The Sun.
London, England, 1805-04-05 00:00:00

ISLE OF MAN.

THE dispuqs res Peeling this little Island having
now, it seems' artratied the attention of Parliament,
some explanation of their nature may not prove un.
acceptable to out Readers. •
, •
Four centuri'ea ago a dePentrent feudal sovereign.
ty,- with a sort of internal 'right. of legislation, was
granted first to the Percy, then to the Stanley fami.
ly. On a failure of a branch of the latter, it de.
volved to a former Duke of Athol, one of whose
ancestors had married a Stanley.' As soon as high
duties began to he imposed in-Inland, the proxi.
mity and exemption from taxation of this little
territory was found to pro..!luce, injury to rite Reve.
aroue : it became a deptif fur sniuggled commodities.
During George the First's Reignthe Treasury had
beep
,authorized to purclutse it from the then Earl of
Derby ; but the bargain was nut completed till
t : •
Though the insular ettitorns paid to the feudal
Lord (we have already hinted• whence arising) then
produced about csool. per annum, -yrt his Grace of
Athol, considering their precarious nature, wisely
asked bit 70,0001. forthe rights he offered to cede
to the Crown.. The Minister of, that day, Mr.
George Grenville assented ; and recommended His
Majesty's bestowing a pension. 'of zoool. per ann.
on the Irish Establishment, as an unasked addition
to the price, which she family still enj • The
insular duties were then abolished; otheri, corapa.
ratively heavy,, impo,eil by Parliament, and the
contraband trade titivpreN'aeti.'
So' it stood 25 years. In 1790 the Duke of
Athol presented a, Petition to. tin: iinuse of Corn.
mons, alledgiog that thei,rice paid was inadequate,
and requiring the appointment of Commi.aiioners,
with pretty extensive powers, to make inquiries,
among other ohjeds, into: the then value of the
rights transferred to the Crown. Under the aPpre.
hension that this -claim would ultimately be saddled
on the Island, the House of Keys,lt component part
of the local ,Legislature, resolved to withstand his
Grace's •attempt. They petitioned the House of
Commons, explained how the Duties had *risen
during the Proprietary Government ; remarked
on the fallacy of• confounding them with the Par.
liamentary Duties ; and mvantained that 70,0001.
was in truth a magnificent price for the amall
portion of the Old Revenue that would have
remained after stnitggiing was demolished,. laur.
dened as it was with all the expenees.of interior
government of the Island ; but principally, they
.dwelt on the long aequitsCence of the parties, evine.
ing that the price was'not inadequate, or any injury
dune them,: even in their own optnion. These Job.
jettions had their weight. The Dill was withdrawn.
Mr. Dundas, however, then Secretary of State, in
the following year, by his own authority, dispatched
Commissioners to the Isle of Man, to make inqui.
rietbearing on the same points.

The result of these Gentlemen's labours was a
voluminous Report ; but little benefit to hi* Grace.
Until rBot he remained, at rest. Then ilt resorted
Ito the'Privy Council, *till asking further compensa.
Lion, but now distinctly .” out of the Insular Re.
venue." The Attorney and Solicitor-General were
consulted, anti state, they really do not see how the
compensation received can be eonsidered irradequate.
Of the nature of the subsequent proceedings at the
Council Board wrare no; informed ; but their Lord.
ships' recommendation is said to have been obtained,
that the Royal Assent be given to a Bill appropri.
acing to the family of Athol a perpetual rent charge
payable out of the regular Revenue.
This the flume of Keys and inhabitants again op.
pose_; and complain of the attempt co alienate a
large.portion of their Revenue in extinction of claims
amply compensated fur ty years ago.

We confess we look with soipe interest to the
progresl of this business ; and aloubt not Pariiiinent's
paying every attention to A question of so singular
a MUM..