The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-28 00:00:00

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elnitiv 'fa c 'ls of t Vil'etwkAttlit vi
-the that wets ,
loges were nand up ids the rights of its enact.
toents, t oss dereliction of duty the Holm
For b4P nollit:sat t of Ha
officer II the till, that
is, the mos spelt nos .o t if he di(
not collect t tat from Aor as soon as Was priori.
cable, such officer must be guilty of a breech sf ;
duty. But here was a case in which a Collector of
the Tales spontaneously and wantonly molted 14
obstacle to the performance of his own official dot'.
The case was, however, so peeeliarly flagrant that he
felt himself bound to bring it sander the confidential'
of the noose. Before any other proceeding weeie.
stituted, he understood it was necessary to move fee
copies of any Notices or Circulars whirh hid be;
issued by the Clerk of. the Commissioners for anew
ing the Land Tax in Westmorland, within die
last two months, together with a statement if
the omen of the Commissioners of the Lend list
or others, under whose authority such Letters it
Circulars had been issued. The latter pert or the
motion he proposed because he could not topple'
that • malice of this nature *masted solely Nu
John Thomson, and he geoid sot apprehend theta".
part of the motion would be opposed, home it eta
impossible to conceive that any Minister of no
Crown, or any Member of that House, ceeld ham
any concern in such a transaction, or the slightest
wish to shelter it from exposure and reprehension.
The motion being read,.
M r. LUSIIINGION had no objection to the prof
diction of the paper moved for by the Bsa, sod
Learned Gentleman; but was desirous of stating*
the House what had passed, as far as he was se.
quainted with the facts. The sehject bail never Wee
before the Treasury, but it appeared, on enqiiirog
the Tax-Office, that a reference had been made by
Thompson, with regard to some freehold properties
of the value of 40s. iu certain parishes in Weimer.
land, for the purpose of knowing whether they wife
assessable or not to the Land Tax. The reply
Mr. Lowndes was, that this liability did not depend
alone on the value, but on the title and other
qualities of the estate. This was all that was knows
upon the subject at the Treasury, or the Tax• Office.
Mr. BROUGHAM observed, that he never before
heard of cottages being assessable to the Land Tao;
but it seemed that time was to be taken for the de.
termination of this question. The mere circumstance
of being rated, however, did not confer a right to
vote, and he could conceive nothing more 111404144
ikon this eagerness in Officers of the Revenue to
I *offer their opinions upon such a subject.
Mr. LUSIIINGION said, the Commissioners
had stated that the assessment alone did not give tie

right or voting.
Mr. BROUGHAM replied, that this was essctly
what be complained of. Whatever might hue best
the original letter, the answer related to etectiooeer•

tag.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
said a few words, which we could oot dibtinctly haw
in the gallery.
Lord LOWTHER believed the letter had bees
copied from a provincial Paper, and that it tamale'
many false end scandalous statements.
_Mr. W CNN observed that the Officers of do
Revenue were the last 'persons to express au °pieties
on subjects of election.

Sir J. GRAHAM expressed his belief that sro
such letter had been written as that hearing, or par.
porting to bear, the signature of John Thoniesni.
The letter certainly contained a great deal of film-
hood and misrepresentation. The fact, howler,
was, that a great deal of property, never towed
for the last hundred years, had lately been offeredi
fer
,that purpose, and he apprehended, that it was ile
duty of the local Commissioners to give informed.*
to the collecting officer on such a subject. lis
wished to see the whole correspondence produced. I.
After a few words from Mr. BROUGHAM, ths
motion was agreed to.
HALF-PAY.
Mr. LYTTELTON stated it was not his WM%
tion to press his motion respecting the, regnired
davits of Officers before they received their Half•psy.
The subject, he understood, from the Noble Lad
(Palmerston), was under the consideration of tle
War.ollice, and he had every reason to hope the re•
suit would be satisfactory. He was, however,antioes
to know, whether it was the practice to refuse the
pension to the widow of an officer who married whit
on Ilalf-pay ? Such a regulation placed a military
man, who married at the close of the war, in a well
situation than one who entered into such an ewe
ment (luring • war, without any osfeesible mieits
for such a preference. He was also informed, the
if the widow of an officer marries, she forfeited hic
pension. That he considered a severe herds*.
There was a third point on which he desired Woo*
tine, it was as to the regulation of the pensioeste
General Officers, limiting the number to 120, si
vesting the appointment in the Crown.
Lord PA LM EASTON, as we understood, eaidg
was in contemplation to do away the resfrictionesils•
ded to on widows' pensions. With respect to then*"
lation affecting General Officers, he observed, thst
tt
the Crown had not the exercise of such a diecretior
these pensions would often fall te those who did rat
want them, to the exclusion of others to whoa the
pensions were of importance.
CAPE BRETON.
Mr. BENNET said it was not his intention le
trespass on the time of the House with a Attalla
statement. When the Papers for which he shoehl
move were before Parliament, the Haase IMIS
then form its own opinion. The colony of Cie •
Breton was in every view valuable. It was sn ile
portant military and naval station. The security d
such a possession should not be resigned by
vernment, or an unjustifiable invasion of the 1}1"
perty of the Colonists. The Honourable Me•hca
then moved for a number of papers, consisting •
Minutes of Councils of Governor Ainslie
Council—Copies of Correspondence between the
'unionist Secretary and the Governor, wherein Ile
former complained of the unjustifiable interference
jisf the Governor with the duties of his office—CA'
-pies of the King's instructions to the Governor, lie-
Mr. GOULIIURN had no objection to the ltd"
doction of the Papers moved for, with the except"
of the correspondence between the Secretary sell
vernor. Whatever difference existed bad beta "

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