322 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



charge by the natural channel the 

 superfluous water, it was evidence 

 of his having been permitted by the 

 proprietors of the adjoining lands 

 to erect the drains, and pond the 

 water, upon stipulation so to do. 

 In this case, it appeared that the 

 fenders had been raised within 20 

 years, and that the mill-owner had 

 neglected to draw the sluices, until 

 the plaintiff's lands were flooded. — 

 The plaintiff therefore obtained a 

 verdict. 



Property Tax.— Return to an Or- 

 der of the Honouralle House of 

 Commons dated the hth day of 

 June, 1809, for an account or 

 Estimate of the Nett Assessment 

 nf the Property Tax, for the years 

 ending 5th April, 1807, 1808, 

 and 1809, respectively. 

 Anno ending 5th April, 1807, 

 11,299,936/. 



Anno ending 5th April, 1808, 

 11,345,350/. 



Anno ending 5th April, 1809, 

 11,359,229/. 



For the year ending 5th April, 



1807, the above account is made 

 out from actual returns, except 

 from the department of the War 

 office. 



For the year ending 5th April, 



1808, returns from 218 surveyors' 

 districts have been received ; from 

 whichit appears thatthe assessments 

 on trade and professions have de- 

 creased ; so that on the whole a di- 

 minution of duty may be computed, 

 to the extent of 72,000/. nearly in 

 the assessments by commissioners 

 for general purposes ; but which is 

 overbalanced by the deductions of 

 duty in other departments. 



For the year ending 5th April, 



1809, returns from 25 surveyors' 

 districts have been received ; the 

 result from which is more favourable 



than in the year preceding, at the 

 rate of 4 1-6 per cent increase, 

 and will therefore warrant an esti- 

 mate to the amount of that year. 

 The remainder of that year, except 

 in the article of duty on dividends, 

 is likewise computed on the amount 

 of the preceding year, from the 

 same sources, for want of returns. 



Office for Taxes, June 13, 1809. 



4. Mount Vesuvius. — A letter 

 from Naples, of the 9th ult. states, 

 that on the 4th of September a new 

 crater opened to the South-east, 

 from which there had been a conti- 

 nued eruption of lava. The torrent 

 of lava, which took a direction to- 

 wards the town of Delia Torre, had 

 divided into two branches, and 

 formed an island, at the extremity 

 of which it again united, and pro- 

 duced a lake of fire in the district of 

 A Trio del Cavallo. In the night of 

 the 5th there was an eruption of an 

 immense quantity of ashes and 

 stones. 



7. The annual conference of the 

 methodists held this year at Man- 

 chester terminated last week : — 250 

 preachers attended. — Actual in- 

 crease of members during the past 

 year, 14,200 ;— 6,200 in England 

 and Ireland, and 8,000 in America. 

 The number of preachers received 

 at conference, after the four pro- 

 bationary years, exclusive of those 

 in the districts was 20; and the 

 number of new chapels opened 

 since last conference is stated to 

 be considerable. 



17. Opening of Covent Garden 

 Theatre.— The New Theatre open- 

 ed on Monday night, with the Tra- 

 gedy of Macbeth and the Quaker. J 

 It wascrouded the instant the doors 

 were open, and though on the steps 

 of the portico the mob were exclaim- 

 ing against th« advance of prices, 



yet 



