Star.
London, England, 1818-05-27 00:00:00

.EQUALIZATION OF COAL DUTIES.

A numerous and respectable Meeting of Merchants
and others, was yesterday held at the Egyptian Hall,
in the Mansion House, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliament
for the Repeal; or an Equalization, of the Duties on
Coals coming through the port of London, the duties
at which place amount to ten shillings and ten pence
per chaldron, while at the outports they only amounts
to six shillings and sixpence.
Shortly after two &clock, the LORD MAYOR en-
tered the Hall, accompanied by Alderman Cuarrs,
Alderman WOOD, the Sheriffs, Alderman GOODBE-
HERR, Mr. WAITHMAN, and the Committee appoin-
ted at the former Meeting held at the City of Lon-
don Tavern.
The LORD MAYOR having taken the Chair, briefly
stated the reasons for Lalltng the present Meeting.
It had been in consequence of a requisition signed by
a number of the most respectable members of the
City. Its object was to relieve the population of so
great a city from the burther.s of so oppressive a tax
in order to obtain which, it was proposed to petition'
Parliament for an equalization of the duties on Coals.
Mr. *ADAK read the Report of the Committee.
It appeared to be in substance, that the Representa-
tives of the City, with a great number of other Gen-
tlemen, had become members of it: that they had ap-
lied to Government, and that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer had replied, that it was the most anxious
wish of his Majesty's Ministers to relieve the country
from the tax. Sir William Curtis was also described
in it to have strongly remonstrated against the tax.
The following statement was read, to sheen the in-
justice of the present duty, and the necessity of equa-
lizing it, as it falls on those districts where the poor
rates are heaviest :"

Per Annum.

Lend&l imparts, for Middlesex and Surrey, about
1,200,000 chaldrons, which cost oboist - - X 750,000
The Expenses. independent of temporary scarcity,
from, &c. &o.

C 2,730,000
le t,-e Coal Districts, on a general average, 1,100,000
ctaldrons would cost - - - 600,000

The amount of Difference paid by Consumers in
London annually - - - C 2,130,000
The difference arises from local circumstances; but

can this be a reason for the Legislature Laying a
partial and oppressive, because a local Tax, of lus.
per chaldron on the port of London only, amount-
ing to the sum of

600,000

London and its neighbourhood pays, per annum,
snore than the. Coal Districts - - - £2,750:000
Mr. Itevs then rose to propose several Rfsolu-
tions. He presented himself to the Meeting merely
as a domestic consumer of coals, but he had observed
that the City of London had suffered much from the
nrcsent tax, which was oppressive and injurious in an
extreme def;ree. He observed, it appeared that
the people of Surrey and Middlesex paid duty at the
rate of eight shillings per head per annum, for man,
woman, and child; that in fourteen other counties
the average was two shillings and nine pence per
head ; in S',:otland, not one-sixth cf a farthing; and in
other places no part cf a farthing at all. Mr. Jacks
then gave the history of the Coal Trade, and descri-
bed the many additions made to the tax, one ground
for making which was the necessity of building
I churches, until it reached the present deplorable ex-
treme of nine shillings and four pence a chaldron.—
This was the first time of objecting in an effective
manner to the• tax. Every thing that had recently
occurred tended, in his view, to rectify the inequality,
and the claims of the poor, to whom warmth might
actually be considered more necessary than food, were
now likely to be attended to. He also proposed aPe-
tition to both Houses of Parliament, praying for an
equalization of the duties, and stating the grounds of
the application.
A Gentleman wished to strike out all the words of
the Resolution from the word unjust," as they did
not hear on the subject, and were wholly uncalled for.
Sir WILLIAM CURTIS warmly defended the Reso-
lution. If the tax bore so hard on a certain class of
persons, they had a right to call on the Legislature.
fer relief. During the war, the tax was, no doubt,'
necessary ; but now that we were blessed with pro-
found peace, we were entitled to an equal distribu-
tion, and he should, in his place in the House of
Commons, give the measure all the support he was
abl e—{Applause.)
Mr. -r% AITFIIIAN said, that the population paid not
less than 600,0001. per annum ; but there was a snore
important point for consideration, namely, the exor-
bitant expense the City was at in supplying Coals to
the Metropolis, while those who resided on the spot
where the Coals were obtained did not contribute one
iota, for thej got their Coals from five to ten shillings
per chaldron, and paid no tax—while those who paid
from thirty to forty shillings for the same quantity,
had to bear so enormous a tax as that complained of.
He should give the Resolution his entire support.
Mr. ROWCROFT hoped that the matter would be
referred to a Committee composed of Gentlemen of
ability, as he considered all argument used there,
norant as himself and most of those who heard him
must be of the subject, wholly useless--(Applause.)
The remaining Resolutions were then put and car-
ried unanimously ; and the usual votes of thanks hav-
ing taken place, a great number of signatures were
put to the Petitions to both Houses of Parliament,
and the Meeting broke up.

The honour, delicacy, and inviolable secrecy con-
nected with the Medical Board for the cure of prevail-
ing diseases, are manifested from the public confi-
dence it has acquired. Since the Medical Board has
been established, at Charlotte-house, Great Charlotte-
street, Blackfriars-road, and Woodstock-street, Ox-
ford-street, upwards of Thirty Thousand Patients of
both sexes have been restored to perfect health, many
of whom had lingered for years under the most pain-
ful and obstinate diseases, were pronounced incurable
by respectable practitioners, and several discharged
from Hospitals—such are the effects resulting from
combined talents 1! Messrs. COOPER and Co. of Me-
dial and Surgical celebrity, after forty years expe-
rience in this Metropolis, are consulted daily at both
houses until nine at night, and the poor have advice
gratis, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday mornings
until 12 e'clock.—Patients at a distance, describing
their case, immediately attenche to. All letters to be
direeted to Charlotte-house, BI ackfri ars-road, but none
are aaswerad whick do not contain a consulting tee