The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-02-13 00:00:00

DOCK AND TOWN DUES.

Mr. Turner, on behalf of his house, has addressed the
following important letter to the Finance Committee of
the Town Council :

(co.)

TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

SIR, —The Council having decided that, as respects the
payment of town dues, all packages in wood or canvas
measuring above eight feet, and weighing more than two
hundred weight, shall be considered cases or bales, and
charged with duty accordingly. I beg on behalf of the house
of Sands, Turner, and Co., in which I am a partner, and
of whose business I have the principal management, to
enter my protest against this decision as altogether arbi-
trary,—not supported by custom,—contrary to the prac-
tice of the Town Dues office hither o, and at variance with
instructions which have been repeatedly given by the re-
ceiver of the town dues to exporters for their guidance,
and therefore incapable of being enforced at law. In the
evidence given by Mr. Corrie, the receiver of the town
dues, before a special committee of the Council, appointed
in November last, he stated :
That his attention was called to the subject during the
litigation with Bolton, Ogden, and Co., which terminated
20th June, 1843.
That he spoke to Mr. Blake (the clerk of Sands and Co.)
on the 30th June, 1834, and that the subject was again
mooted by him on the 22d July, 1834, and a few days af-
terwards carried as far as he could carry it.
That the matter was afterwards mentioned to the Town-
dues Committee; he does not recollect the date, but he
says that Sir Thos. Brancker, " who was a member of
the Town-dues Committee at the time, recollects the cir-
cumstance,a
nMr. rye
:Currodi reer,fii eyn
oea
udt
the
eso,
enbra,et
between
ess
eu
ntlhti
bales
eva
sassaks
nei
ddckened.''
and will confirm my statement or the result ;"
Can
iTusses,
i'nfrWer er
eci inehicvei
and boxes and cases?—No.

Is there any person in your office who can give a decisive
definition ?—No.

Is there any authority to which you can appeal for a de-
finition ?—None.

Have you appealed to the Town-clerk in other instances
beside that of Sands and Co. ?—I have spoken to him on
the subject, but the difficulty of defining the difference be-
tween packages has prevented any further proceeding.
Mr. Corrie further stated in his evidence.
" That he had never remonstrated with Sands and Co.
since 1834, having been then set at defiance.
" That he made a complaint against Mongredien and
Co., to the Town-clerk, but it was not proceeded with.
" That he had told Mr. Ripley's clerk that he might
enter packages of 400 lbs. weight as trusses.
" That he had told Messrs. Brownrigg, Stevens, and
Co.'s clerk that he would be doing right if he entered
goods according as they were advised to the firm (it being
quite notorious, I must add, that all wooden packages corn-
ing from Belfast or Glasgow are called boxes, whatever
their size or weight may be.)
Mr. Corrie further stated,
. _

" That he had, in company with Mr. Bridge, (the then
Inspector for the Town-dues office) visited the warehouse
of Messrs. Moon and Co., for the purpose of inspecting
some packages (which they were in the habit of shipping
as trusses), which he (the receiver) considered questiona-
ble, and being asked what was the size of the questionable
packages, he stated about twenty-seven cubic feet ; and
being further asked under what denomination these ques-
tionable packages were passed for town dues at his of-
fice, he stated that they were always passed as trusses.
It is thus well known from the evidence of the receiver,
as well as from other sources, that the subject was consi-
dered by the Town-dues Committee so far back as 1834.
and that their attention was at that time specially called
to the circumstance that several of the merchants con-
ceived that the Town-Council could not legally enforce
the payment upon the export of dry goods packed in wood
or canvas, of any higher duty than the box and truss rate,
and that some of the largest exporters had been and were
continuing to act upon that impression. No legal steps
were, however, taken at that time, nor have they subse-
quently been attempted ; thus, in effect, surrendering all
question of legal right by an admitted acquiescence in and
acceptance of the lower rate of duty for the last ten years
at least.
The Council however, now determine that they will
levy hereafter the higher rate of duty upon all packages
measuring above eight feet, and weighing more than two
hundred weight—upon what grounds it is difficult to con-
jecture, after the evidence of the receiver, and we have
reason to believe that none of the mercantile asoociations
who were applied to by a sub-committee appointed on the
subject, could, or at least did, give any definition what-
ever, whilst several of them expressly declared that no sa-
tisfactory definition could be given of the difference between
cases and boxes, or bales and trusses.

•
Although, therefore, considering the small amount of
any payment I can have to make, I do not think the point
worth contesting in a court of law, and it is my intention
to adopt the definition that has been decided upon by the
Council, I think it due to myself and my house to say,
that 1 cannot admit its correctness.—l am, sir, with much
respect, your obedient, humble servant,
CHARLES TURNER.
Liverpool, la February, 1844.