The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-07 00:00:00

THE BENTINCK FAMILY.

The recent death of Lord Henry Bentinck recalls
some interesting facts connected with his family. In
1848 his elder brother, Lord George Bentinck, was
found dead in a meadow near Welbeck. Abbey. His
death was attributed to heart disease, occasioned by
over-exertions in the service of his party. The late
Duke of Portland left four sons, who have not
married, and on the death of the present Duke the
title and estates of the Portland family will pass to
a distant relative. The founder of the Bentincks
was a Batavian, and a great friend of William
of Orange, with whom he served in several
campaigns. He was rewarded for his ser-
vices by many honours, and succeeded in
rendering the house of Bentinck the equal of the
proudest houses in England. Lord William
Bentinck, Governor-General of India, was one of the
most distinguished men of the family. The present
duke has survived all his brothers, and is left the
solitary possessor of high rank and great riches.

THE TAXATION OF FARMERS.

A case of considerable interest to farmers bas been
heard at the Preston Quarter Sessions. The Com-
missioners of Inland Revenue appealed against the
decision of the justices of Burnley, who excused a
farmer of that place from payment of an assessed
tax of 10s. od. upon a horse used by him. The farmer
worked 156 acres of land, and kept fifty cows and
three horses. Besides carrying on the ordinary
occupation of a farmer, he employed a horse for re-
tailing milk in Burnley, and the point at issue was
whether or no he should pay duty for this horse,
which was not employed in husbandry. The
defence was that the milk was not hawked
from door to door, but only delivered to regular
customers, and the disposal of the milk as portion of
the regular produce of the farm was as much a part
of the husbandry as sending the carrots and turnips
to market. The counsel for the commissioners
argued that the farmers near London sent their
milk to London, where the horses which
were employed in retailing it were taxed,
but the-chairman said the Bench were. of opinion
that the selling of the milk was part of the respon-
dant's business as a In.sbandman, and therefore they
agreed with the court below that the horse must be
exempt from the tax. A case for the Court of
Exchequer was asked on behalf of the Crown, as the
question was of wide application, but it was not
granted.
THE SPECIAL FISHERY COMMISSION.

A question of some importance in regard to the
salmon fisheries has been brought before the Com-
missioners. The matter referred to a kind of net
used in parts of the Wye from time immemorial, and
called a " beating net." It is used for taking salmon in
deep pools, where they rest in their upward migra-
tion during low water. Two or three men take a
trammel or treble net, one end of which is' fastened
to the bank by a peg, while the rest is taken out in a
boat into the river, surrounding the hole where
it is supposed the fish are lying among the
rocks. They are driven out by poles
and rush against the nets, in which they are caught
by a little skilful manoeuvring. Et was argued by
the owners of these nets that they are not fixed
engines, and therefore do not come within the juris-
diction of the Commissioners, as they could be held
by a man or , bo3 on the bank. On the other
hand it was maintained that the practice
was always to peg or fasten one end of the net,
which brought them under the denomination of
fixed engines. The commissioners were of opinion
that the net was not a fixed engine, and therefore
did not come within their jurisdiction, but they left
the justices to decide whether or no it offended
against the Salmon Fishery Act as a trammel.