The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-11 00:00:00

NOVEL TURNPIKE CASE.

About a month since a waggon was found to be one
ton overweight, at one of the toll gates on the Bath
road, the extra toll for which amounted to 3/. 15s. Gd.
Previous to payment the driver demanded a stamped re-
ceipt. The toll collector declined to give one, stating
that the ticket was receipt enough, and all that he was
required to give. The driver refused to pay the money
without the stamped receipt, and waited two hours at the
gate, as the toll-keeper refused to allow him to pass until
the toll was paid for the overweight. The driver insisted
that the new Stamp Act rendered the stamp necessary.
At last the toil collector, not wishing to injure the
horsep, or delay the man further, put a stamp on the
ticket, under protest, which satisfied the driver, who
paid the money and proceeded on his journey. A few
days afterwards a demand in writing was made upon the
toll collector for 1/, for the detention of the hcfrses. The
demand was forwarded to Mr. M'Adam, the Surveyor-
General, who answered it by stating "that a payment
of toll for overweight was not such a payment as was
contemplated by the Stamp Act." This opinion was
confirmed by P. George, Esq., the solicitor to the trus-
tees; but on the parties aggrieved writing a second
tune, and still expressing their conviction that the stamp
was necessary, a letter was written to Mr. Oke (the
gentleman who has published the excellent compilation
of all acts affecting turnpike roads), and the following
opinion was procured by him from the Inland Revenue
Office :

" Inland Revenue, Somerset House, London,
Jan. 1, 1856.
" Sir, —I have laid before ths Board of Inland Re-
venue your letters of the 20th and 27th ult., and in
reply to your inquiry whether a ticket denoting pay-
ment of a turnpike toll (a form of which was enclosed by
you) is liable to stamp duty when amounting to 40s. or
upwards, I am directed to state that the Board is dis-
posed to think that the tickets in question are not, re-
ceipts within the contemplation of the Stamp Act.
"I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" George Oke, Esq." "THOS. KEOGII.
Notwithstanding the above opinion of the Board,
doubt still existed as to the legality of the toll collector's
refusing to sign a common receipt, with a stamp on it, in
addition to the ticket directed to be given by the Gene-
ral Turnpike Act. Mr. Oke was again applied to, and
ho has kindly forwarded the following opinion on this
point : "London, Jan. 7.
"My dear Sir,—l am of opinion that the natural con-
clusion, from the Board's opinion, that a toll ticket, in
the usual form, is not liable to stamp duty, is, that a
person paying toll is not entitled to any other receipt
than such toll ticket, that being the special discharge
authorised by the Turnpike Act. I cannot see any
doubt on the point.
(Signed)

" GEO. ORB."

ME COMMERCIAL FLEETS OF LIVERPOOL.—Liver-
pool, Jan. 10.—At the weekly meeting of the Liverpool
Dock Committee this afternoon, several annual returns
were read, the most interesting being the following :
During the year 1855 there have passed in and out the
port through the Rock Channel, 13,351 vessels, against
14,513 in the year 1854, being a decrease of 1,1e2 ves-
sels. Through the Victoria and other north channels
the number inwards was 19,756, outwards 20,601 ;
making a total of 40,356, against 37,143 in the pre-
vious year. It was also stated that, during the year,
the Liverpool life-boats had assisted 10 vessels in dis-
tress, and saved 21 lives. A lengthy discussion took
place, before the members separated, on the propriety
of having regular telegraphic communications from
Holyhead, and Mr. Moindel intimated that at the next
meeting on Thursday he should make a distinct motion j
on the enbject.