The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-29 00:00:00

LETTER THE FOURTH

F Rom
TJ t lIAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF STAMPS,
TO
THE RIGHT 110 N. T. WALLACE.

dispel-t 1 of the accusation rept-ding the
ir.;l:t I'M-office, which had been shap;vl with so much
.tr. 3131 pt up with su much privity. I can now pro_
a 1,1;m: undivided attention, to the tab): that Ilea

Ibefure me

The orcr-cogo roles, to criminate shines out, as I have
b:fi rim:liked, so glaringly in your Reports, as to liave
i;„reee I 3 vo ry general 1,e.i.-f that the motivt s %vhich ex-
:,d is sere oioen to distrust. Yoni have !Iwo* If shown,—
ki sill appear by try last Letter,—that this belief was well
•:-reled. Icm wish fur no better or more conclusive
Pof than is furnisluol Ly the Ito ports themselves. They
b,Ar evidence of your iiiteitipetate and keen p ursuit of one
tare page ; but, fortunat:ily, your efforts have failed,
kf,ffa bring to o viaiblc overwroo4ot ; andl am mode to owe
,orntr cxcer; of zeal an adviortage I nevi should have ob-

1:.c,l from your sense of jttstice.
I shall prooeol to notice in detail the farther imputations
:,,ruined in y.nlr Reports, and the charges which, by im-
,., :!it,a, aut.,: fit ports Fe,l to establish against me. I will
i 1..., them in their order; and, when I shall have so dune, I
!sill not content myself nit!! a, king for my acquittal; no,
ill., I uill take my stain! in 111,:ther ground. I will put it
to l'arlismeno anti to the Country to decide which has meat
ci.etiedy discharged his duty to the public—l ou. as
l :;AIRMAN of the Itiora of Inquiry, or I, as CHAIRMAN of
1!;: Board of Stamps. Putting this point in issue, we will
to trial. I take your consent for granted, because. with
6: case so favourably put, you can hardly be supporti
eta r to 'decline the appeal, or to ektuttr to the juris-

I:car that 11.11a11 be dawn into seme length ; but I
7.;0t coma indulgence. I will contrive to be as brief as I
able. In an English Public I have a generous and en-
Jut y. 1 4ey will be patient with me.

-
114rtit first with remarking the anxiety with which
l'olimient--wwwil to its honour—has clulcavuured to
o.4.ainEt all undue bias on the part of the individuals

uriai.Al to the high trust reposed iu them by this Cum-
r:•noN OF Revs:Nes Ixor.
For tl c more Oft ctually insuring the equitable and un-
r:,,istliorl discharge of their de y, the Act unthr which
314:ein:ed imposes the following oath upon each
atni,sioner respectively

1..1. 11., wear that sih fsi hfully, impartially. and
u ;.".1-g to ttic b pt of my still and judgment, cx, vote the several
3id tfl:•1% vested in itie by an Act made in the cond year
'•; King (hinge the Fourli, iiiiittileil •An Act to aft-
fot inquiting into the Collection end :11ainige.
. ~t he Revenue,' &c. according to the true tenor and purport
Act.—So help me, God !"

I: is impossible for me not to pawn here fora moment,
to ask, how the attempt publicly to brand my mane
::1, ignominy by insinuations unsay unfounded—which
not even the shadow of any thing like support—and
s:. 1,, in my third Letter, I so completely and convincingly
this attempt, I say (which so wofully
:..:.-!) C3ll lx n corroded with that
.fiiitltful, iripartial, and
arge of your duty, from which you have sworn
F.0,1' to ?

This offers a wide !tope for observation, but I have no
loo.re to iursue it. In the menu time, I keep this oath
siuf it purport steadily before me; because, in the inquiry
el.lch 1 am now conducting, the references which I shall
lure to n ske to it, a. 1 pcocerti, reader it of Use turncoat
*twice.

I turn now to your Report, and I shall begin at ;be

Ont:ing

yrevious t t merirg upon our examinations ccmectal. vicb

Ilergnue of the camps in England, a ehad been intorined that

r.rdetable difficulties were exi.erienced in carrying on the usual
tfa.ll ottinucication between your Lordships at:o the Commis-
of itamps; that great delays bail taken place io the tran,
of hosiness. and nr:^h incunreniance had heels sustained ty
LiepOlic."—ldtli Rep. p. d.

• Now it was, manifestly, most essential that the Commis-
.
uo:rs of Revenue Inquiry, who had awl rn to fulfil the
mist reposed in them " faithfully, impartially, and truly,"
Ilea I enter ill on it with minds perfectly utt warped ; that
Ley should give no car to any rumours which might give
tiwirjnelgment an undue bias; but that they should come
elcir task of investigation perfectly unprejudiced, and
s:ii: no inclination to turn from the onward course of jos-
s
e:.l.cr to the right hand or to the kft. But we have
melt r their hands—we have it on their own unre.
:br:ing confession—that they had, each in his own path of
het, .sy, imbue I their minds Lefurehand with those pre-
the result of which are even hue put on ream],
ado to operate with all the effect of a positive and
char;,,e. They state that, peerions/i to rattriag spun

;nation, they had Let. re i•Lbrateel—but they do
,t say when, bow, or by whom—that the accustomed
communica:ion between the Commissioners of
and their Lordships had been interrupted—that
• ,!../q.ir were experienced in the manairement of
sa,l rtue4 iscoAvenienee sustained by the public; and
t, • :rituitous animadversions are sent forth to the world,
a to produce their effect, while no evidence is arta-
,.; Adduced that sustains them.

, .
i.e rt..port thus proceeds:—
r:ry imfortmaii,ra elan, relating to this
giro HE Ito senfitrukrgid, is:titre:Owe 11J 10 Me
•Ili pasaNAToneat--an lorpresstod which our own °buc-
k,. r-mse of the commanicaions that we found it neces.
•,. heard. preliminary to our detailed inquiry,
In the Appendix we have enucert; the Copy
1,-m? . 1.1•:un we deenscil it neet &eery to address to the Ilcard,
'‹: • , aiTcl the wisluctioo of certain accounts, by no means
e,,ctipthat, for a hich we had at th.kt time
•.. ...:Iningh accounts of 4 similar Latina had beta
tat no in a lesa n ttttt ber of we. k, from ether departments,

me•uied.

our ctioi.itions had been dinned.".

*-13111 Rep: p. G.

4.i. dirt of that emfametrabid isaressiox thus avowedly
rrerious to entering on the exercise of their func-
.is most strikingly exemplified in this their prclivii-
- procevding. It denotes in a marked mann: r the
• t of hostility which the Reports evince throughout.
.;oily this, it is necessary to go into the folLuing par-
:War;, which ought in justice to have been staLtl, but
:yell the Report bas omitted.

T:10 Act of Parliament (I and 2 Gm. IV.) under which
fi Coonniesion of Revenue Inquiry is instituted em-
mers the Commissioners to require the production of any
vds, books, papers, writings, or documents, relating to
s•i;ject matter of their inquiry; and if the !knows sum-
.; to appear before them shall wilfully neglect to pro-
. suzli books, writings, or documents, touching or con-

riling any matter or thing which the said Commissioners
I:l9ulry are, by this Act, authorizA to inquire into, it is
Jett.il dna—

nen, nod in every such ease, It shal nod no y be lawful Its
'"d for the said Comini-stoners of Inquiry, or
my mice of tato),
d •11.1. are hereby atithorisi d and empowered to make and //vv..
.
t, t. JII owl er warrants, um; ..r diet& kinds and sys.s, or under
!• • ••,.s and seals of any three of thcni, for to,',iiis: and apprc.
and bringing before them any such person or persons; and'
, • ~id Commissioners shit!! deem it necessary fur the tine:nal tr:atiod of Cie purposes of this Act, it shall be lawful for the said
"Pst!ssoloners, or any three of than, by like warrant under their
, •' d, and stals, to comtat any such person or persons, so !nought
, ' I,*?,c htft.ire !hem, to sad, prism,' as the said emomis,itoters of
'y, or any three of them, shall :Ma. ft; thereto rroodu,soilli.
I mil UP Mine'? Ili?, until Stitt 1;e: wt; or penults shall submit to

be examined touching and concerning all matters and things neces-
sary fi r the execution of the posan given by thi% Act, or to make
sueh production of such accounts, returns, records, books, papers,
Oceds. writings, or documents, its aforesaid, u the case m. .y re.
(111;;C...

The power here granted is very great—it is a power,
which, if applied in the spirit of hostility, is obviously
opal& of king abused to purposes which it is fearful to
contemplate. The Legislature, in its wisdom, m;„ let pot,
sibly foresee some occasion on which its application might
be called for; but it was clearly meant to be employed
mily in the last resort, and under circumstances—hardly to
contemplated—of such wilful and obstinate resistance
ai jiistitital its necessity. The following is a copy of their
letter above rerarral to by the Commissioners of Inquiry,
addressed by their Secretary to the Commissioners of
Stamps. It is dated from Edinburgh, where they then
were, and before they had as yet commenced their inqui-
rias at Somerset-house.

" Office of Revenue Inquiry. Edinburgh, 28th net. 1824.
" Gentlemen—l am dircemel by the Parliamentary Commission.
Mot' Revenue Inquiry to toter yeu to my letter of the Pith of
January last, enel- sing a schedule of accounts required by the
Cemnitseinners, with as little delay as practicable, in reference to
their inquiry into the Stamp Department : and also to my letter
et the .21101.1iineti,r, referring to the above, and desiring that the
secouma in question might be forthwith transmitted ; end I am to
express to you the surprise and dissatisfaction of the Contriission.
ere at the rontinticti delay of these accounts' unprecedented in any
department to which their inquiries have hitherto extended. It
is the commend of the Commissioners that this delay may be forth.
with explained; and it the accounts be not transmitted witlamt
,far/tier delay, WARRANTS WILL DE IS3CED TO ENFORCE
THEIR DELIVERY. "I have, &r.
(Signed) " J. S. REYNOLDS.
" To the Commissioners of Stamps. London."

A letter, bearing a menace so degrading, was never be-
fore addressed to any Board of Revenue in this kingdom
since Revenue Ber.rds had existence. It was natural to
suppose that only the most perverse and refractory disre-
gard of their application for the accounts referred to could
have drawn forth such a letter; and to this conclusion
it was intended that Parliament and the pubic should be
led ; for, while the letter itself is inserted at the very
outset of the Report, the answer to it, which contains a
satisfactory and respectful explanation of the cause of the
imputed delay, i.. sorpessed ! Is this, again, consistent
a ith the oath enjoined by Parliament, and which the Com-
missioners of Inquiry have respectively sworn, that they
" will faithfully, baps: tidily, and truly, according to the
best of their skill and judgment, execute the trust reposed
iu them ?"

The following is the answer which was forwarded on
the net ipt of the above letter:—

" Stamp Of ice, London, Nov. I, 11124.
" SIR—In answer to your letter ot, the 2.lltit ultimo, I ant di.
meted by the Commissioners to acquaint you, for the information
of the Porliamet.taty Commissioners of Revenue Itiquiry, that they
'egret the enclosed accounts have not been earlier forwarded, but
the delay did not arise front any intentional neglect. The fact is,
that sonic misapprehension appears to have arisen, on the part of the
eert hay, as to the necessity of forwarding them after it was known
ha h• (ontmi•sirmers of inquiry were gone to the Nut th, instead
of in tinning their ingutry into the state or the Staotp-ollice in
L atinn, as it was expected they would do. and for which it loos
th sight tfic.c do,tintettfy re i it,larled. The greater part of them
Lave been ready since July last, before which time they could not
Le completed. The Board greatly regret that such a misapprehen-
sion should hare arisen, as the papers l'orwartled by to-day's post
m:ght have been transmitted, and would have been, had they not
been thus reserved till the inquiry I. 4: place in London. This cir.
cutiostane t, hat it been understood, would have made it necessary
to rr, rare them with as little delay as practicable.
• Mr. happen, the Secretary, was ultligetl, about ten days ago.
to 'cave London !Ur Hastings. fot the recovery of hie health ; and
e e is tine document, being the second article required. which is
(: e supposing it not to be wanted) locked up in his private drawer,
a- d which, had be been here. would have accompanied these; but
:he I'oa•d have written to him to return to London, which, if the
state of his health .dish t his undertaking the journey, he will im.
mediately do, when the remaining document wilt be forthwith
transuaitted.

" I sin, Sir, your moat obedient huiublesercan
" WILL/A3I WARb, Pro Sec.
" J. S. ReynoWs, Esq."

On what principle of common justice could the Con,-
mission( ra of Inquiry justify the suppression of this answer,
while they introduce their own extraordinary letter into
their Report, and make it the ground of such invidious
and uncalled-for animadversion? The letter itself, for-
warded by the Commissioners while at Edinburgh, suf-
ficiently denoted, ht fore-hand, the disposition with which
they would enter on 'lair office of Inquiry when they tame
to London.

Setting aside, for a moment, the indignity pas std upon
the Conunissioners of Stamps by this threat, that, if the
accounts were not issued will.mt further delays, warrants
o•:•a1.! I,e irstied aga;nst thcm—passing on, I say, from
this imperious and arbitrary threat, there is one passage
in their letter which thscrvei; particular remark. It is the
following :

" And I am to express to you the vurprice and ditivatiiiNction of
the Ceinerh.vioners at the rentinued delay of these acco,dita. unpre-
cedented in any dein:rine:it to which their inquizies have hitherto
extended."

The Commissioners, be it remembered, were at this
moment sitting in the Stemp-rSice, Edinhurgh. They
must have had before them all that frightful system of
fraud and mismainezement detail,d in my correspondence
with Mr. B:ndley ! They must have had within their
knowledge, not merely the dehr.tie of Mr. Bremner, the
Solic:tor of Stamps in Scotland, to produce his ac-
counts, or to reply to the endless applications of the
Board for them, but his absolutely persisting to with-
hold his accounts altogether, and treating their applica-
tions with the most deliberate disregard! And yet, when the
Secretary in Englend is found to be open—though un-
intentionally, and in a single in:dance—to a charge of delay
in forwarding a mere document of ofnce, the Commis-
sioners publicly denounce the of as being. in its kind,
" tinprere. dented in any department to 14,ir inquiries
hoer hither to extended." Add to this, that the whole detail
of abuses which / had ulrredy brought to /iArld, and to
whieli the Commissioners had every doe to investigation
which ray prreines inquiries and Report afforded, hive not
only been hitherto kept back from the eye of Parliament
and of the public, but the Comtnissioncts have taken—as
I will show hereafter—every pains to shelter them, and—
with enormous less to the Revenue—they arc upheld by
Scotch influence to this hour.

There are no RoronT:4 to which the public attach
greater weight, or whi.:ll they tee:lye with greater reve-
rence, than Reports proceeding from a PA arrA NIARY
COM`.:iSSION OP IN:WIRY. This feeling is most pro-
per;—it is a feeling which lies at the foundation of that
respect which ought ever to exist towards whatever ema-
nates from so high and estimabie an authority—from an
authority del,i,ated by the highest tri'ounal known to
this kingdom, end which is a,sumed to have been in-
trusted to individuals who, from their known whalom
and tried integrity, were peculiarly fitted for so arduous
and hemourabk a trust. The persons so appointed have
not only their own reputation to support, by the faithful,
upright, unbiassed manner in which they discharge the
duty Unposed upon them, but they have—what is of infi-
nitely greater moment—the character of Government to
sustain. It behoves them to take especial care that they
do not, by perverting the power dm confided to them,
bring these into discredit who placed that power in their
hands. Parliament itself is made to lose much of that
strong bohl which it has, and deserves to have, upon the
minds of the country, if, in any instance, the persons whom
it selects as Com MIS..SION ens of REVENUE INIZIAILY should
be found to have 30 inverted their authority as to put down
the rtfirmer of the abases instead of the abuse, and to up-
hold a system fraught with ruin to that Revenue, which it
was their express duty to rescue, es promptly as possible,
from such pernicious and flagrant mismanagement.
I subscribe myself, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
Stamp.OfFee, Somerset-home, JAMES SEMWICK.
• Sept. IX, 182 G. • .