The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-09 00:00:00

LOCAL DUES UPON SHIPPING.

The committee met yesterday in room No. 11; Mr•
Lowe in the chair.

Mr. Heeling, Mayor cfSalford, said the question of the
town dues of Liverpool sad attracted great attention in
Salford for several years past, and the general opinion
was that the Corporation of Liverpool bad no right t•
levy such a tax. They claimed to exact the dues, but
di,elaimed any obligation to make a return for them, and
witness believed that at common law no such right as
that which was asserted by the corporation of Liverpool
could exist, and he was not aware of any precedent for
such an impost. The only limit to these dues was in the
discretion of the corporation.
By Mr. Headlam—The reason why no objections bad
been made to the imposition of these dues until the last
few years was that the subject, had not before been in-
quired into so fully, and the injustice of that tax was not
so clearly understood ; directly this was ascertained en-
deavours were made to bring the matter before the Go
vernment and Parliament..

By the Chairman—He was clearly of opinion that it
was a case for the intervention of Parlianient. Witness
was about to explain the operation of the Municipal
Corporation Act, when Sir J. Duckworth moved that
the room be cleared. The committee hating remained,
in consultation for an hour, the parties were readmitted,
and, in answer to a question from the chairman, witness
said he thought, if the question of the legality of the
dues bad been raised at the time of the passing of the
Municipal Act, some clause would have been inserted to
protect the public interests.
By Mr. Headlam—lf the original grant were produced
some obligation would be found to attach to the collec-
tion of these dues.

By Mr. Watson—To establish the legality of the fin
position of the dues under a grant from the Crown, he
considered it necessary that such dues should be proved
to be the same as those originally levied, or, in other
words, to prove continuity and similarity ; and this
could not be e:tablished. He could not refer to any
document to prove that the dues were clothed with any
trust, but his reading of the law was, that there must b•
some duty performed in return for the power to levy
dues.

By Mr. Horsfall—He still maintained that the dues
were levied arbitrarily and without limit, notwithstand-
ing the publication of the tariff, because such tariff was
varied from time to time, and many articles were not
mentioned in the tariff at all.

By Mr. Headlarn—He denied the right of the Crown
to grant dues upon property not in its possession at tbe
time, or upon articles which were not imported at the
period when the grant was made.
By the Chairman—All prescription implied a grant,
and no grant could be made of dues upon articles nn•
known at the t•me being.
Mr. Newland, of Liverpool, general merchant, said
his attention had been directed to the Liverpool town
dues. He complained especially of the tax upon salt,
which amounted to 5 per cent, on the cost of the ex'
ported article. This was a very injurious impost on trade,
and prevented its expansion. The trade in salt bad been
increasing of late years, and was subject to large compe-
tition from works on the Mediterranean, Cadiz, Lisbon,
St. Übe's, and other places. He objected generally
to the levying of town dues on articles of import and
export, and believed it would be greatly to the advan-
tage of Liverpool if some compensation were made to
it and the town dues altogether abolished. This would
remove a serious grievance, and it would also be an
additional benefit if the distinction at present existing
between freemen and ❑on freemen were done away. Wit-
ness was not prepared to suggest the mode of compen-
sation, but thought that, as the corporation had a title
to these dues, which had been recognised by act of Par-
liament; Government should make some compensation
to the tows. The dues were decidedly an encumbrance
to trade, and their removal would afford great facilities
to the trade of Liverpool. He objected to tbe
Weaver dues, which were double the amount of the
town dues, and on such an article as salt the tax was
most oppressive. The amount of the town dues he paid
for salt in the last year was 2501., and 1001. for other
articles.

By Mr. Duncan—He had exported 10,000 tons of salt
during the past year, upon which, had be been a freeman,
he should have saved the town dies of 6d. a ton.

Mr. Heron, town-clerk of Manchester, was recalled,
and put in returns of the poor and other rates in the
townships of Manchester from the years 1851 to 1855,
and stated that a sum of upwards of 541,41001. had been
expended by the corporation within the city, and which
sum had been repaid by single proprietors within the last
20 years.

No other witnesses being in attendance, the committee
adjourned until Thursday, May 22.