§ Mr. Humerose to move for a return of the number of Hackney-coach and Cabriolet Licences granted to the present period. The hon. member complained of the monopoly which was practised under the present system of granting licences, which he contended were reserved for the favourites of the hackney-coach commissioners, to the complete exclusion of industrious and deserving men. An instance, he said, was known of one person, a wine-merchant, who was the owner of eighteen or twenty cabriolets, each of which he was in the habit of letting out for 24s. or 25s. a day, giving him an enormous profit, which might be much more beneficially divided between a number of 1187 poor men. The gross sum collected last year by the commissioners of hackney-coaches amounted to 69,000l., and the expense of collecting the revenue was 12,000l. per ann. In the year 1797, a committee was appointed to take into consideration the state of this department; and they reported, that the whole of the duty of collecting the revenue, and granting licences, might be transferred with advantage, to the Stamp-office; a measure which the report recommended. Why that recommendation was not followed, he did not know; but he conceived it would be a very great improvement of the present system of granting licences, if that duty was transferred to the police magistrates, who would have a judicial control over the parties applying for licences, and who would be less likely to be influenced by feelings of partiality. This would be attended with a considerable saving. He meant to move, at a future period, for a committee to consider the propriety of abolishing the Hackney-coach-office altogether.
Mr. Maberlyconcurred in the view which his hon. friend had taken of the subject. He regretted that the chancellor of the Exchequer was not present, as he was convinced that a saving of at least 10,000l. a year would be the effect of acceding to the motion of his hon. friend.
§ The motion was agreed to.