Correspondence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 404, 17 September 1856, Page 6

Correspondence.

To the Fditor of the " Lyttelton Times." Sik, —Let me have a feAV words with you about the absurdity of the recently enacted tariff, which makes one exclaim of our legislators •' Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?'' Did they set about this reconstruction of the basis of our fiscal revenues Avith the sort of private understanding "inveniam, aut faciam?'* Did they complacently review their finished work, feeling " inveni portum, laudite nunc alios." Will you engage some erudite official to Avrite an explanatory commentary on it, showing the why, and the how it is likely to fulfil those pretentious hopes expressed in His Excellence's speech when he refers to it, and which must be considered as the "text which is to be always in view, when workhig it either,in theory or in practice? Let me instance a^few of its apparent anomalous, and monstrous incongruities. - What relative positions do a crate of empty Ginger Beer Bottles, an iron wheel-barrow, and a patent washing and Avringing machine stand in Avith regard one to another and a gold hunting Avatch worth 207? HoAVwouldyourneasurethelatter? Hoav Avould you suppose a pair of navigator's thigh boots, or two extra long strapped and side strapped and steel trod spades should be measured? Or a side of leather? What | Avould he the agreement between a Barrel of* Stockholm lar,and avpaggon Avheel? And how is the statement of contents to satisfy the ! water-side officer more iioav, under this arrangement, than it formerlyd-d, as to value, and from what data is our Blue Book matter be collected ? Suppose- now I am furnishing a house, or that I have ordered a lot of furniture, how am I to find money to pay for sofas an^ wardrobes by cubic measurement, and are my air beds and pillows to be all [ inflated prior to being resolved into cubes? Is one fifth to be throAvn off the measurement of a cask, according to column No. 2 in all measurement "ready reckoners? Would you describe to me the probable system of measuring gutta percha tubing, pit saws, forgebellows ? Will Bath bricks and grindstones be weighed or measured ? What course would you take to measure a pine apple cheese, or a flat tin'sponge bath ? Why is the imposition of 2d. a lb. on coffee, and another Id. on tea, supposed to be a provocative of temperance? Is the big drum a Thrashing machine in fiscal nomenclature ? Is there any law against the manufacture of explosive cotton ? Is a landing Avaiter making a seizure one of H. M. Vorces ? Would it be fair to measure senna leaves ? Is '• Eau de Cologne" Bs. per Gallon, and Patchouli and " Attar of Hoses" Is. per foot or cwt ? Is Iron corrugated in sheets, and galvanized for walls and roofs, decerned to be manufactured ? As Doctor Warburton once said " It is a pity that these people have no Aveak side of common sense, upon avli'c . they might haply be approached." Your enquiring subscriber Kosmos.

Mr. Thackeray, after a most successful lecturing tour through the United States, returned to England on Wednesday, May 7th.