The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-22 00:00:00

POST-HOILSE AND OTHER DUTIES.

A general meeting of the post-masters of the metropolis
was yesterday held at the Freeinasons"l'avern, for the
purpose of receiving the report of a committee appointed
to confer with Government respecting the new regoa.
lions for fixing the duties on post-horses, and all horses let
fur hire.
Mr. Mettles was called to tha chair.

The Sccretity then read the report It stated that
in their conferences with fi ivernment the committee
had made strenuous exertions to obtain an exemption
of saddle-horses from the payment of duly, but without
suceet.s.

Mr. Willits, the Chairman, said, as he had been actively
engaged in the intercourse with Government on this ques-
tion, he could perhaps state more distinctly the concessions
that had been made to p otinaaters throughout the king-
dom. In the first ptace, it was nut now necessary to hare
the name and number affixed to any carriage, oxzept. post-
'liaises, or those whieh travelled by the wile or stare ;there-
fore, toey might let a Rig for the slay, or a carriage to 4
family. without its being requisite to prod aim that it
was not their own. With respect to as idle-horses, it
ha I been warmly contended by the Solicitor of
II the Stamp tithe-, that those who rode hired
horses should be obliged to take and show a
ticket of the duty at the turnpike-gate. It was oh:ret-
ell to this measure, that it would sobj-et every gentle-
man who rode a horse in the kingdom to be ciialirrieed as
the rider of a hired nag, and insulted by the tall-collet t-
ors. Those who rode hired horses, and els-Melly those
in the metropolis. were very arrailms to preserve appear-
ances; then why shuttld they he compelled to in rke a dis-
closure by. producing a ticket at every trim npike-gate?
These reasons prev..iied with the Government, sad they
had withOrawn the ohnosioas measure. (Applause.) But,
ahote a I, inst. ad of twelve acts, each of which was more
obscure than the.other, the trade had now the rare felicity
of b ing 'regulated by one act, which was so clear and
simpb• that any matt ut common caaacity amongst them
alight understand it. Ile had in his hand a &moment. or
tattier a wallow., which had been given to him ss a cu-
riosity. A postmaster was charged with having trans-
gressed some one of the regal.' i ins of tse t.velve on:. a y
acts, And en action war brought against him. with a de-
claration of 1,200 folios. There was so much repetition,
and there were so twiny points inteiwoven, that the de-
fend ant's a'torney could out understand it; and the cons.-
(pence was, that the defendant, for fear there might be
something from which he might be hit it: this mass of
pleading, compromised at an enormaits expense. (Hear.)
All such work as this was now done away with. 'llie
farmers of the duties would not be allowed to bring such
actions as they pleased, but t first submit the cases
to the Stated.-office, and none but proper rims would be
suit •red to be taken into Court. (Applause.) There was
one word in the new act which excited much alarm, and
as as Supposed to effect usa erially the t ade and the public,
an 1 Opinion of counsel had brew taken on the subject. In
tie course of the act the word used occurred in conjunc-
tion with •• let." Many opulent post-masters were is the
habit of lending thei, horses or vehicles to their friends
or branches of their families gratuitously for Vont jaunts,
or now and tnen a pleasure party. The counsel to WIIOIII it
was referred had declared that the word " used" rendered
tie horses on such ass occasion liable to the payment of
dirty ; and one of the counsel hail gone so far as to ray,
that a gentleman who lent his carriage and horses to a
friend for six weeks, must pay duty for`them during that
time. (Hear, hear). But he begged that no one would be
alarmed at this word, on the construction put upon it by
counsel. It was all mere special plroading. He was sure
the point could not magd in a court 'of awl that
the Commissioners of Stamps would out allow any farmer
of taxes to bring an action upon it.
A It. n • erscilitaion was then 'Werra into as to the mi
when, ultimately, the report was agreed to, and ordered to •
note details and regula iou of she duties with t' e farmers
be published. Thanks were voted to the chairman and
the co.nosittee, sod the meeting separated.

The arrangement between the Fume) and Spanish
Goversinents, relative to the Maritime prizes taken in 1833,
is rills expressed in the Ist article of the Convention
agreed upon between them:—" Spanish vessels captured
by the ships of his most Christian Majesty, as well as their
cargoes, baying been estimated to an approxinitte value,
equal to priz •s taken by Spanish privateers Irvin Frrn .1i
commerce, it is agreed that for the reciprocal viz .s takes
and conducted into the ports of the Powers to which they
belong, there !hall he given an acquittal to the two Govern-
ments, and that th- differences sint!l be regulated ober%
comenient." In other wor Is, the respective tlovernmeet
celeatt esah other, Asti each is left to re-imburse its own
subjects--a hopeful prospect to the subjects of Spain in the
present state of its finances.
The domestic intelligence of the United States possess/ a
SO interest. The repot tof the administration of the navy
bad been sninnitted to Congress, bat this document eon
tains little worthy of notice, being chiefly occupied with the
arrangement of the United States' squadrons in different
pasts of the world. The prices of American Stock are
quoted as follows:-6 per cent. of 1812. 102 i; 6 per cent.
of 1815, 108; 3 per cent., 79L.
New York Papers to the 34th nit. They contain the
particulars of the taking of Puerto Cabello by the Colom-
bians. The city was carried by assault on the Bth of No
vember, in so decisive a style, that nearly the whole of the
Spanish troops were killed or taken prisoners. Calzada,
the commanding General, was among the latter. Advice'
from Havanna of the 3d had brought iatelligenee that
a report was in circulation there, of the surrender of the
Castle of St. Juan de Ulloa to the Mexicans, but this ac-
count is, we conceive. premature. It appears by Mexican
papers of the Bth of November, received at Philadelphia,
that the ,new Congress assembled on the preceding day.
and was opened by an address from the President of the
Supreme Igxecn.ive Department, to which a reply leaf
in ale by the Pret•ident of the Congress. Reports were
then subutittr.l irons the four branches of administratioe,
in all of "which the &Mies of the country are represented to
•be in a flour:sldiN condition.