( Ireland)— Eighth REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS [ Appx. No. 3. Extract from a Copy of a LETTER from the Right honourable WM ELLIOTT, on the subject of Collector's Accounts, to the Commissioners of Excise, 31st January 1807. tc ^ as ( rreac inconvenience to the Country Collegers, and much interruption to the* bufinefs of their Office, and great delay in palling their Accounts, have resulted from the uibal pradice of requiring them to come to Dublin every year, to pass and firn their annual Accounts in the Books of the Accountant General, and to swear to'the same Accounts, as made up by the Auditor General of the Exchequer; and as by the Laws now in force, an affidavit made by the Collectors to the truth of their annual Accounts, before any Justice of the Peace, is equally valid to every pur- pofe 3i> if made before a Baron of the Exchequer. And as an mftrudion has been fent to the Auditor General of the Exchequer, to tranfmit the Accounts made up bv him to the several Collectors, to be fwornto by them before a Jultice ofthe Peace, His Grace desires you will direct the Accountant General, after he has made out the annual fucement of the Accounts of the feveral Colledors, and after ail the bills for which credit is claimed in fuch Accounts are paid, to tranlmit two copies thereof to each Collector, one to be ktpc by him, and the other to be returned ( with " his signature) to the Accountant General, whereby the attendance of the Col- ic- dor in Dublin, for the purpofes aforefaid, will in future be rendered wholly unne- ceftary, and their Accounts may be paffed more regularly and expeditioufly than at prefent." No. 4. The Examination of WILLIAM BOWER, Esquire; taken upon Oath, the 22d of November and 2ill December 1808. This Examinant faith, That he is Firft Clerk in the Office of the Auditor General in Ireland. The re- fpe& ive Accountants General of Cuetoms and Excise ought to tranfmit to the Au- ditor General, at the clofe- of every year, copies of the Annual Accounts made up by them for each coliedion, together with the Quarterly Accounts of the feveral Col- lectors, the Vouchers belonging thereto, and the Certificates of the Examiners of Cuftoms and Excife, and of tiie other certifying Officers; a confiderabl delay, how- ever, fometimes occurs in the transmission of these Accounts, in which, if any error be difcovered, they are fent back to the Accountant General to be correded. The Accounts of many of the Collectors, both of Excise and Customs, in fome cafes for feveral fucceeding years, remain in the Auditor General's Office unpaffed, owing to the relpedive Collectors negleding to call on the Auditor, to fwear to their Ac- counts, as made up by him for their several collections. The Auditor General re- ceived a letter from Government, directing him to transmit to the feveral Colledors their Accounts, for the purpofe of being sworn to before a Magiftrate, purfuant to the provifions of the 46 Geo. HI. c. 106. sec. 7. : but no mode for fuch tranfmif- fion having been pointed out, the order has not been complied with, it being con- fidercd, that to fend the Accounts by special Messengers would have been attended with a confiderable expence, and that if sent by the ordinary conveyance of the Poft they might be loft, or having ceased to be in the possession of the Office, they could not be conlidered as Records. The amount of Arrears of Quit and Crown Rent, due from the feveral Patentees, cannot be ascertained from any document in the Office of the Auditor General, the Collectors not returning regularly into the Auditor General's Office their two- penny books, in which are entered their Receipts, and in which alfo fhould be entered the Arrears outstanding. ~ „ R ,, , Wm Bower. j. S. Rochfort. Fred Geale. Robt Alexander. Chas Steuart Hawthorn. john Hamilton. s