The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-15 00:00:00

EXONIENSIS.

Among the on-fits of the day, it is positively stated that
the Lord Chief Baron Alexander will be appointed
Deputy
Speaker in the House of Lords, but not elevated to the
Peerage ; that Sir C. Wetherell will Otimately succeed
to the Chief Baronship and that Mr. Tindal, after filling
the office of Attorney-General for a year, will be advanced
to " the Seals" in Ireland.
DOCHTFUI. ACCIDEN r.—Captain Christopherson left
'
his home on Saturday evening, about eight o clock, and
not returning, search was made, and after some time he
was found in the Brunswick Dock, drowned, hia waistcoat
loose, and not any watch or money upon him. Some
suppose he may have been murdered, robbed, and thrown
in.)

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LETTER THE SECOND
TIOX
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF STAMPS

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE T. WALLACE.

St a—lf I resume my pen thus early, it is because the
nature of the attack upon my official character contained in
your Parliamentary Reports makes it dangerous, as welt
as imprudent, that I should sleep upon my shield. I come
before the tribunal of public opinion to plead in arrest of
judgment. lam my own advocate. The office is one of
great delicacy; but I have no want of materials—my proofs
lie on every side of me, and the only pain I feel arises from
the necessity of producing them.
The manifest result of your Report is to induce Paths-
meta and the country to believe that I am unworthy a
situation which I inadequately fill, and the duties of
which I have unfaithfully discharged. ltfy intent and
purpose is to repel this imputation by direct and decisive
evidence, and to show that my conduct as Chairman of the
Stamp Board has been the reverse of that, which, upon the
face of your Report, it is made to appear. With reference
to the contents of my letter to you of Saturday last, I shall
now go on to show, and to prove, that I employed myself
in combating, under every discouragement, that system of
fraud and abuse in Scotland, which, had it existed here,
the Stamp Revenue must have inevitably sunk under it,
and that, by that very same influence which rendered all my
ettbets to reform those abuses abortive, they are upheld to
this hour. I speak of course with the exception of the
Legacy Department, which was taken from the hands of
Mr. Bremner, and a new officer crated in the person of the
MOM Solicitor.

" Dumbreck Dote!.
"31T DES I Mil. BflrfaltY,—l Sent off a long letter to the
Tatum, by yesterday's post. 31r. Bremner and Mt. l'inder are
a Taverna! convolution ; in fact, the whole office, from the Head
Distributer downwards, Clerk* included, act in concert t this is not
to be wondered at, or
the heads of each office I tind to be con-
netted by blood, or marriage. How their appointments have
been brought about I don't know, but they seem. as far as I
can lam. to be all birds of the same nest. I have been looking
out the Reports of iVaddell, the Riding Inspector; lie appears to
be so honest man, and to have sent a faithful account of the frauds
he di,covered from time to time, to 3lr. Bremner. in his different
vervings; but the latter treats them as waste paper, and poor
Widish complains bitterly of his neglect. To defraud the revenue
pos toe a slight offence with the most scrupulous of our brethren
on this side the Tweed, and they have beer, so long suffered to 1.
evade the duties with impunity, that I almost despair of bringing 1
them round again.
"As to the purchase of a Stamp Office, it no sooner got wind
that I we. commissioned by the Treasury to nuke such a purchase
than Sir John Alarjoeibanks, who has made lately a speculation
by buying a plot of ground at the end of Princes-street. and who,
I uadustand, has already got a contract with Government to built:
the New Post Office upon it. hi eager to have a Stamp Office built
there also, though building is. with us, quite out of the question ;
bat 1 find all the borough influence is at work, as you will per-
:nye from the following detail. Sir W. Conyngham applied to
as. offering to part with his house in Queen-street, which he seems
eery doisous to dispose of. I went, at his earnest desire, to look
sit, and it appeared to me that it might serve very well for the
pa:poses but I found that Lord Duncan and his family, who re-
sided In it, had taken it resdpfurnished for foot years, subject to re.
tidal a gotta local; within that perto I the house to be sold. They
haver-sided in it two years, and it seemed to me that it would be
income, under these circumstances, to enter into any contract far
the purchase, however eligible, without first communicating with
the vire• in possassion. and giving them the refusal of the purchase
at tie ',nee it was offered at ; 1 therefore wrote the following letter
to Lard Duncan t—
"' Dombreek's Hotel, Thursday Morning.
"' My Lord—l really feel considerable difficulty in opening
try aeration with Sir IV. ('onyngham on the subject of this
louse in queenottreet, inasmuch as it may possibly subject Lady
I Duncan and yourself to an inconvenience, of which I should be
very unwillingly the occasion. To treat for the purchase of a house in
Ouch a funny is peernatiendy resident, even though such residence
nay. under certain eireunistsaces, he lioble to discontinuance, has so
mach the air of a •ransactian that would not, perhaps, be warranted
by tbe ordinary nth sof cminesy in prieste life, that I owe an apology
to row Lordship fur meditating such; a treaty. 1 have, however,
rat yet made any ammific offre to Ede William Conyngham, and be.
le! I proceed to do so, I should be glad to have some personal
rs.unication with your Lordship en the subject, In order that
141
air accommodation may, as much as possible, regulate the terms
t noir be previously entered into, in the event of any purchase
:Le part la Government being concluded.
'•' I have the honour to be, my Lord,
•'• Your Lordship's most obedient servant,
" • JAMES S EDO 'A IC K."
.. I was aware that Sir John Marjoribanks WAS setting every
hurl at work ; anti the rumour that I was about to conclude a
nity with sir W. Conynghain has rut Iris auxiliaries here on the
,i. as you will perceive front the following authoritative note re-
eed since my last, which no doubt was intended to set the affair

bar,
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rest:—
" 'The Lord Provost presents compliments to Mr. Sedgwick—
Is has just learned that a treaty is on foot to remove the Stamp
ihfiee to Quecn,treet. If this information be correct, he conceives
to be a very inconvenient situation, and wi:l therefore feel it his
"io oppose it.
City Chambers, April 10.' "
" This curious note came without even the formality of an en- I
rrispe, ard without any official seal, aid, in short, wholly un-
imed by the dignity of office. Unwilling to keep his Lordship
•uspense as to the effect which his magisterial intimation had
dived, I instantly took up my pen, and forwarded the following
- reply
" ' Mr. Sedgwick presents his compliments to the Lord Provost,
d is somewhat surprised at the oncerenionial conciseness of the
At which he has the honour to rtc.rive from him on ths subject of
to sly stitch he has been informed is on foot fur the removal of
s!•onp Office to Queen-street. Mr. Scdgwick has only to say
rrply, that he is extremely indifferent to any opposition which
Lordship may feel it his duty to exert on the occasion ; but
o,hl the peal adverted to not be concluded—which Mr. Sedg,
thinks is very possible—he begs his Lordship will ascribe
to event only to the Board of Stamps finding better accommo-
• a elsewhere, and not to any obstacle created by his Lordship's
ert .rence.
" 'Humbreck's Hotel, April 10, 18113. "

Mont ten o'clock in the wining came the following, in an erne.
61"4 with the seal of the City Anna, that no official importance
:eigh: be wanting.—
" The Lord Provost presents compliments to Mr. Sedgwick,
• 1 wgr.ts that the conciseness of the card he hail the honour to
Wm should hare been consiutered uncerenionial ; if it has
'red to him the smallest uneasiness, such, he does assure him,
46 foreign to the Lord Provost's intention. Ile had received in.
riceisn that a treaty was going forward to purchase a house in
ga,uisstreet, fur the purpose of converting it into a Stamp Office;
conceiving a situation so remote from the centre of the city
soukl prove very inconvenient to the inhabitants, he felt it to be his
duty to .ddress 31r. ,edgwick for intormation, and at once to state
his objection to it. It may, perhaps, be quite correct, that if the
treaty is 'ascended or abandoned, such will not be owing to any in.
I"enee 013 the part of the Lord Provost ; that, however, is of very
dr enrucquenee, provided .hat the result terminate in this, and a
"6661 more eligible is lilted on ; but, with every posrible respect
Mr. bedgwick`a opinion, the Lord Provost has uniformly found,
4it in every application or representation made by the 3lagistrates
a great community, upon either an actual or alleged inconveni-
re 10 that community, and when the interest of the Revenue is not
suffer, Government uniformly receives such a ith that attention
ntrii a parent pays to the respectful representaiiion of a child, and
et in the present instance the same feeling would be expe-
• ee•A

' City Chambers, 10th April, 1818:
" I !tuned from Mr. I)umbreck that a klr. Johnson. a Member
(the Town Council, had been with him, to learn if any treaty was
fJot for his hotel, intimating that he would be very Imprudent
'part with it at the price lie set upon it, which was much too low,
Ed that at any rate he ought not to ask or lake less than 12,0001.
thieh terms it was of couree conceived 1 should decline); but
Dumbreek said he had fixed his price if he sold. that he did
at mean to ask more, and he could not take less. You see how
romo,zr matters in this part of the world. Heaven defend us !
raid up this hastily that I may not lose the post ; and with the
at saliva to the Board, btlieve me, my dear Sir.
" Yours, faithfully,
"JAMES SEDGWICK."
" Stamp Office, London, May 4, 1818.
" My dear Mr. Sedgwielt,
" At I recollect Dr. Johnson's observation, that wherever
i man saps he would wish to brrukfosl, in Scotland,' I cannot
tar myself that even my honeyed lines can give any additional
eveitit to your morning's repast. You may believe that 1 am
rreallY relieved by your parquet just now received, by hearing
Mt feel yourself somewhat better. By the time you open this,
hope you will have found yourself very considerably better—
'Aced well enough to proceed on your intended progress, which
till give great pleasure to all your friends here, who heard,
Silt much concern, of your being so very unwell as your last
ivAir,o plainly indicated. It was quite kind of you, under such
!turnstantres, to write to me at all. We are very sensible of
'e ter) anxious and laborious inquiry you are pursuing—the
cure of which, under the discouragemenu and impediments we
now you have, and will continue to meet with, as you search after
IE real truth of things, disguised and fortified as they are by the

craft of those you have to deal *ith, necessarily involves matter of
difficult and delicate arrangement. It was indeed high time that a
close and correct revision should be made of the state of our Reve-
nue in Scotland, and the character and conduct of the several Offi-
cers who have the management of It there ; and I trust, from the
minute view you have taken of the whole, that it will not be too
lute to effect en Improvement in it, which it seems so much to re-
quite. The facts of mismanagement in the different departments
you hare looked into, and which you have, no doubt, stated strongly
to the Treasury, will, I hope, urge Mr. Vacisittart to act with vi-
gour and decision in effecting the necessary regulations respecting
the Legacy Duty in particular, where the great mass of negligence
and collusion seems to have accumulated to the most offensive de-
gree. The papers you have transmitted to us for examinmion and
opinion you may be sure will be immediately attended to, and re.
turned to you in due time; but I would not delay writing to you on
that account, as they will require time and consideration.
" We think the 1111111CrW/Ten that have already been made use of,
and will, we doubt not, be continued, to interrupt our purchase of
a proper office for our service, are very mean, and discreditable to
the parties who could resort to them, in so barefaced a manner, for
private and sinister purposes; but I trust you will have more
weight with the Treasury, from the representations you have to
make, than any influence which they can muster up, to interrupt
and counteract us. lam glad that ymt concur so heartily in opinion
with us, on the matt point of not Wieling.; it would certainly be a
very unnecessary ex peridi,ure of the public money; and we hope you
have received such encouragement from the Treasury, as will en-
able you to settle something about it before you leave Edinburgh.
The Lord Provost certainly wax very abrupt in his communication
to you, and though he had the last word, he did not get much by
his interference in the matter ; your answer was sharp, hut, in.
deed, his manner of address was provoking, and he brought it
upon himself. . . . . .

" Mr. Dumbreck appears to have acted openly and fairly, and
the early possession that is offered us will be very advent:,
germs, as the necessary alterations may be set about as soon as we
can get hold of it. Our last remittance from Scotland was a very
good one indeed ; whether this was done to obtain favour in your
eyes. or from something of consciousness or compunction in the
gentlemen managers there, I shall not take upon me to determine.
We hope you have thoroughly examined into the proposed addition
to the establishment, in the person of a Distributor for Leith, a pe-
tition for which is now before us, on reference from the Treasury.
Mr. Toed and 31r. Somerville, from Edinburgh, have been with
31r.eamphell, and have told him many things about Bremner, and
the Legacy Duty, but an they have seen you also, there can be no.
thing more to communicate.
‘• We are all astonished at the malversation that has so long
taken place in the management of the public business in our Scotch
department, and feel the great necessity and importance of the in.
spection now going on, and of a revision and correction of the pre-
sent system, which seems to centre in self-interest and irregular

accommodation*. The family alliance must be broken, and we
dope, as the Treasury have instituted the inquiry, they will not be
diverted from the object of it—a general reform. I must now bid
you farewell; the Board unite in best wishes for your recovery
with, Dear sir,

" Yours, very sincerely,
" JAMES BINDLEY."
"Stamp-office, London, May 21,1818.
" My dear Mr. Sedgwick —I did not answer your last letter,
as it gave us hopes of your being soon after it ; and, having no-
thing particular to say, I thought it would be hard to ask any
more questions, or suggest any more inquiries shout the office of
Edinburgh, and the business dependent upon it, when you had
already had so much trouble and fatigue about it. Having since
understood that you had met with tin unexpected delay in setting
your face homewards, in consequence .of fresh matter that had
arisen for your further investigation, 1 wotiM not orris sending
you a line, to say that I hope you are well, and not absolutely
worn out with the difficulties you have met with in pursuing
the object of your journey into Scotland. The enclosed, which
was left last evening, furnishes me with an additional reason
for writing. We lately received a Memorial, complaining of
the great delay and neglect of Mr. Bremner, in a Legacy Cass,
upon which we wrote immediately to him to send for the
parties, and settle the business directly. Before this you will
have received this Memorial, which we thought it right you
should see while upon the spot : and I have merely noticed
it to you, that Bremner should not smuggle the matter
up, without speaking of it to you. Ido nor question your
opinion as to the extent of our loss on the Stamp Duties in North
Britain ; both because you had made inquity after them, and had,
therefore, good grounds for what you said on the subject, and I
only spoke my hopes that the people in our confidence had not been
such worthless stewards as I now fear they will turn out to be.
We have heard nothing from the Treasury respecting Sir John Mar-
-1 joribanks' offer, or relating at till to die providing st new office.
They very properly wait for your Report, and personal information
concerning it; but I do hope they will take the matter up in ear-
nest, as nothing can be worse, in every respect, than the one we
have at present. I have nothing to add, but the kind wishes of the
Board for your safe return to its, and that

"I am, my dear Mr. Sedgwick,
" Your., very sincerely,
" JAMES BINDLEV."

I would appeal to this official correspondence, which
was never meant to see the light, to repel the charge
which your Reports throughout take such marked pains
to convey, that I have been unfaithful to my public duty.
I ark a verdict on this evidence only as far as it goes. I
have abundant testimony, still stronger and more demon-
strative, behind.

I had, be it remembered, to conduct my inquiry into
the Stamp system of Revenue in Scotland unaided, and
to contend singly against the giant strength of that poner
which atarted out upon me in every step of my progress.
The space to which I am necessarily limited precludes
me from entering into detail on the harassment which I
underwent ; that it was of no light kind may be collected
from the following !sae!, which I had occasion to write to
Lord Ga.r.rsrut.s SOMERSET, cne of the Lords of his
Majesty's Treasury, and to which I only advert, that I
may not leave my assertion unsupported:—

" Somerset-House, July 7, 1819.
"MY LORD-1 have read through the Supplementary Memorial
of Mr. Bremner. His obvious aim, in this, as in his former
answer, is, to draw off the attention of the Treasury from the true
causes which led to his suspension, and to lead it to points which
had no sort of influence in producing it, and then arguing upon
them as if they were the insullicient and unjustifiable occasion of it.
I shall certainly not trouble your Lordship with any derailed din-
cossion of this document ; indeed, were I to do so, I should only
promote Mr. Bremner's object, by contributing to withdraw the at.
tention of the Lords of the Treasury from the strong statement of
facts which the Board have placed under their consideration, and to
divert it to occurrences of no relative importance.
" With respect to the settlement of Colonel Lemo-rs business,
which is gone into with so much prolixity of detail, there was no
charge of delay in this particular case against Mr. Bremner, which
called for this parade of exculpation. I took the papers connected
with this case to London, most certainly, as I did the papers in the
other cases adverted to; but the reason that Mr. Campbell, to
whose official examination they were submitted, did not return
them, was this—it was daily expected, from the communications
which had been made to the Treasury. that sonic step would be
taken respecting the removal of Mr. Bremner; besides which, it
would have been more peculiarly injudicious, at such a crisis, to
have consigned to Mr. Bremner the settlement of a business, which,
upon the face of the accounts themselves, which are in Mr. Camp-
' bell's office, and can he at any time produced, he had manifested an
ignorance, which showed him utterly incompetent to the manage-
ment of it. _ _

•• Permit me, my Lord, before I conclude this, to add, that, if'
the endeavour of any Public Board to discharge conscientiously its
duty to the Public, by the removal of a notoriously unworthy
officer, is to occasion as mach personal harassment, and as much
interruption to his official business, as this atriir of Mr.Bremnes has
occasioned to me, no man, in future, who values his own quiet,
will easily be induced to rescue the Revenue from abuses,
however gross, or to relieve it from mismanagement, however

corrupt.
I have the honour to subscribe myself, my Lord,
" Your Lordship's most obedient and faithful Servant,
" Jasfs:s SEIR.WICK•

" Lord Granville Somerset, &c. &c. &e."
I am unwilling to press too long at once on the attention
of the public. In my next, Sir, I mean to show that all
this iniquitous system of fraud and mismanagement, to-
gether with the total defeat of all my attempts to reform it,
was every syllable of it within your knowledge during the
whole of the time when—although not the most distant
allusion is made to it—you were penning your Report,
which is so drawn up as to impress the public with the
opinion that your inquiry has been directed to defects in
the Stamp Department, mainly produced by my negligence
and want of care for the public interests.
I of course do not mean to confine the letters I have

alresdy, and shall hereafter address to you, to the columns
of a Daily Paper; I shall, when concluded, present them
before Parliament and the public in a more permanent and
respectful form. But as mutilated extracts from Reports
have gone the round of every Public Journal, I am con-
strained to follow in the same track. It is only by this that
I can have any hope of overtaking them.
I subscribe myself, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
JAJIRS SEM:MICK.
Stamp Office; Somerset House, Sept. 14, 1026.

THE BRITISH PRESS.