Duties.] ON F E E S , G R A T U I T I E S , 279 & c. We have already ftated, that the Solicitor of Excife has not furnifhed any Account of Law Cofts incurred in that Department fince his appoint- ment in 1802, confcqucntly, whatever may be due to him on that ac- count, will be an addition to the Law Charges of thofe years. Such Law proceedings relating to the Revenue, as required to be car- ried on in the Country, are ufually conducted by local Agents appointed by the refpe6tive Boards. They furnifh regular Bills of Cofts, and are paid lor their profelfional fervicesas Attornies, the Solicitors on the Efta- blifhment neither interfering in their appointment, nor participating in their emoluments. The following payments, fo far as we can colleCt from the Accounts with which we have been furnifhed, appear to have been made to local Agents, employed in the refpe& ive Departments of Cuftoms and Excife, in the years under- mentioned : viz. Appendix, N°* 66 & 67. Appendix, N0i 64 Sc 65. The very great excefs of fuch payments made in the Excife Depart- Appendix, N° 67. ment, in the laft of thefe years, appears to have been principally occalioned by the number of Informations profecuted in that and the preceding year, in order to recover the penalties incurred by Parifhes where unlicenfed Stills had been found. The Bills of Cofts furnifhed by the feveral local Agents, except in the cafes of profecutions to recover the penalties impofed on Parifhes where private Stills had been feized, are ufually referred to, and taxed ibid, by the refpe& ive Solicitors, in whole Department fuch Agents have been employed ; a practice highly obje& ionable, as it cannot be expefted that they fhould feel indifferent in deciding on the corrednefs of the feveral charges made by other Agents, when no inconfiderable portion of their own emoluments maybe derived from fimilar fources. As well there- fore to relieve the Solicitors from a function that muft be irkfome to them to perform, as to protect the Revenue againft exorbitant or im- F f proper