ISLE of MAN. 
bleto the ifland to be without fuel) ftrangers as he alluded 
to. The controverfy died away, either without any bill 
of the kind being fubmitted to the confideration of the 
legiftature, or of its being quietly negatived. 
Since the affair of Daniels, an attempt was made to ap¬ 
prehend and take away a gentleman, now refider.t at 
Douglas, for having fent a challenge to a nobleman in 
Ireland, both at that time refiding there, and having been 
confequently indifted by the grand jury for his breach of 
the peace. A correfpondence again took place between 
the governor and the fecretary. The former finally de¬ 
clined to ill'ue any order for his appreher.fion, probably 
not thinking it a matter of fufficient criminality, and 
knowing that the objeft of the indictment was merely to 
procure his return to Ireland, where he might have been 
arreffed for a debt of 20,000b due to his lordlhip, tor da¬ 
mages recovered in an aftion againft the defendant, for 
criminal converfation with his lady. For the debt, in¬ 
deed, he was here arreffed, according to the Manks law ; 
and for a ffiort time confined in the caftle of the metro¬ 
polis, the plainti If being apprehenfive that he would other- 
wife make his efcape from the ifland, while the more im¬ 
portant cafe was pending. On its being decided, he was 
immediately releafed, his opponent well underftanding, 
that, although he was a man of property, he took care to 
have none liable to feizure. 
It feems now fufliciently determined by precedents, 
that, except in merely civil cafes, no perfons are here pri¬ 
vileged from the common courfe of law, unlefs the go¬ 
vernor refufe, as he did in the one laft mentioned, to fanc- 
tion fuch proceeding. In cafe of notorious criminality 
he would never do fo. 
When a debtor, whom the law cannot reach, has taken 
refuge upon the ifland, it has not unfrequently been the 
cuftom for a creditor to hire five or fix men to carry 
him away by force. They feize him in an unguarded 
moment, hurry him into a boat, and thence put him on¬ 
board a veil'd lying ready to receive him. The Manks 
government has not interfered or made any inquiry into 
finch tranfaftions. It is a remarkable fad, that all who 
have been thus carried away were Scotch drovers; perfons, 
employed to buy and fell cattle, who by fraudulent.means 
had obtained large films of money, and who had brought 
in their pockets feveral thoufand pounds. An inftance 
of the kind happened lately at Douglas. A drover of re¬ 
puted honeffy had obtained money to a confiderable 
amount from various perfons, under the pretence of mak¬ 
ing for them advantageous purchafes of cattle. Having 
amafled as much as poflible, he immediately proceeded to 
Whitehaven, intending to (pend in the Ifle of Man, the 
fuppofed place of fecurfty, his ill-gotten wealth. The 
wind was boifterous and adverfe; no veffel would put to 
fea. Difappointed and fearful of delay, he proceeded to 
Liverpool, and was obliged to remain two or three days 
in that town, awaiting the departure of a veffel for the 
defired port. In the mean time the creditors heard of his 
decampment; and, judging it probable that he had fled 
to the privileged ifland, determined, if poflible, to ufe force 
againft fraud. . One to whom he owed 1200I, embarked 
without delay, and arrived at Douglas before his debtor. 
He was permitted by law to imprifion any debtor till he 
could find bail for his perfonal appearance, and the deli¬ 
vering up of his effefts upon the ifland, or till the aftion, 
never long poftponed, could be heard ; and, ftill expect¬ 
ing the arrival of the drover, he procured a warrant to ar- 
reft him. He hired a veflel and half a dozen fturdy fel¬ 
lows, and examined each (hip as it arrived. At length 
came the packet from Liverpool, and the debtor on land¬ 
ing was conveyed to prilon. A perfon who has power 
to confine another, has power alfo to releafe him. In the 
du(k of the evening he fet his men upon the watch, and 
difmiffed the aftion. The prifon is clofe to the fea ; the 
gate was thrown open, and out walked the drover, exult¬ 
ing in the confirmation of his liberty, and the fuccefs of 
his plans. Scarcely had the door (hut after him, when he 
427 
was feized by the men in waiting, hurried to a boat, and 
thence put on-board a veffel which brought him to Eng¬ 
land. 
It now only remains to add a very few words as to the 
revenues of the Ifle of Man. 
In the time of the laft earl of Derby who was lord of 
Man, the cuftoms were eftimated at 2500I. per annum, 
and were farmed by him to an Englifh merchant. The 
public expenditure of the lame sera was 700!. per annum. 
In the courfe of the laft century, the fimuggling-trade 
had fo much increafed, that the duke of Athol, the lord, 
obtained for his private ufe the annual furplns of nearly 
fix thoufand pounds, Britifh. An abftraft of the clear 
revenue, derived from the ifland by the lord, for the ten 
years beginning with 1754- and ending with 1763, drawn 
up previoufly to the fale, (’cutes the average annual amount 
to be 7293I. os. 6d. arifing as follows : 
Income for the Average Income 
10 Years. 
Land revenue - - - - 13,981 n 
I 
per Aim. 
1,398 2 5 
Clear revenue of the cuftoms 64,217 
O 
si 
6,421 
14- 
0] 
Clear revenue for herrings 1,258 
8 
10 
125 
16 
11 
Felons’ goods, waifs, ltrays, 
forfeitures, wrecks, fines, 
perquifites, See. - - - 1,042 
3 
3t 
104 
+ 
4 
Impropriated tithes - - 2,305 
O 
42 
230 
10 
0 
Abbey temporalities - - 1,217 
10 
0 
121 
15 
0 
Income of land in the hands 
of the lord of Man - - 1,063 
J 9 
5 i 
106 
7 
11 
85,085 
6 
62 
8,508 
10 
8 
72,930 
5 
6 
7,293 
0 
6 
The revenues given up to England forthefum of 70,0001. 
Iterling, Britifh, were only thofe of the fecond and third 
heads, amounting to 5,612k 3s. 8d. per annum. 
Public fervices, for which internal taxes, continual or 
occaiional, are levied, are of four forts ; the building or 
repairing of churches; the building of bridges; the mak¬ 
ing and keeping in order high-roads; and the maintenance 
of the clergy. 
No church can be erefted at the public expence with¬ 
out an efpecial act of Tinwald. It is cultomary for fuch 
aft to fpecify in what manner the neceffary money is 
to be raifed ; and each parifh is obliged to bear its own ' 
burden. The repairing of a church is a lefs important 
matter, and its neceflity or expediency is determined by 
a majority of the pariihioners theinfelves, convened by 
the church-warden for that purpofe. The money, re- 
quifite for defraying the expences, is levied upon the in¬ 
habitants in proportion to their rentals. 
The building of a bridge requires a previous aft of 
Tinwald. The expence incurred is ufually defrayed by 
an annual poll-tax of one penny upon all the inhabitants, 
continued till a fufficient lum is received. 
The high-road fund, a moft eflential one, arifes from a 
tax of 12s. 6d. upon every retailer of ale or fpirits ; a tax 
upon lands and houfes ; a tax upon dogs ; and fome few 
and very trifling fines. The proprietor of each quarter- 
land was to furnifh four men for one day or term, or com¬ 
pound for their labour ; other lands and houfes, in pro¬ 
portion to rent. The penalty of not complying with the 
notice of the parochial furveyor to (end fuch labourers 
was one (hilling for each man deficient. One cart with 
two horfes and a driver, when required, were confidered 
equal to four men. All the inhabitants of a parilli, pofi- 
feifing land or houfes, were obliged to contribute thus in 
rotation, none being liable to more than three turns or 
days’ work in the courfe of one year. This labour, being 
now alrnolt invariably commuted into fums of money, 
produces between 700I. and 800I. per annum. Whoever 
has, keeps, or makes ufe of, any greyhound, half-bred 
greyhound, pointer, fpaniel, or other dog, ufed'or fit for 
courting, pointing, fetting, or (booting, is obliged to pay 
fix (hillings annually for each; for any hound, beagle, or 
other dog proper for hunting, or ufied for that purpofe, 
three 
