22 
A PUP) -E OD, TARY Neg 
T tmacrne that there is not a member of the houfe who has 
not acted as a commiffioner’ of the turnpikes. Let me requeft 
him to call to mind, whether he has not in that charaéter, or 
in the character of a magiftrate, treated with a harfh feverity 
the delinquent who, through poverty, has defrauded the gate of 
nine-pence. What pleas of confcience have not the commiffioners 
urged for maintaining the interefts of the gates, and difcharging 
their truft like men of honor? Is there not a Letheam atmo- 
fphere in the‘chapel of St. Stephen, fo fuddenly to efface all me- 
mory of: tranfactions in the common air of ‘the world? I truft 
that there is: otherwife the individual wlio, in one place and in 
one character, had been fo ftrenuous to fave a poor nine-pence, 
fhould in another place, and in another character, vote as a per- 
quifite to the comptroller-general of the poft-office, an exemp- 
tion of the mails from toll, a fum amounting to not lefs than 
90;,000/. a year, on which he has a moft: confiderable poundage, 
befides fome very good pickings from other articles. This I 
am affured of by a worthy member of your houfe. I think his 
falary is but r500/. per ann. What a monftrous quantity of 
fack is allowed to his halfpennyworth of bread! 
So liberally fupplied as the comptroller has been with the 
means, cannot fomething be deducted to relieve our complaint ? 
If the honorable houfe does not choofe this mode, a fmall, 
a very {mall tax on the paffengers, and on the immenfe fums 
got by the carriage of parcels; would compenfate for the lofs of 
exemption of tolls. The rich Evglif diftricts would be above 
taking advantage of this diminution of revenue to the comp- 
troller-general. It is only for the poor Welch diftriéts, and a 
few others like circumftanced, for which it 1s humbly afked. 
2 I HAVE 
