The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-11 00:00:00

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London bridge and the sea, and the fees, Perquisite's, and ad..:
vantages thereunto belonging, for the use and benefit of thej
poor aforeiaid, and to no other use, intent, or purpose what-'
soever. _ _

A short time before the demise of Charles 11. the corporation
of the Trinity House, in imitation of many ether corporations
and in proof of their loyalty and devotion to their Sovereign',
surrendered into his hands' their charter, which was regranted
to them by his successor in the year 16115, and is the charter
under which the corporation at present enjoys and exercises its
several rights.
'Phis Carter, after declaring the purposes of the Corpora-
tion, appoints a master, wardens, and assistants, and eighteen
elder brethren by name, preseribes the form of election, and de-
clares that all the rest of the seamen and marines belonging to

the guild and fraternity shall be called younger brethren.—
Amongst other duties it declares, that the masters, wardens,
and assistants of the Corporation shall examine and certify the
abilities and fitness of such children of the New Royal Foun-
dation in Christ's Hospital, who are, or shall be admitted, and
initiated into 'the practice of the art of Navigation. Then fol-
lows the power of appointing pilots and loadsmen in and out
of the River, subjects.° the approval of the Lord High Ad-
miral. The grant of the ancient fees of loadmanagenad pri-
mage, as defined by-the charter of Charles 11. ; the power of
holding courts for the affairs of the Corporation, and after de-
daring that the profits of the court are to be kept to .n.nd for the
use of the Corporation, for the better maintenance and preserva-
tion thereof, prescribed by a subsequent section, 4 that all
sums -of money received by decrees, orders, agreements, fines,
and forfeitures, or otherwise, &c. shall be for the use of the
guild, for repairing the Trinity-house and Alms-houses situate
iii Deptford Stroud, and for finding of certain poor persons,
brethren, and the wives of brethren of the said guild, which
shall haven into decay, misery, poverty, and need, or hereafter
shall fortune to fall into decay, misery, and need, and also for
relief of ether poor mariners and sea-faring men, and other
public pitrpyses."
I t• codeludes with confirming a former exemption to the master,
wardens, and assistants of the Corporation from the service of
the militia and various civil duties,. and giving them powers in
certain cases 'therein specified.
Under these charters, the only monies granted to the Corpo-
ration,appear to be those arising from ballastage and lastage,
and by decrees, orders, agreements, fines, forfeitures, or other-
wise, the application of which is strictly defined and prescribed
by the grant of King Charles 11., and the charter of James 11.,
last adverted to, and the ballastage since regulated by Act of
Parliament, 1 and 2 Geo. IV.
The surplus pilotage, which Is a collection of extra pilotage
on foreign vessels entering our ports, is granted by the 52d of
George c. 59 ; the produce of which is directed by the
Stith section to be applied to the relief and support of such
pilots as shall have become incapable of discharging their duty,
from age, accident, or permanent infirmity.
The Act of the 2d of George 111. gives the power of licensing
boats on the River Thames, and directs that certain monies re-
ceived under its authority shall be applied towards the relief of
the poor of the Corporation.
By these Acts and Charters, which give to the -Corpora-
tion. the power of levying. monies, the application of the
surplus of the monies so levied (after
.providing for the neces-
sary expenditure) to charitable uses is alone expressly autho-
rised and directed.
It will observed, that among these the light dues, the prin-
cipal source of the receipts of the Trinity Corporation, are not
mentioned. Of these a comparatively small part is collected
under Acts of Parliament, the remained under patents granted
by the Crown, upon the petition of persons offering to pay cer-
tain sums for the erection of lights ; which dues the Crown
authorizes the corporation to receive as a compensation for the
erection and maintenance of the light required.
This is the language of all the patents, and in' them, with a
single exception, no other object whatever appears to be con-
templated.
Having enumerated the collections falling upon the ship-
ping of the country, made under the authority of the Trinity
Corporation, as being—
] st. Light Dues.
2d. Lastage and Ballastage.
3d. Trinity Dues, comprehending Buoyage,' Beaconage,
Loadmanage, and Primage.
4th. Surplus Pilotage, and Fees on the granting an annual
renewal of Pilots' warrants.
Your Committee will proceed to notice them in their respcc-
tive'order, with such observations as occur either on the collec-
titinS themselves, or on the management and administration of
them:—they. will begin with the most important one, that of
the Light Dues.
Of the various Light houses erected, and Floating Lights
established, for the accommodation of shipping (about 55 in
number), not less than twenty of the establishments, exhibiting
thirty lights, are under the management of the Corporation of,
the Trinity House.
The acts of the Bth and 38th of Elizabeth, which gave to the
Corporation the right of erecting at their own cost, beacons,'
marks, and signs for the seas, if extending to the erection of
Light Houses, have never been considered as conveyiny any
power to levy a toil on shipping for their maintenance. The
collections for Light Houses, therefore, having been all esta-
blished, either under the authority, of special acts of the Le-
gislature, which are' very few in number, or of patents
granted by the Crown, founded on petitions of individuals de-
siring their erection, and proposing certain payments in consi-
deration of it, which the.y. the petioners consent to the collet::
tion of, as well from British ships, as those of foreign States ;
these differ in amount according to the respective lights, but
are in almost every case double upon the foreign ship. What-
ever were the grounds of policy on which this distinction was
originally matte, the reasons for now continuing it appear to
your Committee to be very questionable. It will hardly be
contended, that in the erection of light houses on the British
coast, there was any other view tban the benefit of British
navigation, or that the convenience and safety of the fo-
reigner, except when entering our ports for the purposes of
trade, was an object in contemplation; if, therefore, in pass-
ing along the sea, foreign navigation may incidentally derive
an advantage from them, which it is out of our power to
withhold, it does not seem to afford a very satisfactory plea for
taking the opportunity of subjecting it, whenever brought
within our power, to a severe taxation at once heavy in amount,
enforced by, detention, and aggravated by the exaction of a pro-
spective and retrospective payment, which has the effect of deter-
ring foreign ships from entering our ports for shelter, except in
cases of extreme necessity, and been the cause of their being
frequently exposed, not only to damage and peril, but occa-
sionally to the destruction of the vessel, and the sacrifice of the
lives of those who were unfortunate enough to be on, board,
That this is the fact, that it is in a great degree attributable to
the cause above stated, and' the amount of the heavy duties in-
hospitably levied in our ports, from all foreign vessels, whether
approaching for trade, or seeking shelter under stress of wea-
ther, or accidental emergency, your Committee entertain the
strongest belief, derived from a 'variety of testimony received by
them, to which they beg especially to direct the attention of the
House; and they do this not only in reference to the obvious
'consideration of humanity, but in reference also to the actual
loss sustained by the country, and the advantages that would
accrue to it partly from the increased amount of duties collected,
and still more from the expenditure of foreign ships entering
the various ports of this country, if their resort to it
.was en-
couraged by a diminution of those charges which now operate
so powerfully to avert it.
The first light erected under the management of the Trinity
Hoirse was in 1680, subsequent to the erection of s:veral lights
by individuals, to whom. patents for the purpose had been
granted by the Crown ; since this time, various others have
been erected, four of which are under specialacts of Parliament.
• The mode of granting patents has been already adverted to.
It is wain the prayer of the Trinity House to the Crown,
grounded upon the petition of individuals, soliciting the erec.
tion of a light, and offering the payment of certain dues for its
maintenance, when erected. The general' wish of the trade is
presumed on the part of the Crown, which accordingly author-
izes the erection of the light, and the collection of die dues pro-
posed from British and oreign shipping, for the establishment
and maintenance of it.
Your Committee do not question the discretion with which
the power of the Crown has been exercised, in the several
instances of authorising the erection of lights, of the utility
of those which have been established in virtue of it ; but
they feel it their duty to call the observation of the House to
the specific purpose, for which alone the right of receiving
duties front British or foreign shipping is conceded—namely, to
compensate for the erection and maintenance of the lights in
question. That the amount of such duties should be measured
by the necessary expenditure for that purpose, will not be
disputed, and appears to your committee to be confirmed by
the circumstance of no surplus (except in a single instance) be-
ing contemplated, and no application of it being directed. If,

PRICE SEVENPENCE.

therefore, these dues inipose Upon the shipping-of the country a
burden much greater than by the specific purpose by which they
were authorized is rendered in any, degreeniecessary, youreom-
mittee conceive. it. to be contrary to . the intention with which
such impost-was laid, and affording a fair clan-1.110 relief on the
part of commercial interests that are affected by it. Your com-
mittee have annexed returns 'from the. Trinity House, showing
the establishment, expenditure, and receipt of each light, un-
der the Management of that corporation.' They do not feel it
necessary, in this place, to dwell upon the details they'furnish.
It isiufficient to stateethat, assuming- the correctness of the
papers delivered in by the Trinity House, they find the sum
collected from shipping for 23 lights, has been ithout 90,000/.
upon the averaae of the years 1818, 1819, and 1820, while the
sums necessary for their maintenance . (including the commis-
sion paid on collection, amounted to about 11,000/.) has amount-
ed to about'3B,ooo/. leaving an annual surplus on the dues of
these lighty only, of not less than 52,000/. •
The proportions which the expenditure bears to the eeeeipts,
must vary in respect to the differentlights from circumstances
peculiar to each. - In the older established lights, a. large sur-
plus might not have been foreseen, and may be fairly assigned
to the great increase of our commerce and shipping;- but that
supposition will not apply to the surplus arising upon any of
those which have been erected at a recent period, of. the pro-
-bable receipts, as well as expences attending.which a near esti-
mate might have been formed at the period the application for
the patents was preferred, and which stands, therefore, on .a
different ground. But whether originally the dues were 'not
more than might be necessary, and have. since, from circum-
stances, become so, or whether they were calctilated with a
view to a surplus, they appear now to be greatly beyond the
ostensible purpose for which they were granted, or which, any
contingencies connected with the maintenance of the lights and
the advantage of navigation can render necessary : this is shoWn
by the accumulation of a fund from the surplus collection, and
the rents of estates, amounting to a sum the income arising from
which is stated at 18A0/. per an. Of the manner in which this
surplus so created has been applied, in by far its greatest part,
your Committee feel it right to express their-approbation. It
has been distributed in small portions to seafaring persons, or
those connected with them, reduced to a state of distress and po-
verty, in various parts of the kingdom, and may be considered
as having gone sofar in relief of the burdens that might otherwise
have fallen upon the community for the maintenance of such per-
sons; and though there may be appearances, in the distribution, of
partiality to certain places, which are explained in the evidence of
Mr. Court, your Committee do not think them sufficient to in-
duce them to withhold the expression of approbation they have
already applied to the mode
.in which the distribution of this
fund is generally-conducted. The question is less as to the
application than to the principle on which the surplus referred
to is collected ; and whether for the purposes of such a distri-
bution, meritorious as it may be, a large sum ought to con-
tinue so as to be directly levied on the shipping, either of this
country or of foreigners, oppressive as it not only is -to our
shipping directly, but productive of restrictions and imposts
upon it in foreign ports, highly injurious to our commercial
interests, and avowedly dependent on the continuance_of this,
together with other distinctions unfavourable to foreign navi-
gation. • i
In order to form some opinion of the extent to which the
collection of the sums for light dues,_ and other purposes, may
be reduced, consistently with a sufficient provision for the se-
curity of the objects for which they were intended, it will be
necessary to advert, not only to the duties themselves, but to
the expences attending the establishments: required for their
collection and management. These establishments are to be
found in almost every port, and appear to your Committee to
be placed on a scale much beyond what a fair remuneration for
the services performed can require. In most cases, the col-
lection at the out-ports is intrusted to the Collector of the Cus-
toms; it is enforced by his authority as such, it appears eeldom,
to have been questioned (though sometimes evaded), and is at-
tended with little additional trouble or expence to that officer,
except perhaps at Deal, a place peculiarly. circumstanced. It
appears, too, from the evidence, that at various places the duties
coula be performed by respectable persons, under ample secu-
rity, for two and a half or five per cent. on the collection „
whereas out of seventy-one places, at which collectors are esta-
blished, no less than fifty-nine appear to receive a remuneration
of 20 per cent. (making a total of about 11,0001. per ann.), in ad-
dition to other appointments, as agents for light-houses, com-
misioners of pilots, supervisors of pensions, collectors of surplus
pilotae, Etc.; the emoluments of which are equally derived
from 'c'harges upon the shipping.
Your Committee think it their duty particularly to call the
attention of the. House to the manner in which the collection of
the dues is conducted in London, as described in the evidence
of Mr. Court and Mr. Reade—to the amount of the emolu-
ments—the distribution of fees to officers—and the separation
of offices and collectors, where a single office, with the addition
of one clerk, it is admitted would be sufficient, by which an
annual saving of about 4,000/. might be made, and an incon-
venience to which those are subject by whorn the dues are paid,
in a great measure avoided. Your Committee allude to the
appointments held and duties discharged by Mr. Butterfield,
Sir. Reade, Mr. Welstead, and Mr. 'larding ; the duties per-
formed by the three latter having been formerly intrusted to a
single person.
The commission paid by the Trinity Corporation in the year
1818, for the collection of Light and Trinity dues, surplus
pilotage, &c. in the port of London alone, amounted to no less
a sum than about 5,200/., while the total amount of commis-
sion for collecting the same duties under this authority in the
different parts of the kingdom, amounted for that year to about
15,0001.
Detailed information on these points will be found in the ex-
aminations of the officers of the Corporation, and particularly
of Mr. Court, the secretary.
Next to that for the lights, your Committee have directed
their attention to the collection under the head of Ballastage,
granted in the manner already stated, and continued by 2 Gee.
IV. the revenue of which is expressly directed to be applied to the
relief of decayed seamen, their wives, widows, and orphans.
This department is underthe superintendence of two elder
brethern, (chosen by rotation, and whose attendance is stated
to be constant), and consists of a chief clerk and establishment
of clerks, rulers, watermen, and ballastmen. The annual ag-
gregate receipt for ballastage is about 25,0001., and the expen-
diture, independent of establishment, 19,000/. The establish-
ment amounts to about 3,300/. per annum, leaving a net ha-
lance of 3,000/. out of which about 1,000/. is annually appropri-
ated to distressed ballastmen, their wives and widows, and
children of ballastmen. --The charges on British ships vary ac-
cording to the service in which they are engaged ; no preference
is given in the supply of ballast, except in the case of transports
. and King's ships ; all other ships, whether Foreign or British,
receive their ballast in their proper turns ; but the charge on
foreign ships is considerably higher than on British vessels.
Much has been stated to your committee to have been effected
by the attention of this department, in favour of navigation, by
the clearing the passage of the river Thames. Your Committee
' have.no reason to question that , or, any part of the performance
of the duties assigned to it ; at the same time, considering the
nature of. thoes duties, the number of lighters, and of indivi-
, duals attached to them, whose services are to be directed' and
superintended, it does appear to your committee, that an este-
, blishment at the 'Trinity House,,maintained at such an annual
cost, is more than is required, and might admit of reduction
(To be continued.)

We understand the Independent Electors of
Westminster intend to meet on the day of the funeral of the
late Mr. SAMUEL BROOKS, and accompany the body from
Hyde Park to the Savoy Church in the Strand, where his re-
mains will be interred in the family vault.—( Morizirg Paper.)

As JOSEPH COULSON, servant to Mr. JOHN
TURNER, of Bushill, near Newbald, was going to Hull, on
Monday morning last, between two and three o'clock, he was
stopped between Newbald and llnnsley, by three men ; one of
them seized the bridle of his horse, another attempted to pull
him off, but being an active young man, he leaped from his
horse,,knocked the man down, and re-mounted, expecting he
had got clear off; but they. crossed an angle of the road, near
Hunsley, and came up with him again, dragged him from his
horse, robbed him of his watch, 191. 19s. and stabbed him seve-
ral times in the breast with a butcher's knife. He heard one of
them say, " D—n him, don't spare the knife." During the
struggle his horse gOt away, and they heard the animal's feet on
the road, which caused them to leave the poor man for a short
time, supposing some person was coming up ; when they found
the mistake they returned, most likely to finish the bloody
deed. but he had crept a little out of the road. behind a hush,
and they missed him. He now lies dangerously ill at Little
Weighton. He thinks one of the men had a handka:chief over
his face, and another had his face coloured ; one he described.
, is being little, and the other two tall.—( Leeds Intelligences.)