Mr. Foster,on moving the order of the day for going into a committee of ways and means, acquainted the house, that pursuant to his declaration, when he had the honour to submit to the house the statement of the Irish finances, he now proposed to bring forward his arrangement for an augmentation of the stamp duties. The various heads on which he proposed an increase were as follows:—A considerable addition on tHe stamps on admission of attornies 637 and clerks; a rise on the indentures of apprentices, in proportion to the fees paid; a rise on letters of attorney giving power to grant leases; on letters of attorney to receive rents; on all leases for a reserved rent above 20l. or on a fine of 100l, proportioned to the amount of the fine of rent; on probates of wills, the stamps on which would not be so high as in this country; on legacies; on almanacks, the stamp-duty on which he proposed to raise from 6d. to 9d. each; and, lastly, on insurances of property against fire, which in some instances were higher, and in others lower than the duties payable; and, according to his arrangement, would be made exactly equal, in all instances, to the rate of duty in this country.—The house having resolved itself into the committee,
§ Sir John Newportsaid, he did not mean to make any objection to the resolutions, in this early stage; but he apprehended, that the stamp duty upon the attorneys' clerks might operate against the freedom of election, as these persons, after serving their clerkships, were at present possessed of the right of voting for representatives in parliament, upon which it was by no means desirable that there should be any additional restraint. He hoped, therefore, that the duty would be so modified, as not to be productive of the injurious effects he apprehended from it.
Mr. Fosterreplied, that he should be very ready to accede to any modifications the hon. bart. may think proper to propose for the purpose of obviating all his apprehension.—The resolutions were then agreed to, together with an additional one, that the foregoing duties be paid in English currency. He further moved, that an allowance of 7l. 10s. per cent. be made to all stationers in Ireland who sold stamps without any additional charge for the paper; which was agreed to.