/ ( Ireland.) SEVENTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS [ APP* No. N ACCOUNT of the Quantity of SKINS Imported into Ireland, No. 12. The Examination of W. B. SWAN, Efquire, InfpeCtor- General of Excii'e and Licences of Ireland ; taken on Oath, the 23d of OCtober 1807, and 14th January 1808. This Examinant faith, ( f That every Tanner, previous to his commencing bufinefs, is obliged by Law to take out a Licence from t^ e ColleCtor of the DiftriCt wherein he refides, 4s3ffc! • J enter into bond, with two furcties, conditioned to pay all fuch Duties as fhall be * ie- turncd by the proper Officers of Excife; he is alfo obliged to make a Return of the number and cubic feet of each and every Vat, Handler and Latch ufed by him, as alfo of all VefTels which, though not charged with Excife, are ufed by him ; great frauds are practiced by Tanners in general, by negteCting to make the Return in the manner prefcribed by Law, and returning the grofs number of cubic feet; and it fre- quently happens that a confiderable number of Pits are in ufe, over and above the number returned to the ColleCtor; and it alfo frequently happens, that the cubic feet actually at work, exceed confiderably the number of cubic feet returned by the Officer • in the monthly charge Voucher; and Examinant has very frequently made very confiderable feizures of Leather, which was found in Pits neither entered norregiftered. In one inftance, within thefe few days paft, in the city of Dublin, Examinant de- tected in one concern forty- five Pits at work, where only eighteen were returned for the payment ofDuty, feized and condemned 296 Hides, and the cubic feet of the Pits actually returned amounted to 1,150, and the amount of Duty £. 2. 1 £ s. 10\ d. per ^ onth, white the cubic feet in aCtual ulc amounted to 3,891; and the monthly Duty thereon