The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-18 00:00:00

TAXATION ON INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

(FROM THE LEEDS INTELLIGENCER.)
We observe that a general meeting of the postmasters and
stage coach proprietors in the north of England is convened
to be held ou Wednesday, the 19th of December instant, at
the Royal Hotel, in Leeds, in order to consider what steps
shall be taken by them to obtain relief from the heavy lair-
thens of which they have just reason to complain, and what
course shall be adopted previous to the opening of parliament.
Though this meeting would seem, at first sight, to be merely
an assembly of tradesmen for the promotion of their common
business, by seeking a relief from the imposts under which
they all suffer, it is, in reality, a meeting for an object in
which the public at large are intimately concerned.
However unreasonable may be the advantages which a
certain portion of the community may derive from the esta-
blishment of long lines of railway—and that those advantages
are considerable does not admit of dispute—it is quite clear
that they are already beginning to assume the form of a mo-
nopoly, and to produce inconvenient consequences. These
inconveniences are now experienced to a great extent by
commercial travellers, who wish to travel promptly by stage
coaches about the country bordering on any of the great lines
of railway, in consequence of the inability of the stage coach
proprietors, with the weight of their present amount of bur-
dens, to compete successfully with railways.
Without attempting to depreciate the advantages which
are unquestionably afforded to the community by the forma-
tion of railways, it is only just and proper to consider the
circumstances under which all parties are placed—the rail-
ways on the one hand, and the stage coaches on the other.
The former may, in the end, defy all competition :—the lat-
ter are opposed in two ways—by the steam engine on the
railway, and by the steam engine on the packets which ply
on the larger rivers and on the line of coast. Now, to show
the unequal weight of the respective burdens, the steam
packets pay no duty, whatever may be the number of their
passengers—the duty on railways-is comparatively ttifiing.
rhe railways pay an amount of mileage, at the rate of one-
halfpenny per mile for every four passengers conveyed. The
long coaches pay in duty for four insides and eleven out—
whether each coach he full or be empty, it matters not—six-
pence per double mile up and down. Thus, it will appear,
that the railway has not only the advantage of superior speed,
but also in the payment of a less amount of duty, in propor-
tion, too, to the number of passengers actually taken.
In order that the reader may be made aware, not only of
the heavy duty arising from the employment of horses and
vehicles on the road, but of the amount consequently pay-
able to the revenue in this respect, we subjoin a few striking
facts derived front public documents issued from the office or
stamps and taxes:—
The amount of post-horse duty, in the three years ending
January, 1837, is-1835, £228,480—in 1836, £228,480,—in
18.37,040. The amount of assessed taxes on carriages let to
• hire with post horses in the three years ending April 5, 1836,
is—in 1834, £33,343.—in 1835, £36,372.—in 1836, £36,823.
The amount of licenses to postmasters, in the three years
ending January, 1837, is £2370. The amount of assessed
taxes on draught horses for the three years ending
1836, is—in 1831, £63,537.—in 1835, £59,532.—in 1836,
£59,661. The amount of assessed taxes on stage coachmen
and guards in the three years ending April, 1836, is—in 1834,
£32l7.—in 18.33, £3297.—in 1836.- £3708. The amount of
duty on stave carriage licenses, for the three years ending
January, 1537, is—in 1835, , £19.746—in 1836, £19,991.—and
in 1837.- £23.113.
The amount of stage carriage duties collected in Great
Britain in three years ending January 5, 1837. is—in 1833,
£410,753 Ifs. 114.—in 1836, £489,636 Ils. 71-d.—in 1837,
£503,742 14s. Bd.id.—presenting a total of £1,314,153 3s. 3d.
Now, the total amount of railway duty (including composi-
tion) for the same period, is only if:25,813 !
With the view, also, that the leader more fully understand
the nature and amount of the burdens borne by the long
stage coaches, we will, as only presenting one instance, take
the Wellington coach, which runs front London, through
Doncaster, to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a distance of 278 miles.
We extract this statement from the report of the evidence of
Mr. Wimberly, of Doncaster, before the select committee of
the House of Commons on internal communication taxation
in June, 1837. The statement embraces a period of 334
days, having been made prior to the reduction of a day per
week : £. s. d.
Duty for four inside and eleven out, 6d. per
double mile, that is up and down, 278
miles
Stamps for receipts on payment of ditto 1 12 6
Four licenses, four coaches being used suc-
cessively up and down.
Tolls (annually)
Expense of the coaches, being hired at a
rate per mile... 1,274 0 0
Other incidental matters about.. BOO 0 0

20 0 0
2,537 7 8

Total

7,180 6
.2

It should be borne in mind, that this amount does not in-
clude horses, horse-corn, horsekeepers, wear and tear of har-
ness, and other unavoidable expenses of working, along the
whole distance, no less a number than 259 horses. This
amount of £7,180 6s. 21 annuallly, before a sin,le sixpence
of profit is derived, will, we doubt not, astonish many of our
readers who are unacquainted with the subject. But the
statement cannot be disputed. What we contend for is,
therefore, this,—without disputing the benefits which will
ultimately be derived from railroads,—that the stage coaches
should be placed on the same level as the rail-roads with
respect to the amount of duty. Considering the great ad-
vantages which the coaches have afforded to the community,
through all seasons, it. is only just that they should pay no
more than their more formidable and more favoured compe-
titors; and if, in the course of time, they are compelled to
desist from running the long distances, they ought, after
having gone through au useful and beneficial career, at least
to die an easy clWb, and not to be foFcibly strangled,