Star.
London, England, 1824-01-23 00:00:00

~APP!'IIFr

MSIM'"I"°".6I

Mir"

.~. t.

ii66416-itsE
A-Genetal-Mesting of the .Postrnasters of the Metro-'
polis.was yesterday, held at the Freemasons' Tavern,
for the putirose of receiving the report of a committee
apriinajd -to confer With Government respecting the
new legislations for fixing the duties on Post-horses, ar.2l
"all horses let for hire. -
Mr. NVltore was called to the Chair. •
The Secretary then read the report. It stated that in
their conferenies With thsterninent, the Clamm:ttee. had
tria-Je strenuous exeitiOni to obtain an eiemption of sad-
dle horses from the payment of duty, but without success.
Mr. Warm the Chairman, said, as he.had been -ac-
tively-engaged in the intercourse with Government on
chi question, he could perhaps state mote distinctly the
concessions that had been made to Postmaster s through-
out the kingdoni. In the first place, it was not now
necettaty to have the nits* 'end number Milted to any
*carriage, except plastchaliis, or those travelled
by the mile or stage; therefOre, they might let a gig
for the day, or a carriage to a.family, without its being
requisite to proclaim that it was' not their own. With`
tespect to saddle-horses, it had been warmly contended
by the Solicitor of the Stamp-office, that timie who
rode hired horses should be obliged to take and thew a
ticket of the duty at the turnpike-gate. It was ch•
jected to this measure, that it would subject every gen-
tleman who rode a horse in the kingdom to be
challenged as the rider of a hires nag, itnd insulted •by
the toll-collectors. Those who hired horses, anti espe-
cially in themetrapolis,were aniioas to preserve appear-
ances ; then why should they be compelled to make a
disclosure by producing a ticket at every tut npike-gate?
These reasons prevailed with the Government, and they
had withdrawn the obnoxious measine—(Applatise). But,
above all, instead of twelvC Acts, each of which was More
obscure than the other, the trade had now the rare feli-
city of bein-, regulated by one common Act, which was
so clear ancisittiple that any man of common capacity
amongst them might understand it. He had in his hand
a document, or rather a volume, which had been given
him as a curiosity. A Postmaster was charged with
having transgressed some one of the regUlations of the
twelve contrary Acts, and an action was brought against
hits, with a declaration of 1,200 folios. There was so
twitch repetition, and there were so many points inter-
*bven,stbat the defendant's attorney could not under-
Stand it; and the consequence was, that the defendant,
for fear there might be something from which he might
be hit in this mass of pleading, compromised at an
enormdus expense.—(lkar)—.lll such work as this
was now done away with. The farmers of the duties
Would not be allowed to bring such actions as they
pleated, brit must first submit the cases to the Stamp-
tate, and none but proper cases would be suffeted
tti .be taken into Conrt..( Applause)—There was
doe *ord iiht theneli Act which excited much alarm,
end 'War sttplitised to erect materially the trade
end fhe Pcaihc; •an opinion of Counsel had been
firtenein the Subject. In the course of the Act the word
Occufred in conjunction with " let.". Many opulent
pckt:thasteit were in the habit Of lending their horses or
iilifeletlollieir friends or branches of their families gra-
fuitefuilifot short jauntt, or now and then a pleasure
patty. • The Counsel to whom it was referred had de•
dared that this word " used," rendered the horses used
o:i such an occasion liable to the payment of duty ; and
one of the Counsel had gone so far as to say, that a Gen-
atnian who lent his carriage and horses to a friend for
Six *eeki;•trinst pay duty for them during that thite
(Hear, hear). But he begged that no one would be
alarmed at this word, or the construction put upon it
by Counsel. It was all mere'special pleading.
sfire the point could not stand in a Court of Justice, and
that the Con-mink:triers of Stathps Would not allow any
farther of taxes to bring an action upon it.
A long discussion was then entered into as to the mi-
nute details and regolations of the duties with the far-
mers, when, ultithately, the report was agreed to, and
ordered to be publiShed. Thanks were voted to the Chair-
Mad and theCtironfeitee, and the Meeting separated.