The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-27 00:00:00

will have under their further consideration, the extensien of the
Warehousing System, when the Reports of the Committees of
the two Houses of Parliament shall be printed.

The REPORT of the Commissioners of Customs on the Sug-
gestions contained in the Seventh Report of the Commis-
sioners for inethring into the Customs and- EXcise.
To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of His
Majesty's Treasury.
May it please your Lordships,
Mr. Lushington having by his letter of the 21st July last,
• transmitted copy of the Seventh Wood of the Commissioners
of Inquiry into, the Customs and txcise, containing their ob-
servations upon the. existing practice at the East Country Docks,
the Commercial Docks, and the Surrey Canal; arid also at those
places- appointed for -the receipt of goods, which are denominat-
ed :iufferance 'Wharfs, Legal Queys, and Up-town Ware-
hoeses; and deSired that we would propose such measures as
might be necessary for carrying the suggestions therein con-
tained into effect.
'We have now to report to your Lordships upon. the several
matters alluded to by the Commissioners of Inquiry, and in
the order in which they stand ; and in so doing have consider-
ed it proper to state the existing practice for your Lordship?
information.
The first observation of the Commissioners, relates to the rnode
of me earring Timber and Wood, and in taking the account
.thereof for the duties; and they propose, that Timber Meas-
surerS may be always stationed at each of the places where.
-bonded timber is deposited. • •
At present there are four established Timber Measurers, at
salaries of 1501. per annum each upon the establishment, and
an allowance of 501. per annum-taeh for boat hire.
There are also seven Assistant Timber Measurers, who are
selected froni the most experienced and capable of the eata-
hlishedand preferable Tidewaiters, and paid at the rate of 1001.
per annum each, when employed, and 501. per annum each for
boat-hire. These Assistant Timber Measurers have all been re-
gularly instructed in their duty, and do not act as deputies to the
established Measurers, but are properly supernumeraries, and
are employed only at particular times of the year, when their ser-
vices are specially required. For about 4or 5 months in the year,
when fewirnportations take place, the established .Measurers have
hitherto been found fully adequate to the busineSs of the Port ;
andvee beet hesitated to propose any -augmentation of the perma-
nent establishment of timber Measurers, in order to avoid as
Much as possible unnecessary expence ; but should it be deem-
ed expedient, either from an increase of the importation of
Timber, tn otherwise, to add to the present number-of esta-
blished Timber Measurers, we shall not fail to recommend a
proper addition to the present number of officers for your
Lordships'' approbation.
The recommendation of the Commissioners to station a Tim-
beaMeasurer at each of the places where bonded timber is de-
posited, we submit may be adopted ; and by this arrangement
a saving will be effected of the present allowances of 501. per
annuity to each of the Timber MeasurerS for boat-hire; but we
arc of opinion, that they should not be permanently stationed
at such places, but be removed at the expiration of each year,
or oftener.
• With regard to tlee.controul, which the Commissioners ob-
serve is necessary, upon the conduct of those persons, we have
to state, that they are at present under the superintendence
of the Landing Waiters in the Wood Farm Department, called
" Boat Officers," that these officers are expressly required by
their instructions to re-admeasure a certain nuneber of pieces
(tWo at least) in every float or raft of timber ; and. in order that
this duty should be duly attended to, the Boat Officers are su-
pervised by one of the Landing Surveyors in quarterly rotation,
who is also required, occasionally, tore-examine the contents of
such lighters or craft as have been passedby the Boat Officers.
These regulations, if strictly enforced, which can only be
done by the activity and zeal of the,superintending officers, we
consider calculated to give the 'requisite security, and we
rake care to give such directiOns as may ensure a due Observ-
ance of them in future.
• The next observation of the Commissioners ofinquiry relates
.to the defective practice in the collection of the duties on Deals,
Battens, and Staves, wherein they state the account to be taken
by a Tidewaiter, from whose book the Lending Waiter derives
his whole knOwledge of the quantity of goods liable to duty,
whereas .the Landing Waiter being really the delivering of-
ficer, ought to ascertain these particulars himself, and be held
responsible for doing it carefully and correctly.
We would beg to state, that the Tidewaiter takes an account
of these articles (as he does all other goods) on their being put
over, the ship's side • but. Landing Waiter or Boat Officer,
is in all cases
.considered to be the delivering officer, and is held
responsible for the account; and in the discharge of timber and
:wood, he is directed to ascertain the particulars, by examining
and counting the number of pieces of every description himself,
;before they are removed from the side of the importing vessel ;
and the smaller articles of wood are, under the existing regalia-
,tions; so arranged and stowed in the craft alongside the ship,
as to admit of a most minute examination with the greatest
facility.
The deliveries are also subject to 'supervision and re-examin-
ation by a Landing Surveyor, who is directed to visit every
ship discharging timber or wood, once, at least every clay, to in-
spect the account taken of the quantity and species Of goofN
unshipped,. to see that they agreeevith the entry; to check • the
admeasurement of timberemasts, &c. by frequenly ref-measur-
ing some of each sort, and to superintend and control the Tide;:
waiters in the deli Very of wood ships.
• The above are the standing instructions of the Board, in re-
gard to the delivery and account of wood goods,. notwitlistand.
ing our constant vigilance, it may be possible that our officers
may have been negligent in the execution of their duty. We
trust, however, that the alteration proposed to be adopted with
regard to the station of the boat Officers and the Supciinten-
dent, will more effectually prevent remissness on the part of
the officers.
With regard to the observations of the Commissioners upon
the nature of the duties of the acting Surveyor of Warehouses,
and that he has delegated his duty to a Locker, it may be pro-
per to state, that this officer was appointed for the express purr
pose of aiding the Landing Surveyors in the superviiion and
inspection of the Bonded Warehouses, the present number of
Landing SurVeyors not having been found- sufficient to enable
them to perform. this extended duty in addition to their own ;
that the services of this officer have been exclusively -confined
to the objects fot which he was appointed,
,andit;does not ap-
pear that he has, in any instance, been called upon to'superin-
tend the conduct of the Landing Waiters ; and with respect to
his delegating the duty
,to be performed by him in the
occasional *measurement of timber to a . Locker, we
would beg to observe, that from the extended situation
of the Bonded Warehouses under his inspection, it has been
found impossible for him to visit the Wood Docks.,every day,
and on this consideration he has been allowed the aid of two
Lockers in remeasuring bonded timber ; but it appears that he
has performed a portion of the .duty himself, by visiting the
'Wood Docks twice a-week, and checking these Lockers by re-
measuring after them a certain number of pieces of timber
taken promiscuously.
With a view to render the present system /non efficient; the
Commissioners of Inquiry propose : •
Ist. That a Landing Surveyor should be selected, and Spe-
ciallyappointed to superintend the officers- employed in the
Commercial and'East. Country Docks and. Surrey Canal:
m
2d. That an officer of the same description should be ap-
pointed to superintend the business at the Stifferance Wharfs ;
and

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3d. Thatin lieu of the present..ofßce of Assistant-Surveyor,
a Surveyor of Warehouses should be appoinAed,, whose duty
should be confined' to the I,egAl Quay and.Up-towa- Ware-
houses, . • . . . ,
•• . .
The present Stations of,the Six Landing Surveyors in the
Port pfLondon, are as follOw :-
Ist Station for the Office - - • 1
2d• Ditto at•the London Docks - - - 1 .
3d Ditto on the Legal-Quays•. .• - - - 2
4th Mat). a the Sufferri('4l, Wla.ifs • ' - - 1
sth Ditto for the River and the WOOd Docks - 1

. .
and one'Assistant Surveyor for • the *arehonses, ponds, and
other places of deposit for bonded goods, except the East India
Warehouses, and those at the West India and London Docks.
• Underthe' arrangement propOged by-the ComMisSiOners of
Inquiry, the last of the above five -statiOiis would -be. divided •
into two ; namely, one for the River, and another for the Wood.
Docks ' • and the duty of the office. of Survejor of \V rehouses
would be co4incd to the Legal 'Quay 'andlip-townlirarf:-
houscs. Undtr this ;:istributiOn Of the duty; anew and add;,:-
tional station will be.ereatedia.nd theaddition of another Laztl-
ing Surveyor' would become necessary, unless, under a diTurent
ammgernent Of. the business .4 reduction could be effected at
the ottfer statlons.. Upon full consideration or thit44ihject, we
are Of opinion that such an arrangement arid redaction may,