The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-31 00:00:00

TAX DEFAULTER.

A few months ago, Mr. Coode, who was surveyor
of taxes over an extensive district, embracing Retford,
Newark, Grantham, and their respective neighbour-
hoods, absconded; and on an investigation of his af-
fairs, it was found that he had received various sums
of money for which he had not accounted to Mr.
Chambers, of Stamford, the receiving inspector of the
district. The matter being brought before:the Board
of Taxes, it was determined that as Coode had no power
to receive the money, and as the various collectors had
no right to pay the money to him, that therefore the
said collectors should pay the money over again. This,
however, was thought a great hardship, and va-
rious memorials were presented to the board, praying
that the order for repayment should not be enforced.
At length it came under the re-consideration of the
board, and after investigating all the circumstances
attache i to each individual case, the ComTissioners
resolved that the collectors should not be held'respon•
sible, but that Coode's defalcations should be made up
by Mr. Chambers. The following is an extract from
the official letter conveying the important information :
—" The board, however, on a review of the circum-
stances of this and similar cases, have resolved on re-
quiring the receiving inspector to make good the
amounts for which the collectors can produce evidence
of payment to the surveyor, who has absconded, on the
ground that the money would not have been lost if
the receiving inspector had observed the regulations
of the board, framed for his guidance, and had not
been in other respects negligent in the performance of
his official duty." The defalcations in the neighbour-
hoods above mentioned amount to a very considerable
sum, and we know the publication of this information
will ease the mind of many an honest man, who, un-
knowingly, had been dealing with a deceitful and
dishonest man. This will, no doubt, be a warning to
receivers of taxes against allowing collectors, at re-
ceipts of taxes, leaving money in arrear which they
ought to have collected and paid in. It ought also to
be a warning to collectors. If collectors had been
compelled to pay up, at the receipt days, the calls upon
them, Coode could not have got hold of arrears from
them afterwards.—Nottingham Review.

THE HAY HARVEST.—The hay harvest will this
year, to all appearance, extend over a great part of four
months, namely, June. July, August, and September !
In a considerable part of Yorksire, the hay is still
abroad in the fields ; in many places it is uncut ; and we
hear in the northern parts that the farmers think of post-
poning the getting in of their•hay till after the corn har-
vest ! The crops are generally very deficient, though,
where the hay is cut very late, the quantity is increased,
but of course at the expense of the after-grass.—Bury
Farmers' Journal.

FLOUR FROM ST. JOHN'S, NEW BRUNSWICK.—
It is already known, that by the treaty concluded by
Lord Ashburton with the United States, on the
boundary question, a considerable portion of territory,
which was regarded as British, and upon which, in fact,
British settlements had been established, was conceded
by this country. We believe some peculiar privileges
were given in the arrangement to this tract, as to import
duties and the admission of its produce into thiscountry;
and a correspondent has forwarded us a specimen of
flour imported from that district duty free, in barrels,
and sold here, while the flour from Canada is paying a
duty of 3s. This is certainly an extraordinary state of
things—a little bye.blow at the corn-laws, made not by
an open act of legislation but by treaty ; and we shall be
curious to learn the whole extent of this tract of land and
its capabilities of production, that we may. judge of the
effect it may have hereafter upon the British farmer.—.
Chtlni.fi)rd Chronicle.

RULES FOR NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS.—Sup.
posing you wish to contribute to a public charity, send
your money to the editor of a newspaper. He must
acknowledge the receipt of it, and so you get your name
and benevolence advertised in the best part of the paper
for nothing. 2. Another good method, if you are fond
of appearing before the public, is to request the editor to
state that " the Richard Jones who, in our police report
of yesterday, was sentenced to Bridewell for shoplifting,
is not the Mr. Richard Jones, the respected chiropmdist,
of Sackville-street." 3. If you are writing to a political
newspaper, never mind about writing on the two sides of
the paper, as, depend upon it, it will be a recommenda-
tion in your favour if the editor sees you can write well
on both sides. 4. You need not be particular about
writing legibly, as it stands to reason, if the editor can-
not read your letter, that you will be spared the mortifi-
cation of reading in the next day's notices to correspon-
dents, that " Philo Justitire is an ass." 5. It is usual in
sending a statement, which impugns the character of
' another person, to send your name and address with it ;
but, as in matters of libel, this is a very troublesome, as
well as a very expensive plan, it is better to send any
body else's card rather than your own. By this means
you avoid publicity, and have the double gratification of
annoying two persons at once. 6. Inserting your death
one day, and contradicting it the next, is another very
cheap plan of advertising in a newspaper. Besides you
have the advantage of learning in your lifetime what,
your friends think of you after your death. This plan,
however, will only answer once. 7. It is better, perhaps,
not to send any poetry to a newspaper. We never re-
collect an instance of the Times inserting " A Sonnet to
a sow," or " Lines to my Mary." 8. Be careful of
quotations, especially in a foreign language. If an
editor knows his own language well, it is as much as you
have a right to expect of him. 9. Never send anything
to a newspaper " to be continued," unless it is a legacy
or a dozen of port. 10. Never trouble yourself in call-
ing to see the editor of a newspaper. It is a strange
circumstance, but you might call a hundred times and
always find him " out."—Punch.
THE HOUSE OF CO/MONS.—On Thursday, at one
o'clock, the Speaker's house, with several other apart-
mates connected with the House of Commons adjoining
St. Stephen's cloister, were disposed of by auction by
Mr. Horne, in order to be taken down for the formation
of the entrance-hall to the centre hall of the Westminster
Palace, the sale took place in the smoking-room, and
there was a numerous attendance of purchasers of build.
ing materials. Besides the Speaker's house (which was
but slightly injured at the conflagration of the Mouses
of Parliament) to be sold, there were two refreshment
rooms, the kitchens, and the smoking and coffee rooms,
which had been built since the tire for the convenience
of Members of Parliament. The whole were divided
into 46 lots, and one of the conditions of the purchase
was that the entire building should be removed within
parts of the premises were erected
eighteen days. Some • floorings •
oak, and were in good condition.
and the of some of the
in
roomsthe
were Gothic
laid style,wit h
/ was knocked a • for Ani
The several lots went for about 437/. The brickwork,
which was put up at 26.,
-ovbn
It was considered by the trade, in general, that they
fetched high prices.
of workmen in the employment of Mr.
SINGULAR DISCOVERY.--Thursday mornin,gCooper, as a
number
the well-known contractor, were engaged in making a
new sewer in Bowling-green-lane, Clerkenwell, they
discovered a number of bones of a gigantic size, about
twelve feet from the surface of the earth. In the opinion
of an experienced anatomist, they are the thigh and
collar-bones of an elephant ; and this conclusion is con-
firmed by the fact, that about a fortnight since the entire
skeleton of an elephant's head, with the exception of the
tusks, was dug out near the same spot. The teeth of
the elephant were complete, but upon the jaw being rudely
thrown up by the excavators' spades, they fell out, and
several of them were carried away by a number of boys.
Police-constable G 136 also obtained possession of some
of the teeth. The sewer is 22 feet under ground, and
will communicate with the branch :ewer intended to
drain the new prison for Middlesex. The imperfect
drainage of the existing prison, which is about to be
pulled down, has been for some time past under the con-
sideration of the Middlesex Magistrates.

We regret to hear that the barns, corn-stacks, Ste.,
of Mr. Water, of Stratford-sub-Castle, near Salisbury,
were last night destroyed by tire, supposed to be the act
of an incendiary.—Devizes Gazette.
POWDER. MILL EXPLOSION.—On Wednesday morn•
ing, bets een four and five o'clock, one of the powder•
mills on Ewell Marsh, belonging to Sir Henryßrydges,
Bart., exploded, and the building was utterly destroyed.
The report was heard at a distance of two miles. For-
tunately no person was injured. There seems to be a
singular fatality about these mills—this being the third
or fourth explosion within a twelvemonth, and all are
unaccounted for.
It is rumoured to-day that our Government is in.
clined to make a formal and positive recognition of the
right of France to retain iti A!gerine csnquests, on con•
dition of receiving a very important concession in return,
and which is neither more nor less than that of assuming
the Protectorate of Egypt, under arrangements to which
Mehemet Ali is reported to he a williug,party.-•
Chelmsford Chronicle.