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COAL MINES OF

An act 5 and 6 William and Mary, c. lo,passed, entitled “ an act for the relief of theorphans and other creditors of the City ofLondon,” wherein amongst other things it wasenacted that four-pence per chaldron metage-money, over and above the duties then existing,should be imposed upon all coal or culm im-ported into the port of London from and afterJune, 1694. In 1700 a further sum of six-pence per chaldron was imposed for and duringthe term of fifty years, being to the 29th ofSeptember, 1750.

21 Geo. II. c. 29. enacted that the importor duty of six-pence per chaldron should re-main and continue for the further term, ofthirty-five years. 27 Geo. III. c. 37. continuesthe said tax for the term of forty-two years fromand after the expiration of the aforesaid termof thirty-five years, which carries it to 1827.

Nothing has been a greater drawback uponthe coal trade than the City of London, asappears by the several acts, 19 Car. II. c. 3.s. 36. 22 Car. II. c. 11. 1 James II. c. 15.

S and 9 Will. III. c. 14. 1 Anne, stat. 2. c.12. 9 Anne, c. 22. J Geo. I. stat. 2. c. 23. Butby 5 Geo. I. c. 9. s. 1. the duties imposed bythese acts and statutes were put under thecontrol of His Majesty’s Commissioners of4