The National Register.
London, England, 1822-04-15 00:00:00

TIIE lONIAN ISLANDS.

Gibraltar papers to the 18th ult. contain the fol-
lowing instrutacitt, issued by Sir Thoina3 Mait-
land:
" PItOCI.AMAT In N.
His Excellency the Gavernor having tuattrely and deli-
Innately considered the important queaioa, how far the corn
monopoly, which has existed to: centuries in these islands, shall
he dune away with, anal having called to his aid the opinions of
such persons in these islands who thought themselves competent
to give any opinion on the subject, he feels himself d'sposesl,
though with considerable doubt and difficulty on his part, to try
the experiment of throwing open the commerce of this most iin•
portant article of necessity. His Excellency does it with doubt
and difficulty, because he is convinced. generally speaking, that
the wisest system of government is to adhere to what has been
practically ascertained .10 be beneficial to the
.people, in lieu of
*mint; up novel theoretical speculations. Anxious, however, es
his Excellency is to give a fair trial to what it is thought will
prove ultimately beneficial to these Islands, and equally alive to
(l:c necessity at the present moment of stretching any point that
even hears the appearance of increasing either the commerce, or
of giving employment to the lower classes of the people here, he
is pleasal to proclaim for genetal information, that on the Ist ur
July next, the commerce of grain or every kind shall b! thrown
6)3111 in these islands.
Having conic t.. this determination. his Exeellency deems
it to be his duty to state, that it is not his intention that govern-
ment should interfere in any manner (bovond what is hereafter
mentioned) with the commerce of grain when once thrown open,
tai long as the poorer classes of the inhabitants be supplied with
bread at a fair and moderate rate; but as the government must
keep a stock on band to prevent any scarcity, or any sudden or
excessive rise in the price of corn, and as it must continue its
assistance in providing fur the inhabitants, should such high juice
be of any continuation, he deems it absolutely necessary, to se-
cure the interests cf government on one limo], and to protect the
trlicultural interests on the other. to adopt the following regu-
lations and restrictions on this head . . . . _

" 1. That, upon all wheat imported into these islands for
consumption, a duty of 4 scudi per s:dm shall be levied, if im-
ported in vessels under the British or lonian flag, and 5 scudi
per salm. if imported in foreiga reacts.
" t That, upon Indian corn imported into these islands for
consumption, a duty oft scudi l.er salm shall be levied, if
parted in British or lonian vessels, and Ii if imported in foreign
vessels,
. . . . .

" 3. That, upon all barley, rye, or other kinds used in
making bread, a duty of 2} Deudi, in British or lonian; and 3 in
fun
4. All paste flour, scintilla, or farsa, 6 sewn.
(The remainder of the proclamation relate; entirely to the de-
tails of carrying this important ineaFure into execution.)
•• By command of his Excellency,
(Signed) " RICH AIM PLASKET.
66 Dated Palace, Valetta, Jan. 24, 1823."

II(11VII. I) IVIII:71P
LAID BEFORE THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

No particular instructions have been given by the
Commissioners of Excise to their officers respecting
the seizure of Roasted Wheat, or other substances
prepared or sold under the name of Breakfast l'ow-
edr, or any other name, except the following

(COPY)—GENEItiI.
ci R—The Commissiouers order, that no seizure of the article
called Breakfast Powder be hereafter made trom persons who
are not dialers in call: a, without special directions tor that pur
Pthc• I :4111, Sir, your Maniac ScIN;11,1
Excise Office, Lemons W. NVA
2d March, iti2n.
And atter a trial to the Court of Exchequer, the °facers on the
town establishment having asked directions Mr their conduct in
regard to what war crdiet.l Radical Coffee,-they were ordered,
whilst other causes were depending, to seize all roasted and
itowdeted grain, inanutiretured tor the purpose of imitating or
resembling or serving us a substitute for Coffee. and kept or ex-
pmed to sale, wherever it was found. and they could etwertviu
the facts. THOMAS BURTON, Secretary.

Excise Office, Mardi Y 6. 18'12.

ESTIMATE OF TILE BEARINGS OF THE LEA-
THER TAX UPON THE PUBLIC.

The agriculturists being about half the whole
population, might be supposed to consume about
half the leather manufactured ; bat, as their shoes
arc made of the coarsest and heaviest leather, on
which the tax is the same per lb. us upon the finer
sort of leather of five times the value ; and us their
shoes are twice as heavy us those generally worn by
the other classes, and varicus other leather goods are
snore generally used by them, they cannot be sup-
posed to use less than two thirds of the leather ma-
nufactured. The whole tax is 600,0001., therefore
they pay to Government 400,0001. To this is tube
added the expenee-occasioned by the Excise restric-
ticns to secure the collection of the tax, which are
stated, by the most respectable persons before the
committees of the House of Commons on the leather
tax, to be at least the whole amount of the tax,
which is a real loss to the country of property to
that amount, and must b., paid by the consumers of
leather, making the amount so far paid, on account
of the tax and restrictions, by the agricultural classes
alone, 800,0001. (See Report of 1818, pages 16,
-
$9. 44, and 49, and Report of 1816, page 138.)—
As the tux is paid on the rough article, before it
goes from the tanner to the currier, or leather-cut-.
ter, the tanners must be supposed to have a profit ort
their extra capital and risk upon 800,0001., which
at 10 per cent. would be 80,0001., making the whole
amount which must be paid by the curriers to the
tanners 880,0001.; upon which sum the curriers
also must be supposed to lay another profit of 10 per
cent. to the shoe-makers, making 961,0001., upon
which the shoe-makers or the artificers in leather
cannot lay less than another 10 per cent., making
the whale that must be paid by the agricultural
classes 1,064,8001., being more than twice the
amount of the late agricultural horse-tax, though
the gross produce of this part of the leather-sax
which is paid by the agricuitnrists to Government
io isatisiderably l*ss than the tax kit utuutiull4.itt.