CUSTOMS, ETC., ACTS—HACKNEY CARRIAGES. (Hansard, 21 July 1853)

§ The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

then moved the following Resolution:— That from and after a day to be named, the Duties now payable in respect of Hackney Carriages, and Licenses to keep and let to hire such Carriages, within the distance of five miles from the General Post Office in the City of London, shall cease and determine; and in lieu thereof there shall be payable for and in respect of every Hackney Carriage which shall be kept, used, or let to hire within the limits of the Act of the present Session of Parliament, Chapter 33, for the better regulation of Metropolitan Stage and Hackney Carriages, the several Duties following (that is to say)—

	£	s.	d.
For and upon every License to be taken out yearly to keep, use, and let to hire any such Hackney Carriage	1	0	0
And for and in respect of every such Hackney Carriage as aforesaid, weekly and every week:—
	Weekly Duty.
Where the License for such Carriage shall authorise the using and letting to hire of the same on every day of the week, the sum of	0	7	0
And where such License shall authorise the using and letting to hire of such Carriage, on every day of the week except Sunday, the suns of.	0	6	0"

He had only one explanation to state in reference to this Resolution, and that was, to call attention to the duty of 1l. for keeping a carriage. The present plan was to levy the duty when the licence was taken out, upon which 5l. was paid. In the Bill this would be provided for; those who have paid their 5l. shall not pay the new duty until a certain time—say three years from the 5th January next. As to the weekly duty, the tax had been so contrived that parties would have to pay 7s. for seven days, and 6s. for six days, so that those who objected to hire their carriages on Sunday would not have to pay the duty.