I I r ill 14S MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE djl". [ The witness produced the same.] I SENT TO COLONEL WHITE, AS WELL AS OTHERS, A MASTER PORTER TO MEASURE COALS FOR HIM IN THE COUNTRY AT HIS OWN DESIRE. DOES NOT A MEASURED TON OF COAL IN DUBLIN CONSIST OF SIXTEEN HALF- BARRELS?— IT DOES. IS NOT COAL MEASURED WITHOUT STREAKING ?- THE REVENUE LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL COAL SHOULD BE MEASURED ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF THE PORT; THE CUSTOM OF THE PORT OF DUBLIN IS WITHOUT STREAKING, AND THE COMMISSIONERS ACT UNDER THAT. ARE NOT THE COAL- TUBS ALMOST UNIFORMLY FILLED IN THE SHIP BY THE SHIP'S CREW, WHO TAKE IT IN TURN WITH THOSE AT THE WINDLASS ?— THEY ARE ; THERE MAY BE SOME FEW IN- STANCES IN WHICH A MAN NOT OF THE CREW IS EMPLOYED OCCASIONALLY TO MEASURE. IT HAS BEEN STATED IN A PRINTED PAPER, WHICH I HAVE READ, INTITLED " CHARGES ON THE IMPORTATION OF COAL IN THE CITY OF DUBLIN," THAT ARTFUL MEASURERS IN THE HOLD RECEIVED 6,686/. 15S. IN THE YEAR ENDING JANUARY 1822, WHICH IS A MERE INVENTION OF SOME INTERESTED PERSON, AND NOT FOUNDED IN FACT; AND I BELIEVE THAT MANY OF THE SUMS THEREIN ARE MISCALCULATED, AND THAT OTHERS OF THEM ARE NOT EXISTING ONES, AND EQUALLY FALLACIOUS AS THE ONE I HAVE MENTIONED, AND AMONG OTHERS 1,250/. METAGE PAID ON COALS IN DEALERS STORES, WHEREAS NO METAGE HAS BEEN PAID ON THEM FOR UPWARDS OF TWO YEARS: 106,988/. FOR FREIGHT OF COALS IS INTRODUCED ALSO TO SWELL THE CHARGES. STATE AS NEARLY AS YOU CAN THE PROPORTION WHICH A DUBLIN- MEASURED TON OF COAL BEARS TO A LONDON CHALDRON ?— ABOUT A TON AND A FIFTH. WHAT IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE PRICE OF A TON OF THE BEST WHITEHAVEN COAL IN DUBLIN, INCLUDING DELIVERY?— ABOUT 24S. IRISH. WHAT IS THE PRICE OF THE BEST NEWCASTLE COAL IN LONDON, INCLUDING DELIVERY?— ABOUT 3/., BRITISH PER CHALDRON, WHICH IS A TON AND ONE FIFTH, DUBLIN MEASURE. SINCE I CAME, THEY WERE NEAR 3/. 10 S.; THEY ARE REDUCED SINCE; BUT I WAS TALKING TO A COAL MERCHANT HERE, AND HE SAID THAT IN GENERAL THE BEST COALS COULD NOT BE SOLD IN LONDON UNDER 3/. AT ANY TIME. DID NOT THE COMMISSIONERS OF CUSTOMS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING THE CUSTOMS AND WIDE- STREET DUTY 011 COALS IN THE PORT OF DUBLIN, DIRECT THE WEIGHT OF A MEASURED TON OF EACH DESCRIPTION OF COAL IMPORTED, TO BE ASCERTAINED ?—' THEY DID. WERE THEY NOT MEASURED AND WEIGHED IN THE PRESENCE OF ONE OF THE COMMIS- SIONERS?— THEY WERE, TWICE; THE FIRST TIME I ATTENDED, MR. HUTCHINSON, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS WAS PRESENT. THE SECOND TIME HE AND THE SURVEYOR- GENERAL, AND A CLERK FROM THE CUSTOM HOUSE, AS ALSO THE LORD MAYOR AND THE WATER- BAILIFFS WERE PRESENT. STATE THE WEIGHT OF A MEASURED TON OF COAL OF THE SEVERAL KINDS?— A MEASURED TON OF WHITEHAVEN COALS WEIGHS 21 CWT. 3 QRS. AND 12 LBS.; A MEASURED TON OF IRVINE COAL WEIGHS 21 CWT. 16 LBS., A MEASURED TON OF TROONE COAL IS 21 CWT. 1 QR. AND 4 LBS.; A MEASURED TON OF CHESTER AND LIVERPOOL COALS WEIGHS 21 CWT. 1 QR. 20 LBS.; A MEA- SURED TON OF HARRINGTON AND WORKINGTON WEIGHS 23 CWT. 2 QRS. AND S LBS.; A MEASURED TON OF GLASGAW COALS WEIGHS 22 CWT. AND 16 LBS.; A MEASURED TON OF SWANSEA COALS WEIGHS 23 CWT.; A MEASURED TON OF MARYPORT COALS WEIGHS 24 CWT. 1 QR. AND 4 LBS., WHICH LATTER IS THE WORST HOUSE COAL THAT COMES TO DUBLIN. THEN THE COMMITTEE ARE TO UNDERSTAND, THAT, ACCORDING TO THE USUAL WAY OF MEASURING COAL, A MEASURED TON OF WHITEHAVEN COAL WEIGHS 1 CWT. 3 QRS. AND 12 LBS., AND A MEASURED TON OF MARYPORT COAL WEIGHS 4 CWT. 1 QR. AND 4 LBS. MORE THAN A TON BY WEIGHT?— YES. IS NOT MARYPORT COAL ONE OF THE WORST DESCRIPTIONS OF COAL IMPORTED INTO DUBLIN? — IT IS. AND WHITEHAVEN THE BEST?— IT IS, FOR HOUSE USE. THEN IT APPEARS IF THE COAL WAS SOLD BY WEIGHT, THAT IT WOULD BE THE INTEREST OF THE IMPORTERS TO IMPORT THE WORST INSTEAD OF THE BEST?— NO DOUBT OF IT; HE COULD HAVE MORE WEIGHT IN LESS BULK, AND AT A CHEAPER RATE AT THE PITS. WAS THERE NOT A REPRESENTATION MADE BY MR. CURWEN TO THE LORDS OF THE TREASURY, STATING THE HARDSHIP THAT EXISTED IN PAYING THE DUTY BY WEIGHT, INASMUCH AS THE WORST COAL PAID THE MOST DUTY?— THERE WAS. HERE IS MR. CURWEN'S LETTER ON THE SUBJECT, DATED ISTMAY 1816. • [ The witness produced the same.] IT STATES THAT THE WORST COAL WHICH COMES INTO DUBLIN PAID THE HIGHEST DUTY, ON ACCOUNT OF ITS BEING SO MUCH HEAVIER. WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THAT REPRESENTATION ?— THE LETTER WAS REFERRED TO THE COAL COMMITTEE OF THE GUILD OF MERCHANTS; THEY CALLED UPON ME TO GIVE MY OPINION, AND I DID SO, BY SAYING, THAT TO RELIEVE MR. CURWEN'S COLLIERIES FROM THAT GREAT DIF- FICULTY,