Mr. Humein moving for the following Returns, viz. of the expense of the whole establishments now maintained in the Isle of Man, and paid from public monies, for the civil, military, revenue, and other departments (including that of the Church); stating the name of every person receiving more than 50l. a year in salaries, fees, or other emoluments; the office he holds; 27 whether the duty is performed by the principal, or by deputy; by whom appointed, and whether for life, or during pleasure: of the duties of Custom and Excise on all the articles in the Isle of Man, where the rates of duty are less than on the same articles imported into, or used in England, or Scotland; stating, in parallel columns, the rates in both places; begged to say a few words to the right hon. Gentleman opposite. It would be recollected, that the Isle of Man formerly belonged to the Duke of Athol, and that several purchases were made of his rights, till the public had paid half a million of money. One of the reasons why he concurred in passing an Act, authorising a reference to fix the proper sum that should be paid was, that a promise was made, that as soon as all the rights in question had been purchased, arrangements should be entered into, to put the Isle of Man on the same footing with Scotland and England, in order to prevent the smuggling which the low rate of duties in that island was known to create. He regretted that the late Ministers were better than two years in possession of all those rights, and neglected to make any use of them, for the advantage of the country. A sum of 270,000l. was paid for the bishoprick of Sodor and Man, and some appendages connected with it. The public paid for the income of the Bishop, upon a valuation of 5,000l. per annum, but the Bishop could not make 2000l. per annum. It was therefore proper to inquire, before all the arrangements were sanctioned by the House, whether some refunding should not take place. After the payment of 75,000l. which was thought to be final, a claim for an additional 250,000l. was made, on the ground that the premises had not been clearly understood; and if it should turn out that this was the case, the public would have as much right to go back as forward.
Lord Lowtherthought, that the hon. member for Middlesex, had given rather an exaggerated statement of the badness of this bargain. The sovereignty of the Isle of Man was bought of the Duke of Athol, who, though owing fealty to the King, had certain rights, the exercise of which was particularly inconvenient, on account of the encouragement it gave to smuggling on the coasts of Lancashire and Cumberland: a power was therefore given by the House, to purchase those rights, and persons were 28 appointed to make a fair valuation; viz. Mr. Harrison on the part of the Duke of Athol, and Mr. William Courtenay, a Member of this House, on the part of the Crown. Each of these gentlemen employed a different surveyor, and the present Mr. Justice Bosanquet was called in as arbitrator. By these gentlemen it was settled, that 417,000l. should be paid for those rights, a large portion of that sum being for duties and customs. With respect to the bishoprick, for which 217,000l. was given, it was at no time valued at above 2,800l. a year; but there were purchased with it seventeen Livings, one of them worth 1000l. a year. Upon the whole, he believed the purchase to be very advantageous, and so did Parliament, for it allowed, the Duke of Athol an extra sum for the bargain. The duties and customs alone would make it advantageous and they were ridiculously low—6d.. being paid upon tea, and 2s. 6d. upon brandy, which imported into England, would be charged ten times that amount. His right hon. friend intended last year to equalize the duties, but the press of business prevented him.
§ Return ordered.