2 43 NQ. 45- 1 ON FEES, GRATUITIES, & c.~( Excife Duties.) cargo appears by the Import Ledger to be undifpofed of after the importer's Bond has become due to make any enquiry into the caufes thereof. There ale no periodi- cal returns whatsoever required from this Office. J. S. Rochfort, J. Hathorn Fredk Geale, J' Robert Alexander, Charles Saxton. No. 45. The. Examination of Mr! JOHN SKEYS; taken on Oath, the 27th of October and 18th November 1807. This Examinant faith, That he is a Clerk in the Office of the Examiner of Permit Vouchers; that his duty is to a ( Tift in checking Permits and Certificates, and to do other occafional bufinefs ; that daily attendance is required of him. Examinant receives for his fervices in this Office, a falary of one guinea per week on the Incidents. On the 20th of Auguft 1805, Examinant was appointed to keep flock on the retailers of Tobacco in tt. e city of Dublin. Previous to his appointment there was but one perfon acting in that capacity, and Examinant was appointed upon a reprefentation made by Mr. Edwards, the then Infpector General of Tobacco, that one' perfon was not equal to the duty. Examinant, when he was appointed, received from Mr. Edwards general inflrudtions to be vigilant in flocking the different retailers, and to take care that no unprotected goods fhould be allowed to pafs; but he found it impracticable to keep any account of the Stocks, as the major part of the retailers are of the lowefl defcription, and the law does not require any Permit to be pro- duced for any quantity under two pounds. Examinant frequently vifits the To- bacco Retailers, and endeavours, to the utmoft of his power, to prevent any illicit practices : if the quantity of Tobacco found exceeds two pounds, he requires them to produce the cover tor it, and in cafe of any irregularity, he reports the fame forth- with to the Tobacco Surveyor of the Survey wherein the detection is made; but. Examinant, having no commiffion under the Excife, has not the power of making feizures. He does not recollect that any feizure was ever made in confequence of his reports to the Surveyors. Shortly after Examinant was appointed, he difcovered that the retailers were in the habit of retaining their Permits, and not giving them up for a Certificate as the law required. This levers. 1 amongft them accounted for by flating that they had repeatedly made application for certificates at the divifional Permit Offices, but could not obtain them. Examinant conceives that his autho- rity extends over the whole city, but by a compaft with Mr. Baldwin, who was appointed to the fame duty, he has charge of thofe retailers only who live on the north fide of the River. Examinant fometimes has been out for feveral fucceflive days on this duty, at other times he has allowed a week or ten days to pafs without making any vifit, as he conceives it for the good of the Revenue that his vifits fhould not be ftrictly periodical, but rather defultory. A month, however ( though as this Examinant believes, in one or two inftances only) may have elapfed without hisvifuing the Tobacco retailers. Examinant receives a falary of 50 per annum on the Excife Eflablifhment; and he does not receive anv Fee, Gratuity, Perquifite, or Emolument, of any nature or kind whatfoever, either'in'this capacity, or in that of Clerk in the Office of the Examiner of Permit Vouchers, John Skeys. J. S. Rochfort, Fredk Geale, Robert Alexander, Cha1 Saxton.