The Sun.
London, England, 1832-01-25 00:00:00

PROPERTY TAX.

Colonel TORRENS said, that as he did not wish to
interpose any delay whatever in the progress of the Re-
form Bill, he begged leave to postpone his motion that
stood for this day, for leave to bring in a Bill " for re-
pealing such taxes as have the effect of lowering the profits
of capital and the wages of labour, and for substituting in
their stead a modified property tax," until Tuesday, the
6th of March.
IRISH MAGISTRATES.

Mr. G. DAWSON had a short motion to make, which
would only take up the time of the House for a few mi-
nutes. It related to the fees demanded from the Magis-
trates of Ireland in the renewal of their commissions.--
The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving for a
return of the fees paid to the Secretary of the Lord
Chancellor and the other officers in Ireland, for issuing
new commissions of the peace there ; and also a return of
the fees paid by the Magistrates of England for the renewal
of their commissions on the demise of the late King.
Mr. STANLEY would give a very brief answer to the
wordy statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman. The
payment of those fees did not depend on the will or autho-
rity of the Government, but upon Act of Parliament ; and
in looking into the Acts of Parliament o❑ the subject, he
was surprised to find that Magistrates in Ireland, in taking
out new commissions of the peace on a demise of the
Crown, were subjected to higher fees than the Magistrates
in England were liable to on a similar occasion. A
Magistrate in Ireland had to pay 21. I3s. 6d. for such a
renewal, while the sum which an English Magistrate had
to pay was merely a nominal one. The manner in which
the difference of the law in the two countries on this point
had arisen was this: —The Ist Geo. 111., c. 33, superseded
the necessity of suing out new commissions in England on
a demise of the Crown, but that Act did not extend to Ire-
land. By the Ist William IV, it was provided, that no fees
should he payable for the renewal of commissions o❑ the
demise of the Crown, except for the labour actually done
in making out such commissions, and that the Treasury
should have the power of determining the amount of re-
mon-ration to be awarded for such labour. The fees
payable for the labour performed were accordingly reduced
about one-half by a rn,nute of the Treasury, and thus
the magistrates of Ireland, instead of having to pay 71.
15,. 61., had only to pay 2/. 138. 6d. Since 1760 the
attention of Parliament had not been called to this sub-
ject ; but now th it it was, he would say that it would be
proper to introduce a Bill for the purpose of assimilating
the laws in the two countries on the subject.
Colonel PERCIVAL said, that the dedimus issued to a
magistrate in Ireland, on his renewing his commission of
the peace, was a printed form with only one name to be
written in it, and this was the work about which the
Right Hon. Secretary spoke, and for which the fee of
21. I3s. 6d. was to be paid. He wished to know whe-
ther his Majesty's Government would pass a short Bill to
put an end to such exactions.

Mr. STANLEY said, that his Majesty's Government
would not at present promise to introduce any such Act of
Parliament.

Colonel PERCIVAL read a letter which he had re-
ceived on the 9th of January (the day before that fixed
for the Sligo meeting) from the Lord Chancellor of Ireland,
superseding his commission, and calling on him to renew
it. He stated that the other magistrates in Sligo received
similar letters at the same tame, and that they all declined
to take out new commissions, with the exception of the
Provost of the town of Sligo.

An Hon. MENIBER said a few words against the pay-
ment of such fees.

After a few words from Sir R. Bateson, Mr. O'Connell,
and Mr. Goulburn, Mr. Hume (who said he had before
mentioned the case of the beef-eaters, and the exactions
upon their commis.ions, and exhorted the Irish magistrates
to resist the charge now made), Colonel Percival, and Mr.
Ruthven, the motion was agreed to.