The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-23 00:00:00

STATIONERY:OFFICE;

MT.f:UVAIL moved far a .return - of the:establishment of the
Statienery trffice' stating the Salaries and COntingent expenses,
tine peers 1815;181 1817, .18113,' I iil9,--and I 020.=-Ordered.
MONEY PAID. 1W-
.OOVERNMENi *TO IRISH
. . NEWSPAPERS.

inoTed a Return of all Disbursements
mitdeby' Government from the sth January; 1813,. to the sth
Jarrkrrlll2o;:to 4"Tlie..Dublin -Correspondent," " TheHi='
barman Journal,'.'. and TheDubiin Journal," for Proc.larna-
tins 'lnserted 'those fr.;peii ; also a Return of similar Dis-
bursements, in tha same period, to " Carrick's MorningTost;":
" TPost," he_ Dublin Evening and "- The Freeman's Jour-
nal."—Ordered.

RECEIVERS GENERAL AND DISTRIBCTORS :OF
STAMPS.

Mr.-ItuarE called the attention of the 'House
to the system- at present acted upon with respect
to the Receivers-General-of the: .Land Tax and
Assessed Taxes, and the DistributoThef Stamps.
There were _65 Receivera-General in England
and ;one in. Scotland, and 91 Distributors of
Stamps, making altogether 157 place "situations
a great portion of these were sinecure offices
which might be -abolished without inconvenience
to the service, and as he must contend, with great
beoefitto the country. OC the Iteceivers-Ge-
neral, 3-1 performed tire duty-entirely -by deputy,
14 performed it jointly :by - deputy,:-and the re-
mainder performed it note_by deputy.. Some of
thetre received- • very- Jarge• sums as :Toundage,
whit. others had 'bdt little"; one with another
their incomes.amounted to 6411. Those who re-
ceiVed most performed the-duties of the situation
by. deputy. Ithad.be.en laid down in the report
ota Coinmittee of_that House, as a maxim, that
where the duty was—wholly performed by de-
puty,- there was prima facie -evidence. that the
expence:of the.principal-might be saved: Ile was
of:opinion thatalL the Receivers-General might
be -done-away. In:lreland,* all the sums raised
iev the provinces were 'transmitted to. Dublin, and
ia!Scotlarrdein the same manner-the rnonies.;col-
lected were transmitted to:the Receiver-General,
wl:o resided the: metropolis:. Ile could not
see why -the.. same -might; not . be - done in
Ehglaied,.-. and Thus upwards. of .40,0001. might
be:saved annually: in that department, -while at
the same time, much unnecessary patronage would
be done away, Which-it appeared to him was only
kept. up -for.. bad- purposes. By: the Accounts
nrade up to the ..6th_ January, 18W,it appeared,
that thelowest balance remaining in the hands of
theeßeceivers amounted: to 367,5741. This sum,
they‘helll at the .commencement.of the -quarter,'
andets the quarter advanced, its.growing product
doubled-.or.perhaps,trebled. the .amOunt. he had
I:Wit/toned: Ile called on the House to consider
how- grear...the advantage. must be to, those who
Ite.id these balances. But then it -would • be said,
they must have -those for. Receivers General :who
could give proper: security. He-wished - every
nereessarfsecerity to be.. given, but objected to
-the securities •at ,present demanded. The-pre:
sent: system :he-,considered to be as bad- as bad
could:be.. This he instanced- in the failures which
had occna-red, and in the manner in which the
accounts had:Lica:a kept, front which it was 'clear
that thd.Tax Mice-had no regular -check on the
Reekiver. Mir. Shaw, the Receiver General of
Surrey, died 'in 1805, and the Commissioners came
onlia securiticafor 30,0004 ..The balance 'that
remained-due they .then stated -to be*Semeeihere
about 3.0 r 40001. Fiie,years after this„'4o,ooo/:
more was demanded on information which had been
supplied to the CoMlniasioners,- after the-balance
due had been declared to 'amount to !hut 3 or
40001., .01 the 40,0001. Sir Gerard Noel had paid
34,0001. .and Mr. L'Estrange had been called
on to pay the. remaieder. This ivas sufficient to
show hoW little the revenue was protected. Mr..
Ayton; the Receiver-General of Salop,
.died ih
1816 ; his securities.(te.O.Membersof that Huirse
before _being. boand.for him) had inquired what
balance stood against him, and. was told 'that
there was nothing brit a few tho.usands... After
hirdeath, they were called on to make good an en or-
etdus. balance, of 100,00Q1. • d from hid] a 0 year's:
before.; and for this .tliey had la4.:eir proceeded
nakeit,-.bet.he -was happy to learn that proceed-
ings had been stayed. In .-the Extisc a better

system was Rated %pouf DA ut out of the immense
revenue there collected', which was thiVetinies-
as great as the amount of the Land and Assessed
Taxes, die arrears were noe,half so.great as the
balance left in the iteceivo:'s hands. The sane
course ought to be adopted:, with respect to the
Land and Assessed 'faxes that Was acted 1001 i in
the Excise), or that whi.ch he had shewn to .be
in force in Ireland and Scotland. If the money
were never suffeyed to- remain in the collector's
hands more -than sia Weeks, much of the evil
would be prevented; and then such high securi-
ties 'as were now required4ould not-he necessary.
Ire thought the,office of Ileceive'r-General' ought
to he-abolished altogether, but if.the system was
to be kept' up, lie- would- then recommend that
tenders should- be advertised-for in each county from
those willing to take upon themselves the duties of
that-situation, and he was sure that plenty would be
found to give adequate security,- and to perform
them-without requiring- any. remuneration for the
sake of the benefit:ariiing from the balances ne-
cessarily left in hand: He now earn- to the Dis-
tributors of Stamps. These Gentlemen, 41.1819,
received•from the public the stun of 72,650/. In
1899, they received 73,671'1: and over and'above
they had- the benefit-of balances, which' at:the
lowest amounted- to upwards of 103,0001. The
per' cerstage hi the' collection of stamps; was,
from 1694 to 1758, 71. 10i. per coif.. In 1758, it
was reduced.to -51. percent. • The following:_fear
it was raised to 61.-per.cent; andAhus it remained'
till 177, when it was reduced to 51. per cent.
This-was uot altered till that COmmittee sat, of
which the. predecessor of- the present Speaker
was Chairman, Wiled it' was- reduced -to- 41. at
which-it-now stood; lie-then noticed the incomes
received' by the- Distributors, of Stamps. Mr.
Cole, of Norfolk', received in the -years 1817,1
1818,1819, andl'S%-20,' the average sum of 38201.
per annum.-Mr. Gray; of York, received the sum
of five .thousand eight .hundred, and eight pounds.
on- to enuMeratethe average incomes of
the distributors of stamps in-other countries, and
offered -in two instances to produce individuals -Of
the:first respectability, who would give the saine
securities, and perform the-same 'duties; (if-the
system was to be upheld) for a much smaller re:-
muneration, He would however recommend
that the sameccourse :should be taken with the
distributors of stamps, that he had wished tp see
taken. with the -Receiver7General. He • wished
tenders to be,called forin each county, and the
Government could take the best that offi,retl.
He had one great. complaint to-make. If any
one went to buy a shilling stamp, he would be
charged_ a shilling
.and a penny for it. He had
been charged 'ss. sd. fora five shilling stamp at
Rath last year; and Wheri'he 'asked why this was,
I e was told that Iliey(the venders) would not
take the trouble to sell 'them without 'such a
profit.- Ile would 'say that every individual who
cha gel a-Fenny extra fora stamp ought 'to -be
tzan, ported. A man who stole five nails,' value
three fa'rtlfwge; out of a dock.-yard,: was liable to
transportation, and- why should the offender he
had 'just de cribed bo.'exertipted from a like
puniArnent 3 • He had - suggested a clause to
punish -this :offence, and he hoped it would be'
adopted. BY the plan- recommended he had
no tfoult bilt sav'ing of 132,0001. might be ef-
fected.' He would -venture to answer for a saving
of 100;0001. -in "the first :year of-the experiment.
A-method of reduction in the expellee of Receivers
General wa-s sometime ago pointed out by the
Finance. f2oMmittee, and which, after 'being of
first scouted,- was subsequently, acted upon. It
Was to effect a saving of 20,000/. per annum in the
course of 25 years, which, compared with his
plan, wasAlie-tnere semblance of economy. The
Distributors- of- Stamps - had -been increased at
various periods, so as to:suit the political circum-
stances of the times.- In the time of Mr. Perce-
val's. administration, the office had become vacant
at Liverpool, when two- Members of that House
made application 'for the appointment. This
created a dilemma:, to avoid 'which the office was
divided, and both Gentlemen appointed.—(Hear,
hear!)—lle thentht hid said every thing that
should satisfy 'the -.Muse of the necessity that',
existed for 'agreeink 'to'hiS 'resolutions. if the
House resolved-that reduction Should be made,
there' wereaOhantls Into which. the subject would
so.properly go-as` to those of hi§ 'Majesty's trea
sury.' Btit-ilthey Were unwilling to undertake
task,- let them' refer to 'a Co mei We of the
IrCtn - Lord Castlereagh.)—He
was glad to understand from. the. Noble: Lord',•
that a Committee -would be agreed to. He was'
grateful that his suggestions would 'lie so far at-:
'tended' to. At the .same- time, he must observe'
that• the same- propositions which he' had-the'
honour to submit last year, were 'met by a direct'
negative; The Ilon. Member then read a string;
ref resoldt.rens which he meant to propose,.'which.
-were founded upon the statements contained in
his speech.

The CHANCELLOR of the-ExcitEntrEa said, that
he would move as au Atnendment the appoint-
ment of a Select Commi ttee—(hear,. hear!!),—to
inquire whether the object of the motion of the
Hon. Member. could-be carried into effect con-
sistently with the public security, the public
economy,. and-the -dispatch -and accuracy• of the
public business. He would adopt the suggestions
of such. a CoMmittee, whatever -might be their
effect as to patronage—(hear, hear !) ;—that Was
a consideration which he would put entirely out'
of the question,—(Hear.)--They would examine
into, the details of ,the plan of the Hon. Meinber,'
and_see how_ far the arrangement he proposed
could be I..atriedinto effect. He could not thitlk:
tiat the existing system was so Lai rs the Hon.
Meinber stated-----he could not think that -it was
worthy of such Complote reprobation "as the Hon.
Member` beitowed 'upon it—far ftom it ; 'but if
on examination it should be' found that defects
existed . in ' those establishments,' he would hot
object to 'the removal of such - dereeF; • He
could 'not, ' however, but 'hesitate to ' lay
aside a system of collection—which had been
tried so long; and which had`secured the public
interest tvich -a degree of 'accuracy; • which 'he
was convinced the' Hottourable •Memher was
rigt a.ware-of.- Under. thiSs systern; 'for' a peeiod
of '3O 'years, -a sum of three hundred' and thirty'-
`seven millions of nforiey bad 'been-collected; and
the' arribtint of the whole toss on that sum was

but 13,7501.-7(near,. hear !)—As to the rate of
poundage, tW efti ee'
the Lind Tax, and i Ld. on' the A'Aeised,TeS,
amounting to an average poundage of I per Cent:.
He wia to enlarge on the-subject, as' it
was likely to go before a Committee: He-Would,
however; be tilliilfed to say a Word as' to tht,
Cotntnistibrieri of Stamps. The House was not:
to suppose that the profits• of those individuals
Were alwayi commensurate with the amount of
the distribution of stamps, and they werein some
cases exposed to heavy losses. But if with
respect to- theme it should appear to the Corm
mittee that an arrangement might be made;
which would promote' economy,---which would
give security to the public, and promote.
the due dispatch of public business, he would
not oppose such an arrangement. He wished
that the whole subject should be placed un-
der the consideration of a Select Committee ;
they would make- their inquiries, and from their
Report the House would be enabled to forM a
safe and fair opinion, as to how far the proposition
of the Hon. Gentleman could be carried into ef-
fect. With these views he would move, as an
amendment, " That a Select Committee should
be appointed to inquire into the Duties of the
Receivers-General of the Land and Assessed
Taxes, and also into the Duties of Distributors of
Stampsin G rearßritain ; also into the-Allowances
.made to said Receivers-General and Distributors.

of Stamps."—The fo
named by the Right H

bers of the Committee

The Chan. of the-Exchequer
Mr. Hanle
The Solicitor-General
Mr. Bankes-
Mr. Macdonald •
Sir Charles Long
Mr. Courtenay.

flowing Menibers were'
on Gentlenian, a's Mem-

Sir Thomas -Ackland
Mr. Williams Wynn
Mr. P. Grenfca
Mr. II Wodehoase
Mr. Flotford
Mr. TreMare
Mr. W. Smith.

Sir J. AIACKINTOSP thought his gratitude
owing to the .Hon. Member behind hiM, whose
spirit of perseverance and industry bad obtained
this concession from the Right 'Hon. Gentleman,
which had been so positively denied laSt year.
This was also partly the effect of the situation in
which the Noble Lord found himself last night.
The House could not but see the great
,effect
which a.majority against Ministers occasionally
had. It • put the-language of economy and re-
trenChineritinto their mouths, and created witlAti
a disposition to investigate and to correct abuse.
Hon. Gentlemen who usually supported them,
would also see with how much safety they 'might
leave the Ministers 'in a minority. Those Hon.
Members who wished to give thern'pernetuity of
power would also see, that to accompliSh
that object, . it was not always necessary
to support them with their votes. _ The time,
had been when an -administration only existed
withi_the confiden-,ce: of_ the Houser But the
Noble- Lord could take hints quietly_ and-re-
p, attidly,' so that he-could get a majority upon
the direct question of remaining in office. Those
times of proud and constitutional. feeling'` had'
passed away. With 'respect to the Committee,
some of them were individnals of the- highest re-
spectability, but he thought to expect any gond,
they onght to have a fair arid impartialCominit--
tee; and not one formed 'like. the' present. The'
best names had certainly been ptit in the van, and
at first it seemed to sound very well.' But the
rear .vas very deficient. He saw art'HOn. Bare.
net (sir T. Acland) smile, but the Hon. Baronet
certainly could not suppose he alluded to hlrii;
He knew that Hon. Baronet's draracter too well,'
and nobody admired it more than he did.
L2rd' CASTI:EftEAGII 'observed that the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman seemed to be more in-
toxicated with the majority-in which he had found
himself the night before. than beettine•a person,of
lits experience and ability. He hOped the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman, now that tie acted as the
leader-of a patty,.WOUl'd not-4o easily be betrdyed
into' these Juvenile.' political indiscretionS.—(A
laugh.)—lf he carried' back his reinenibrance to
the period' when the preSent Marquis of- Lans.:
doWn (then Lord H; Petty) was' ChatiCellor• of
the EXchequer, he would find that the adminis-
tration of that day received two hints similar' to
the one of last night, and' in fuller Houses, with-
out considering 'it their duty to resign. They
received two such warnings':• one with regard to
a tax on iron;•and the'oth'er `Witli•'regard 'to pri-
vate breweries, 'neither of which induced them to
make a *surrender of their 'offices. Again he
woull—to use 'a dotnino'n expression—advise the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman not to halloo. be-
fore he was out' of the' wood; for he was much
mistaken if he supposed that the. latedivision was
indicative of any new influence. He (Lord C.)
had attended a meeting-ten days, ago, at which'he
had engaged to use no, ministerial influence On
.he question, and the Hon. 'and Learned Gen-
tleman might as well have 'foregone the only
nurpOse to which his attempt could have been
directed: • •

Lord A. IN:vittioN expressed- his 'acknONs--
ledgmentS to' the Hon. Gentleman (Mr'. Hume)
for hii great and. tin wearied exertions in prothot-
ing retrenchment arid economy, at a time when,
the public interests so' irrperiduslY called for
them. To some of the. propositions of 'tile ItiOt
lion. 'Gentleman (the Chancellor of the ExClie-:
quer) he found it impossible to assent.

Mr. S. WORTLEY confirmed the statement of
his Noble Friend. (Lord Castlereagh) as to his.
attending a meeting at -which he had pledged
himself to consent to the appointment .of -a fair
COmmittee. It was natural that -his-Majesty';
GoVermnent should refer to County Members,
it their selection of fit persotis to hold the office'
of Retieiver-General.

Mr. I.trscinsi•Orici stated his Opinion,- that when
the Committee *as gone into, it would be
found, even by the Hon. Member (Mr: Hume)
himself, that, with respect to 'his views of the
Receiver-CenetarshiP, he was' 'mo'St. egregiously.
Mistaken. • The "small amount of arrears, as had
been 'shekvn by his Right Hon.- Friend, proved
its effich4ncy as a method of secnritY,. and he he-
lieifed that the expence of it could:be reduced,
and at the same time thaf 'secitrity• retained.
Mr. 11 (Jim' ivai quite 'Satiated kith the
pointmetit Of -a Committee, 'but •not- with 'the
names proposed sby-the Right Hon. Gentleman.
Of the fifteen-,•there.iyere•Only four silibit'sually
toted-4ith 'hirik.." Hi cuuhl- tiot.'think' Of 'pro:
ceedir4 to trairiess'with such a cottLirittoe:. lie

wished to add six more names, so as to have ten
Who thouiht With•hini, abd there *mild still be
eleven, constituting a majority on the other side.
The name's he should propose
craft,' Sir H. Parnell, Mr. Ppm, Mr. Maherly,
Mr. Monty, Mr. Creevey.
Mr. W. SMITH thought the names ought to be
adde.d.

Mr. lltmE said, that as perhaps the list he
had propm,ed, contained names rather too decid-
ed, be begged leave to suggest an amended (I,llp
Mr. R. Smith (of Lincoln), Mr. chetwynd,
Sir 11. Parnell, Mr. Moberly, Mr. Whitmore,
Mr. Calcraft.

Mr. R. MARTIN contended that the original
• .
list, was rather in favour of the other side than
otherwise. According to the Constitution of the
House,, there was not too large a majority for'
the Administration in tbe proposed committee.
The other side ought note fairne'ss, to expect a
larger proportion of numbers in a Committee than
they'haa in the whole House. With respect to
What had been said.of patronage, he-could state
that the reductions' which the present'Adminis-
tration had made in Ireland, were far greater
than any made by the Administration Of Mr:
Fox. The Right Hon. Gentleman opposite' (Sir
J. Newport) divided"ths offices of" Customs and
Ex-cise and appointed double salaries, thereby
'creating 18' or 20 places of from 5001. to 7001.
'per year each. Ile publicly asserted this, and
appealed to the Right Hon. Baronet to contra-
dict him if he was not correct.

Sir J. NEwPoaT remarked upon the irregular
manner in which he had been called upon,. but
he' was at all times ready to meet, any charge
of the nature of that which had now been made
against Itim. He was content to rest the defence
of his official conduct upon a statement of the
expence of collecting the taxes in Ireland at the
period when ht held the office, and what it was
at the present. time. The average nce, then
was 91. 18s per cent. It was now, fur Excise
15/., for the Customs 231. for Assessed Taxes '271.
—(Hear, hear !)—lt was true that he did sepa-
rate the offices of ExciSe and CustOins, and
amongst the very first claimants for one of the
new offices was the Hon. Gentleman himself,
who had thought propet to call upon hini in the
manner he had now done.

Mr.MAitTIN explai►ted. He admitted that he
had applied for the office in question; and all
that he now contended for was, that the Right
Hon. Baronet ought not to co►nplain of the in-
crease of patronage.

Sir CHARLE4 Cos-O, after some preliminary- ob.
servations,proposed -the addition of the follow-
ing names, to which he conceived there would be
no -objection :—Mr. Chetwynd, Sir 1-I..Parnell,
Mr. Smith, of Lincoln, Mr. W. Whitmore, Mr.
W. Smith, Mr. N. Calvert, and Lord Binning.
To these names Mr. Ilumz assented, and the
Motion was agreed to. . . .
The, CharitablQ Establishments Bill went
through a Committee,—The Beer Duties Bill
was read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted to-morrow (this day).—The Bill for re-
pealing the Laws relating to Witchcraft was read,
a second time and committed.---:The other Or.
ders of the Day were -then 'disposecYor, and the
Mouse adjourned until to-morrow (this day).

FOR THE SUN.

REAL FREEDWI Ok' TgE CATHOLICS.

Ala..Enrroa—EverY good and patriotic man
must wish the actual emancipation of the Ca-
tholics from all laws .• which place them under
disabilities of any kind, for it is but reasonable
to give them the same rights with the other sub-
jects of the realm, if this can be done with safety;
and it would be an additional source of strength
to the state to have the full lbenetit of their abi-
litieS and knowledge-. I would Wish, however,tabe
informed, if there are DO disabilities imposed upon
them by their ecclesiastical discipline, which ought
to be removed previous to granting them this free-
dom in their civil and political rights. These, it
is obvious, have only -been restrained i 4 time
past in consequence of the dangers apprehended
from the tenets of their faith ; and
,whether the
apprehension of these dangers be well or ill
founded, it is right, still to inquire whether there
remains any lurking or hidden evil in their
reli-
gious condition, before abolishing for ever those
laws now under the consideration of Parliament
concerning them, which were beyond all doubt
enacted by our' ancestors. as' securities for the
preservation of civil and 'ieliglous liberty.
I belie-ve every well' informed man'is now sa-
tisfied thit; in this enlightened age, there it no
danger to be dreaded from the influence of the
Pope, or, in the free empire of Britain, from the
religious principles of Catholic Geutletnen, whose
minds have been enlightened .by a liberal educa-
tion. Thedeclarations of the Catholics themselves
give rs,-I think,:a sufficient pledge that there
is in reality no sucti'danger; and they themselves-
must be- too 'well acquainted with the blessings
derived from the perfect security 'of their persons
and propertied under Our admirable Constitution,
ever to hazard the existence of those laws,
which afford this security, by any attempt to sub-
vert them. But while radmit all this, I, would,
• ,
still ask, and anksously ask, 'is the'great body of
the Catholics I midi; the lower orders, equally free
as their Protestant brethren to attain kvery kind
Of useful knowledge necessary for' rendering them
.
the enlightened 'Citizens of -a free State; and
every kind of 'religious •information, which can •
'free their 'Minds - from delnsirin, bigotry, and'.
errar; and' froth-the (indite influenCeof Ecclesia-'
stical Rulers, SuPpOsing such undue influence to
exist ? Are all the sourccs-of knawledge, human
and divine, open to them,Without restraint in the
same manner as to their fellow subjects ? Are
they a"Niays' at full liberty, to read those sacred,
books 'which contain the laws -of their
,moral
conduct and religious faith, without theinterven-
tion of human commentators and human dogmas,
and are 'they permitted to do so •in a language'
they understand, • that they may record them‘
upon their memories, 'and reduce them to prac-
lice ? Are they capable of understanding the
language in which they- worship God, and
dress Hitn in their' pnblic•'devOtions if these
questio-ns can be answered in the. affirina-.
tive;-I would' '*t onco- slip the Catfro-Fcs ought

LONDON ; Printed by J.-11. CARSTAIRS, of No. 29, Great.
Orrnrindstroet, Queen-square ;. and -published b IV. A.
SCRIPPS, of No. 7, South ;rlolton4trect,..at 'f Sw
OFFICE, . No. 112, Strand ; where Abliiwilst:kEN"
0RD17.35, TTr.I2S, "(past...paid) roust be addressed.