Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-05-10

knew that these formed a heavy tax on persons
gagged ia that commerce, and were considered much
more irksome than many taxes which in point ofmo-
ney were much larger He should therefore get rid of
them altogether. The next measure TO which he !
entreated the attention OF the committee was the
removal of the transfer duty which was payable on
the transfer of any share OF ship, or on the sale
OF whole ship, from one person TO another. lh's
duty exception 20 he general stamp duties,
and grew out of this anomaly---we compelled, Tor
thought to be conducive TO our navigation
all British ships to be registered by their owners
That measure was advantage at all to the ship
owners; on the contrary, it was inconvenient, OPP
pressive, conducive to litigation and rendered their
property in it liable TO be attached. The house
had on his suggestion improved the laws relating
10 the registry of ships, and mitigated their sever
ty the ship owners Still it was required that
the owners names should be given in. Now, to
take advantage OF a law which compelled the
names of all the owners to be registered, in order
to attach a stamp to every transfer that might be
made In the ownership, was great injustice in it
sell, and an unnecessary aggravation OF an incon-
venience which even, if it were necessary, was
still an Inconvenience. He should therefore relieve
the shipping interest from this annoyance, and
should allow a ship to be transferred, or exchang-
ed, either whole in part like any other chattels,
without any payment of duty. He should abolish
The whole OF this transfer duty, and should provide
that the registers when they renewed, should
be freed In future from any such tax.
There was another article in which he should
elso be able to afford considerable relief to the
| shipping interests. There were certain good,
| which were only allowed to be exported on GER
tain conditions. Bonds were required from the
exporters for the due delivery of the goods the
place TO which they he exported; and these
bonds were subjected to heavy stamps. A great
difficulty often arose in the Custom-house respect
ing them, since the stamps were al pdlore,n. The
discussions they created led frequently to fraud
and perjury. Several goods were placed under the
same entry Tor no other reason than TO save the
stamps. These stamps, which were as high, as
aus he should propose TO reduce in future to Is
he would apply the same principle to debentures
These were documents given by the Custom
houses sort of security to those who were emil
tied to drawbacks. He proposed to remove the
stamps upon them altogether, because they took the
shape OF indirect taxes, when they were intended
to release the subject from the operation of d-
rect ones. Such were the direct measures which
he should submit to the appreciation of the COM
mitee, Tor the relief of the shipping interest
There was another point, however, in which they
were entitled TO the favourable consideration OF
Parliament As 1t inflicted upon them tax which
was partial IN its nature and indirect in its opera
ton He was abiding the existence Of our
consular establishments abroad-a subject TO which
the honorable member for Aberdeen had freouent-
y called the attention ofthose house. The establish
ments were founded upon no fixed principle, were
guided by no certain rule. In some places they
levied fees on the ships, in others on the goods
ana IN others, again, on the documents Then
they levied fees on ships with reference 10 their
tonnage; and then on ships without any reference
10 tat consideration, claiming them equally from
the smallest and from the largest ships Not only
was there no fixed principle with regard to the
payment OF our consuls in general, but there was
even no fixed principle with regard to their pay
in he ClVr,a .,Ne
terdam our consul had salary, but derived the
whole oil his emoluments from fees; whilst at Ant
werp he had no fees, but depended on his salary
alone Tor his emoluMents. At Bordeaux our con-
sui had salary; at AIarsees he had not. and so
on in other places. He contended that; To call m
on the shipping interest to pay exclusively for con-
sular protection was unfair, and founded uuon no
just principle. We owed to the shipping trade
and to the individuals engaged in its protection in
all their transactions in foreign countries whether
they carried them on under the faith of particular
treaties, or in the courtesy usually extended by one
nation to another in time of peace. 1t seemed to
MN quite as hard to make traders pay for consular
protection at the seaports Of a friendly nation as
would be to make travellers paw for the support of
the ministers whom we maintained at the differen,
courts oil the continent Such being his veiw of
the matter the course which he advised the commit
Tee TO take was this-to grant all the consuls
reasonable hxed salary, and pay il them out of
the public purse. He felt il the more iustto adop
this mode OF payment; the consuIs were appoint
ed, not only for the protection of tie shipping
trade but also for the enforcement of the quarantine
laws, and for the supply OF information to Govern
ment on various subjects in which the merchants
had no interest, excep. that which they derived in
common with the rest OF their countrymen in the
civil list act, which contained grant of money 10
the Sovereign Tor life, for the support of the splen
dour and dignity OF his Crown, an annual of 40
OOOI IS set aside for the payment of the consuls-
lie intended, that as far that sum would go il
should still remain applicable to the same purpose
a great part OF 1t was paid 10 agents, who were
not merely consular but who added certain dino
matte functions TO their consular capacity: as for
instance, our residents at certain courts on the
coast OF Ahica. He further intended that the sum
necessary to make up the deficiency should be yo-
ted annually by parliament and that provision
should be made tor each consul, proportionate TO
the extent OF his business and the rate of living in
the country in which he resided. All fees strictly
consular should be abolished but for certain servi
ees which were extra consular such as notarial
acts, the consuls might still make charge proyi-
ded IT did not exceed two dollara.
Connected with this subject was one Other
measure, which claimed their serious attention
but before he could enter into it, he must saw a
word or two on the situation in which the trade in
the Levant was placed under the direction of the
Levant company. That company was established
by royal charter, far back as the reign of James
l. Considerable privileges were bestowed upon
it; and in consequence by those privileges, consi-
derable duties were imposed upon it They were
allowed OF their charter to appoint all the consls
III the sea-ports in the Levant; they were subse-
quently allowed by act ofparliament 10 levy duties
on all English ships which came TO those ports for
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