Star.
London, England, 1819-07-08 00:00:00

LEEDS, JULY 6.

Yesterday evening the Requisitionists for Reform
waited upon the Mayor of this town, pursuant to
previous appointment, for his Worship's answer to
their application ; when he gave them some most
wholesome advice, and pointed out the inutility of
the proposed meeting, and, the impossibility that it
could tend to toy good putposa ; that it was, in fact,
more likely to prove highly injurious to them, and
dangerous to the community at large. He said he
had given their request the most attentive considera-
tion, and should be most happy if it were in his power
to afford relief and assistance to the numerous unem-
ployed workmen ; but after the most mature delibe-
ration with his brother Magistrates, his duty to the,
public at large forced him to refuse calling the re-
quired Meeting.
In consequence of the above refusal, the Requisi-
tionists, it is said, intend calling the Meeting them-
selves; but no day is yet fixed. Rumour says it will
not be until after the Parliamentary recess.

We take the earliest opportunity to correct a mistake into
which we were led by a paragraph In the Leeds /Mei/evident. to-
specting the unfounded rumour circulated two. weeks ago, of s'
Reform Meeting having been held at Dewsbuty. The runt*r
did not originate in the Leeds Mercury.

Tuesday and yesterday, Prince LIOPOLD gave en-
tertainments at Marlborough-house.
Yesterday the Marquis of LANSDOWE entertained
a select party of distinction at Lansdown House.

THE REVENUE.
• . .
itre yesterday laid before the Public the stetemen.
of the produce of the Quarteias Revenue, comparing
it with the produce of the corresponding Quarter, to-
nether with a statement of the Year's Revenue end-
ing sth July, 1819, comparing it with the Year's Re-
venue ending on the sth of July, 1818. The follow-
ing are some further details:
It appears that the Total Produce of Customs,
for the Year 1818, ending sth July, was - X 10,000,379
Ancl.for the rear 1819, ending sth July - ' 1u,499,407
Excess in favour of 1819 499,026
Total Produce of Excite; 1818 - - - 91,179,114
1819 - - - 53,186,166

Excess of 181 9 - - 2,007,034
In the Stamp Duties there is a decrease in the year of £13.5,501
In the Yost Office an increase of £68,000.
In the Assessed and Land Taxes an increase of between 20
and £7.0,000.
In the Miscellaneous a decrease in the year of £197,092.
The increase in the whole year is 1x,5518,046; but deducting
the decrease on the two articles specified, amounting to X 3351,663,
the total increase on the year is, as we stated yesterday,
£2,266,368, and on the quarter just ended £422,893.
In the Excise Duties an increase hes taken p!ace in every
article except Coffee, Soap, add Wine. In the article cfikßeer
the increase is upwards of £200,000 ; in Bricks and Tiles about
£80,000; in Glass above £llO,OOO ; in Hops above £200,000;
in Malt above £720,000 ; in Printgd Goods above £llO,OOO ;
in British and Foreign Spirits nearly £400,000 ; in Tea nearly
'EIC0,000; in Tobacco and Snuff above £50,000; making, as
stated above, a total increase in the year of above £2,000,000.
From tbe, general depression and stagnation in
agriculture, trade, and commerce, many are at a loss
to account for the increase in the last Quartet's Re.
,reissue, _particularly in the Customs, looking to the
&Ming off which has evidently taken place For sorr e
time past in all commercial business. The cause of
this increase is not fiom a natural increase in the
prosperity of the count, y (for all accounts say the
contrary), but it arises from the new Taxes which
Ministers are about to lay upon us, and which are
generally to take place fiom the sth inst. Up to a
late period in. the Quarter the Revenue had decreased,
this the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER acknow-
ledged in his place in the House of Commons ; the
revival took, place in the latter part of the Quarter.—
Upon Tobacco the duty is raised from 3s. 2d. to 4s.
a pound ; the usual entries of this article are from 90
to 100,000Ibs. per week, but in the fortnight preceding
the 9th June, the enormous quantity of 1,074,4621b5.
was entered out of bond (in the port of London alone),
for the purpose of saving the additional duty of 10d.
per lb.; upon tobacco alone there is little doubt but
at least 200,0001. was thus brought into the last quar-
ter's receipt. Upon Sugar, Rum, and Wine, it was also
expected that an increase of duty would have taken
place, and larger entries than usual were made in
consequence. Upon Coffee the duty is increased from
725. up to 112 s. the cwt. upon Wool from 7s. I Id. to
565. the cwt. ; and upon a variety of other things the
duty is iareised by the new Customs Consolidation
Act from 10 to 50 per cent. and great quantities of
most w the articles liable to an increase of duty have
been taken out of bond and the old duties paid, in
'•order to save the-advance ; and in this way the Reve-
nue has been increased within the last quarter, perhaps
to an extent (including the increase upon hops, from
the unusually great crop of last year), of not less than
from £600,000 to £SOO,OOO ; if this had not been
the case, the Revenue would undoubtedly have fallen
off, from the existing distress and stagnation in trade
and commerce; but the present and ensuing Quar-
ters must suffer in an equal degree, by so much
having been forestalled or paid up in advance into
the Quarter just ended.

In alluding yesterday to the Report of the Corn-1
mittee appaiftted to inquire into the state of the Cri-
minal Laws, we mentioned one consoling fact which
it established :—that crimes of atrocious violence and
inhumanity have been greatly diminished in this coun-
try. It appears from the Report that the number of
convictions for murder, and executions, are as follow:
COXVICTILD. lIECiiTED.

From 1688 to 1718 1115 87
From 1755 to 1784...... P. 67. • • 51
From 1784 to 1814.,............ 44
It also appears, from the same :return. that the
number of convictions for murder inlondon, was—
From the year 1754 to 1784 - -
From the year 1784 to 1814 -

And, in the years 1815, 1516, and 1817, only 9
Whereas, in the three preceding years it was 14
From calculation, it appears, that it is 500,000 to
1 against the murder of any individual in the Me-
tropolis.
1n the laws at present existing against tressoll, mar-
der, arson, and crimes of that description, it is the
united opinion of Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH and. Sir,
ARCHIBALD MACDONALD, that the punishment of
death ought to be continued ; but that with reference
to crimes unattended with atrocious or violent cir-
cumstances, the existence of that punishment is inks-
rious rather than beneficial to the community. _

It appears from the Scotch Papers, that the LORD
PROVOST and several Officers of the Corporation of
Edinburgh, have been compelled to attend the Com-
mittee of the House of Commons, on the affairs of the
Scotch Burghs, in consequence of their having dis
obeyed a previous order to transmit information on
certain points connected with the pending enquiry.
Deacon GILLESPIE protested against the determina-
tion of the Town Council to disobey the order allu-
ded to, as likely to lead to the step since taken by the
Committee, and thus to occasion a great and unne-
cessary expence which the Committee were anxious
to prevent. An Extraordinary Meeting of the Town
Council was held on the 25th tilt. when the PROVOST
informed them of the receipt of orders for the atter,
dance forthwith before the Committee, of himself,
the Dean of Guild, the Convener of the Trades, the
Coitecior of Cess, the Collector of Shore-dues at
Leith, and the Treasurer of Trinity Hospital. Baillie
Signit .thoved, that the Treasurer be authorised to
pay to the Provost £lOO in advance, to defray the
expencesof three Members of the Council to London ;
and thit the' be authorized to draw from the funds
of the-Good foil', the sum of 1.:300. This Resolution
was :tenuously oppord by Deacons Lowe IE and •
GILLESPIE, bat it was ultimately carried. One of
the Ediabtrrgh Papers, after- stating that Provost
M4ll(sarx has a sitlary,9l £lOOO a-year, and Conve-
ner DFut!oeld, one of #7.500 a-Trar;says-4, Must it!
not tend to lower the respectability and dignity of the
ltfaestritcy of the Capital of Scotland, that they
should, sans cerensosie, consider it necessary to be
supplred.in advance with the Burgh Funds, to pay ex-
ses incurred, solely because they chose to oppose
reasonable demand of their fellow. citizens ?"
_UM