The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-13 00:00:00

THE STAMP DUTIES.—The Duke of Bec

ford, having lately purchased Ampthill Park estate, say
at 150,0001., the lease and release duty (for Mr. Stew-
art's Bill works no amendment as to the lease duty)
would be 1,0011. 15s. The Duke of Buckingham also
purchased an estate, said to be at 63,0001., the stamp
duty on which would be 6511. 15s. Now, in each of
these cases the stamp is literally a flea-bite, and is wholly
unthought of by either party in their advances towards
a contract; the concern felt about the single 1,0001, or the
6501., in matters of this magnitude, being as nothing
compared with the last 11. in Bill Smith's close bargain
of 1501., or the last 10s. in Tom Jones's of 631. ; these
have got to look at every pound—nay, every shilling,
as of vast importance, whilst the former are wholly
unaffected by any such comparative trifles ; but
when, in addition to this fact of every pound be-
coming so much more valuable, or at all events import-
ant, in proportion as we descend to the contractors upon
a small scale, we bear in mind also that these have to
encounter a rate of duty falling as dead-like upon their
narrowed means as that does feather-like which applies
to those of the wealthy : we then have the full measure
of injustice made manifest. This very pound, you see,
makes no less that five-and-twenty shillings difference in
the stamps. "The latter," quoth Bill, " are high enough
on 1491. (being 2/. 10s. on that amount) but drat your
even 50, that runs the stamps up to 3. 15s. like wink-
ing." However, poor Bill must have a house over
his head if he can, and he gives the 150/. he pays
the 3/. 15s. duty, and he hears with wonder how that the
great Duke of Bedford has purchased an estate of
150,000/. " Mercy on us, says Bill, and he begins
chalking on the mantelpiece in characters which no one,
save himself, call decipher ; his looks of amazement
I'll be hanged if he ain't
got to pay 3,750/. for stamps.
in-
crease, and
earnestness,at
11, tells you, with stupified but
positive
" Thou art right in thy
chalk, honest Bill, but wrong in thy very natural sup-
position. The Duke pays only 1,001/. 15s. for the
stamps, and hads't thou been made to pay but in pro-
portion to a great Duke thy hard earned 31. 15s. for
stamps would have been reduced to IL leaving 21. 15s. to
help out, by its interests, for the yearly duty of 4s. 6d.
which thou must pay (but which the Duke has no oc-
easion to pay) for insurance.—Letter in the Times.
st othe
TENBURY.—NOVEL PUNISHMENT AND Po-
PUIT INDIGNATION.—On
lapset'st formerly be-
longing James Tinsley
was n
to the stocks (which have been down a long
aiNdcudtTfib°rN.zOhnu Saturday
r
time), in default of payment of a fine of 55., to which
he was adjudged by the Rev. C. Turner, for drunken-
ness and disorderly conduct, about a fortnight since.
During the time the prisoner was undergoing the punish-
ment, many persons, chiefly of the labouring classes,
were assembled to witness it, and made a subscription
amongst them for the prisoner, which would have more
than paid the fine, besides treating him to drink, and it
was ouly by the persuasion of one of the bystanders that
the people were prevented from cutting down the post.—
Worcestershire Chronicle.
There is no person more conscientious than a
thorough bigot, nor one more consistent in his entire
career. The cause of this was curiously explained by a
clever packer in a cotton warehouse, who
ne speaking tosaid
nie
of .4olue of the bigotry On the part of a ighbour,
I suppose, Sir, that when a man has a small mind be
does not requiro much time to make it up."— The Bishop.