The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in moving on Monday for
leave to bring in a bill to withdraw in certain cases the collection of the taxes from the Special Parliamentary Commissioners, and put them under the direct control of the Board of Inland Revenue, told a curious story of the way the assessors of the taxes sometimes use their power to appoint collectors. It seems that the collectors cannot refuse the office,—the Act giving the assessors absolute power to name the collectors,—and that the assessors not unfre- quently appoint very unfit collectors, to whom the salary is of no moment and the responsibility very vexatious and annoying, for spite. Among the persons so named, said Mr. Gladstone, " I find a general officer in the army, a retired barrister, merchants absent from home during the entire day, the principals of grammar schools, the captain of a merchant vessel, and lastly, a lady." An assessor is evidently a formidable despot. If you don't accept me I'll make you collector of taxes in your native town,," must be a dreadful menace to hold over a pretty girl.
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