nndj Viinf ON THE LOCAL TAXATION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN. 191 ACUITY, THAT IT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO PERMIT THOSE COALS TO PAY THE SAME DUTY THAT THE WHITEHAVEN DID, AND THAT WAS RECOMMENDED TO THE LORDS OF THE TREASURY; AND THE LORDS OF THE TREASURY WROTE TO MR. CURWEN, AND HE WAS PERFECTLY SATISFIED; AND THAT REGULATION HAS CONTINUED FOR UPWARDS OF SEVEN YEARS, AND STILL CONTINUES. YOU HAVE ALREADY STATED THAT IT IS A PART OF THE DUTY OF THE COAL- METERS TO CHEQUE THE QUANTITY DELIVERED FROM THE SHIP, WITH A VIEW TO THE COLLECTION OF THE CUSTOM AND WIDE- STREET DUTY ON COALS; WHEN WAS THAT REGULATION FIRST ADOPTED?— I THINK IT WAS FIRST ADOPTED ABOUT NINE OR TEN YEARS AGO, AND IT IS MOST EFFECTUALLY FOLLOWED UP, AS WILL APPEAR FROM THE INCREASE OF THE DUTIES. BY WHOSE ORDER WAS IT SO ADOPTED ?— BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS AND WIDE STREETS HAVING APPLIED TO THE COAL COMMITTEE FOR THAT PURPOSE. HAVE NOT THE COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS GIVEN ORDERS TO THEIR SURVEYORS AND IN- SPECTORS NOT TO ALLOW ANY COAL- VESSELS TO BE DISCHARGED DURING THE TIME ALLOWED TO THE COAL- METERS FOR BREAKFAST AND DINNER?— THEY DID, AND THEY HAVE FOLLOWED THAT UP BY NEW REGULATIONS IN THE CUSTOM HOUSE, BY MAKING A POSITIVE ORDER THAT THE QUAY- OFFICERS SHALL ATTEND, AND NOT ALLOW SHIPS TO DISCHARGE DURING THE ABSENCE OF THE MASTER PORTER, OR DURING HIS BREAKFAST OR DINNER- TIME. HAVE NOT THOSE REGULATIONS GREATLY INCREASED THE DUTY BOTH TO THE CROWN AND TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF WIDE STREETS ?— THEY HAVE, TO THE AMOUNT OF FOURTEEN OR FIFTEEN THOUSAND A- YEAR. IS IT NOT YOUR OPINION THAT STRICT ATTENTION ON THIS SUBJECT ON THE PART OF THE COAL- METERS HAS MADE THEM EXTREMELY UNPOPULAR WITH THOSE PERSONS CONCERNED IN THE IMPORTATION OF COALS?— IT HAS MADE THEM EXTREMELY UNPOPULAR WITH MANY OF THE COAL- FACTORS, BUT TO THE PUBLIC AND THE REVENUE I THINK THEY ARE QUITE THE REVERSE. DID NOT MR. HAMERTON, THE JERQUER OF THE CUSTOMS, GIVE IT AS HIS OPINION THAT THE COAL- METERS WERE THE ONLY CHECK THE REVENUE HAD ON VESSELS DISCHARGING THEIR COALS?— HE DID, AND I HAVE HIS CERTIFICATE HERE TO THAT EFFECT. PRODUCE THAT CERTIFICATE ?— [ The Witness produced the same, which was read as follows:] " I CERTIFY THAT THE MEASURING PORTERS ARE THE ONLY CHECQUE THE REVENUE HAS IN THE DISCHARGE OF VESSELS TRADING WITH COALS IN THE PORT OF DUBLIN, AND IS OF ESSENTIAL BENEFIT TO THE COLLECTION OF THE DUTY. THE QUANTITY REPORTED TO THE CLERK OF THE SHIP'S ENTRIES, ( A TRANSCRIPT OF WHICH I KEEP,) WAS FROM THE 3D OF JANUARY TWENTY, TO THE 3D OF FEBRUARY TWENTY, 15,902 TONS; AND THE ACTUAL QUANTITY CERTIFIED BY THE METERS TO HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED WAS 2I, 677TONS, GCWT. OQRS. 2OLBS. BEING 5,795TONS, 9CWT. OQRS. 20LBS. MORE THAN WOULD BE ASCERTAINED BY THE CUSTOM DEPARTMENT, THE INCREASE DUTY BEING 7941. 2s. 10d. IN NO INSTANCE CAN THE MASTER OF A COAL- VESSEL OBTAIN A CLEARANCE UNTIL THE DUTY IS PAID FOR THE OVERPLUS, WHICH IS DONE BY A POST- ENTRY BEING FIRST COMPARED WITH THE METERS RETURNS, AND CERTIFIED BY ME. THE DUTY AVERAGED BY THE MONTH, ABOVE STATED, WOULD AMOUNT TO 9,429/. 5S. PER ANNUM." William Hamerton, JERQUER. MARCH 14, 1820. HAVE YOU ANY CERTIFICATE FROM THE COMMISSIONERS OF WIDE STREETS, SHOWING THE INCREASE OF DUTIES PAYABLE TO THEM IN CONSEQUENCE OF THESE REGULATIONS?— I HAVE. IN YOUR OPINION, WAS IT THE PURCHASER OF COALS, OR THE PROPRIETOR OF THE SHIP, WHO BENEFITED BY THE PAYMENT OF SHORT DUTY; OR DID THE REGULATIONS ENHANCE THE PRICE OF COALS ON THE CONSUMER ?— THE IMPORTER OF THE COALS AND THE CAPTAINS HAD THE BENEFIT THAT AROSE FROM PAYING THE SHORT DUTY; IT DID NOT RAISE THE PRICE. AT THE TIME THAT IT FIRST TOOK PLACE COALS WERE FROM 28 S. TO 30 s. PER TON, THE CAPTAINS WERE THEN MAKING SUCH A GREAT PROFIT; THEY WERE SO PERFECTLY RECONCILED WITH IT, THAT THEY DID NOT RAISE THE PRICE OF COALS. HAS NOT THE ATTENTION OF THE COAL- METERS IN KEEPING A STRICT TALLY ON THE SHIP BEEN THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF OPPOSITION ON THE PART OF THE COAL- FACTORS TO THEM ?— I HAVE NO DOUBT OF IT THAT IT IS A PRINCIPAL CAUSE. DID NOT SOME OF THE COAL- FACTORS CALL A MEETING OF THOSE INTERESTED IN THE COAL- TRADE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF RESISTING THE COAL- METERS ; AND DID NOT SEVERAL RESPECTABLE COAL- FACTORS DECLINE ATTENDING SUCH MEETING ?— THEY DID ; SEVERAL OF THEM DECLINED HAVING ANY THING TO DO WITH IT. DID ANY OF THEM PROCEED TO SERVE NOTICES ON THE COAL- METERS, CAUTIONING THE coal- meters FROM GOING ON BOARD VESSELS ?— THERE IS ONE OF THE PRINTED NOTICES. [ The witness delivered in the same, which xvas read as follows:] Mr. Richard. Oullon. v—-- ^ ' { 16 May.) 549- m H A • u 18 f