of Mary Ayres (the
grand-daughter of the deceased John Alcetwist)' and her
paramour, both of whom, it will be remembered, together
with two other persons, were seen in the hrimediOte neigh-
bourhood where the murders were perpetrated, on the en-
suing morning, at an early hour. From the testimony of
seine labouring men, who gave intimation of the circum-
stances to the Rev. Mr. I3olland, it appeared that the before-
mentioned persons were seen driving donkeys towards Esher
in Surrey. Agreeably to thia information it was decided that
the chief constable should proceed without delay to Brent-
wood, in :Eaaex, tis the fair bad commenced on that day,
and as the suspected persons were known to he in the habit
of frequenting them. Mr. Ball soon arrived at his destine.
don, and immediately commenced a search through the
fair, and throughout the town : the whole of the lodging-
houses there resorted to by the lower classes were minutely
examined, but he could not pin the slightest intelligence
of the persons he wanted. The chief eonstablc then
crossed the country and visited another village, at which a
wake was holding, but he had as little success here as at
Brentwood, ind after having distributed handbills, describ-
ing the murders, through the whole line of country which
he passed, he returned to town yesterday, about two o'clock,
and quitted it again almost immediately, for the purpose
of proceeding in another direction, with great hopes of suc-
ceeding in the apprehension of the suspected persons.
Pople, the officer, who also set out on the same day with
the chief bonitable, proceeded with all haste to Farning-
ham, in Kent, where a fair had then commenced. lie
also thoroughly examined the fair,. and he could discorer
no persons there answering the description of those whom
he was looking after, although he saw a great number of
" tramper*" (Maty Ayres and her paramour are ttampers),
who had crossed the country to Farningham from Lea-
therhead.for the purpose of attending the fair in the former
place. Pople, finding there was no clue by which he could
trace them in that direction, returned to town yesterday
morning, when he related that a robbery had been com-
mitted in the Lion public-house at Farnitighant, where he
had taken up his quarters for the night. The thieves, it
appeared, broke into the house after the family and lodgers
bed retired to bed, and possessed themselves of the whole
stock of eatables, consisting of boiled and roast meat, cheese,
butter, and eggs, which the landlord had laid in a good
stock of, to meet the appetites of his customers during the
fair.
Very shortly after Pople 's arrival in town he wet de-
spatched in another direction after the persons who are
suspected of having been implicated in the dreadful scenes
that weltered at Fetchain. Groesmith, also, who left
town Mt the receipt of the Rev. Mr. Holland s letter, fur
the —.lse of proceeding into the neighbourhood where
1 persons were - immediately subsequent t'
has not v'

tiny man a ociasuamcy .- ---,. --- -.--.-•-..,”--....,:_..___-..-- .be u........ mg into tiie net wnere -- ....c.c. am snmaau ma sum w mut. wujr ar...i. ..• --.•—: —.7 ...
staple peogoetlens, and hum seraimeas imminealkillEtrien 1. p • r---- 01 PelMeed .
afoutimuded.
oruponfaisethaeoodeTtents of the hies is his hand, which was
ediatel bseq pamp
polities' eersonsi are in forweiedeeldlestanilskolls . the suspebted persons were seen trnm y sts uent to
Suppose the General Goverment* wore te Massa a the rat tiers, has not yet returned to town.
a dollar we a dollar and their headen........wee N
..u.
....._.to
loan it it ler =ln; '4li-14.: t".."".. 9 ..... ..... the man with whom she cohabits, will be in custody ins- Company pariah of a swiodliog character. (Laughter asd.hisses.l
Sanguine eipectations are entertained that Ayres, and
cording tit °a . qtatealla illada
meat should4apdropriats the ma M labour, Am- medialelY•
Mil.
semewewsnisiemees. phictbfr.oltiror
pi:ofit.ariitlelohne did net nievtinmaelers.an someone
kadrey tenhelyidsaidea that
that the
He was willing, however, to retract the expression. (Hisses.) n,
perceived that it was apt their wish to bear him, and he would
provemen canals, railwa_ys, . • . . , .eogiook. • i. therefore sit cloys.
net yof all k s ore=oda dais ~..- .. imiri, • lta, On Saturday last, at Penney, the officers of the ggd +
Garatursics Mulled the PiolnietY df• Pdadat the pep-
-1 consequence ? ' • . - ir et: regiment gave a farewell flintier to Lieutenant-Colooel .. . .....
-•-
mined to your ennilli i ' a . • * Fleming, on his promotion and departure from that corps, Piorarzsoa said that it was wwiew. do sof as lba deed it,.
your attention to this ashisst. locos.
in which he 'erred twenty-six years. self had not Oleo Piloted-
! Yesterday, gentlemanOf the mite of GIME'', red- • A flock of 250 rams and ewes, of the pure Letiontar, ilr. Pecans aoggested that it wonld fieleitter to leave a eoPY.
dent.near ltrenatiixl , was thrown from him 'horse and killed breed, were landed at Dieppe a few days ago from Ragland: ftitheogen at pthes °6etege:l::ll6fl:7:airit. 7. add
'has" "Parkt..
on the spot, not far from his residence. We ere wry to They are destined for the environs of Venailkil anti the Thi„ was mutually agreed to.
hear he has left a widow awl a very 'IMMO fell*. Boyal domain of Grignon. - A Fantails on proposed a vote of Amok, N'be Quemisee,
. ~
.- , •

awl. in doing so. said that he was hippy that their Report of that
Jay had the effect of removing the odium from an individual
tiorgvd with extravagant expenditure. It took sway the effect of
. many observattons which upon a former occasion the Committee had
d•rnicd it their duty to address to the Proprietors.
'Pile Resolution was unanimously agreed to.
Pavair: it retorted thinks upon the part of the Committee.
rtOPRIETOR propelled that another raonth should be al-
o. t to those persons who had pelt] W!. upon their shares, to en-
„ 'gem to pay the lair call of •2L
f-Itt:ARF.a said that he had consulted the Solici•ors to .he
and they advised that it was not competent for the
Iretvorscir the Proptie.ora to entertain the ques.loo.
A PRO►RIETOR proposed a vote of thanks to the Directors for
their faithful scour to the (:ompany, which was unanimously
carded ; after which the Meeting adjourned.