Every one can bring to mi...
Itvery one 'can bring Zo.mid iistances of the injustice eften resulting in this coantry from the operation of lo- cal acts of Parliament, more especiaUly when the purpose of such acts is to institute or to regulate'a demand of money from the people; and still ftirther, -whetn it is attempted! to invigorate the law.by a systematic misconstruietion of its powers. The town and neighbourbood of Southampton, among other places, have afforded us matter.for tho above rernarlt. Vhe Commissioner.s of that port have appliced. for. -an act of Parliament to eniable them, as it wsuld seen, to do that by laW, whichl in the teith of the.law, they have ieng been aecustomned -to pe-petrite-_inmely, to inflict cer-' Min rates and iluties -li thcornmmdree of the port of South- xnt*ttoro wbich rites, &c., .h& been declared illegal by a decision df the Court o. Kin'of ech; Thisetta.prise yel1 deserves to be watcied; for lhere are not a eb'f ore- -cncr6aching .auimals in the ereation than. your'# Cona -missioners" appoiitul for, the raising oi money tin certain.,Apecified parts of theUTii&AUhwg&dom. It was a smngle puoli--spiited intlividual W'hq ei4miied into the va- ;dity okthe'clarges levied for yearS. at 14ie port in question ty'these Commissioners. .inding.tJepin as he conceived, -to be.iinwarrantcd by laiv, be attacked the gentlemenl in the King's Bench, and obtained a dicision against thein. .gomie ilea of the annoyance to bvhhie theepublichad been exposcdl may be formed from ihe circumstance of passen- g,e to, the IWe of Witht (JUSt at the moutlh of Soutbamp- ton river!) being forced to account for portmanteauo, travellifig trninks, and even night-sacks, as articles of: merchandise, accessible to the layers-on of taxes. Iiy; as the notice of the Commissioners, thus abridged of their, treasure, describes the me(litated act to be one for " con-: tin?eing, altering,, amending,and EXT9XNDX o 'the prdwers " of the acts" under wlhieli they had before professed to operate, viz. 44 and rO Geo. IE.I., for " improvig'g" the port of Southampton ; and( also 6 for the better regt-. lating and imprQving the, ratesa aml dtuties impose. by " the said acts; may we make. bold to ask tho Commis- sioners three or. four intelligible questions ? lst. WoIlV d it niot be propel in tlie Commissioners in ap- plying for a new act to ofrer to pay back all the tolls, &c., proved by ihe'decision of the King's Bench 'to lhave been illegally collected inder the old one ? 2d. lVhat they mean by continuing acts pa=sed for ani in- definite period ? 3d. Whether they have not been explailed already by the Court of Kinhg's Bench, in the decision that ;he Commis- sioners had put a constrtutioli upon them wvhich the letter of the act would not justify, and from which they derived great advantages? 4th. Whether any steps were taken by the Commissioners towards fulfilling the objects for whiclh the acts were passed-viz., the construction of dlocks "' for the security of ships, and warehouses for the safe custo(ly of goods and inerehan(lise ?"