Severall particulars shewing the many great Conveniences or receiving the Imposition or Excise at the Custome-house, by way of Impost, upon all Goods and Merchandize imported.
I. In reference to the State.
1. THe intricate and uncertain Accounts now made with Merchants and Tradesmen, pretended by Shrinkage, Leakage, and decaying of Goods, in the way the Excise is now in, will be prevented; as also the adventures that are runne, and losses often made by the obscurity of persons, and the difficulty of finding their Goods, when once passed the Custome-house, together with the length of time before sale, untill which Excise cannot be demanded, all which as it now stands, can no wayes be remedied.
2. The settling of that Revenue by way of Impost, so long as the necessity of the Commonwealth shall require, is more agreeable to the minds of the people, then by that distastfull name of Excise.
3. The Revenue would be more punctually received with the same hands, and at the same charge, the Customes usually are, and that vast charge of many thousands per annum now paid to the severall Officers of the Excise, spared.
4. The many Exorbitances, and arbitrary proceedings committed and practised by the severall Officers imployed in that service, which hath not a little reflected upon the Parliament, to the great grief and unjust vexations both of Merchants and Tradesmen, would be wholly taken away, viz. The stopping and detaining of their Goods, after duty paid, upon slender surmises, and frivolouss informations; Their often waitng and attending before they could have any redresse; the searching of their houses, waiting in their shops, and no recompence given to any who have had their goods so seized, and detained, though nothing hath been made good against them; By all which, the Ancient and most received Rights of the people, have not a little been infringed.
II. In reference to Merchants.
1. THereby they will be at liberty to remove, sell, or barter their goods or any part of them, at all times and seasons as they please, which now they cannot do.
2. When the Rates shall be settled, and time of payment fixed at the Custome-house, it will be the onely means to prevent all those miscarriages and inconveniences that happen both to Merchants and Tradesmen, after goods are there cleared.
III. In reference to Inland Traders.
1. INland Traders will be free from Officers, tickets, fines, penalties, and the like, as before is expressed.
2. They would also be at liberty after duty paid, to dispose of their Goods at all times and seasons, as their occasions shall require, which now they cannot do, the want of which is much prejudiciall, burthensome, and very vexatious, to all Tradesmen, to their great discouragement and losse of Trade.
3. Hereby will be prevented that great and intolerable evil, and ruining, both to Merchants and Tradesmen, which they groan under, by reason that the Officers of the Excise, under pretences, and upon occasion, do make a deeper inspection into all mens Trades, and thereby a very great advantage to themselves, both in buying and selling, above any other; the Trader being forced to discover the quality of his goods, the places where, and persons to whom he sells; and of whom and at what prizes he buyes, whereby the whole manner of their trades have been discovered and taken up, by the Officers of the Excise, and others, who before that time traded not at all; those who did, yet not in severall of those commodities they now trade in; to the very great prejudice of very many eminent Tradesmen, that bear a very great share in the publick charge.
4. Both Merchants and Tradesmen shall be free from that daily charge and trouble, they are now at, in the sending for tickets, and Officers to the Excise Office.
Object. And whereas some have objected, that if the Excise should be secured at the Custome-house, it will much exhaust the stock of the Merchant; and that the Merchant will be in hazard, to make bad debts of the Excise, as well as of the principall.
Answ. It is answered, the Merchant selleth generally for ready money, therefore the Excise will be paid unto him before it be due to be paid to the State, and so the Merchant is freed from that hazard he pretendeth, when he shall receive the Excise upon the sale of his goods; and the Inland trader giveth great credit, and usually selleth at long time; So that it is the Inland trader, that bears the burthen of the Excise, and his stock is thereby exhausted, and not the stock of the Merchant.
Reasons further humbly offered, shewing that the inhaunsing of the Imposition of Excise or new Impost for goods Imported, will be found (as is conceived) a disadvantage to the State.
1. THe generall experience of all times witnesse, that the higher the Imposition is, the lesse is the receipt. For instance in Gold and Silver wyer. In Tobaccoes of all sorts, at the first setling of the Excise, in the years 1641. 1642. and 1643. The same instances are to be given in Ireland, Scotland, and Holland, and upon Plate and other goods in the Spannish Dominions.
2. The higher the Imposition the l [...]sse is the consumtion; for it's the cheapnesse of things that makes the expence; and proportionable to the vend of commodities, is the increase 2r decrease of trade; and it's much better for the State to receive 100000. pound per annum upon an account of Trade, to the value of 2. Millions then of one, for the greater expence the greater your Trade, the greater your Trade the more your Shipping the more your Shipping the more imployment for your people, and the greater your riches and strength.
3. The greater Imposition, the more wayes and devises are used, and mens wits heigthened and improved, every way to gain their goods without paying any Imposition at all: neither is there a greater adventure run, considering the profit, then is usuall in all Trade.
4. When great Impositions are laid, great Bribes may be given, even such as will countervaile the losse of places.
5. Impositions inhaunsing the prise of commodities, makes all Traders unwilling, and most unable to have any store or stock of Commodities by them, but they will onely buy for necessity, or their present occasions; whereas otherwise there would be a continuall stock of Commodities throughout the Commonwealth, and a constant and continuall Trade and commerce throughout the whole land.
6. Answerable to the Impositions upon, and obstructions in Trade is the decay thereof; and the decay of Trade in a Common-wealth is the decay of it's chief support.
7. Answerable to the Improvement of Trade in any place, is the improvement of Land; the decay of Trade produces a necessary fall of Land.
8. The raysing of necessary charges, for support of the State, by way of excise, will not be found so equall, nor so easie and insensable as is supposed; For the very account of that Imposition occasions the expence of many 1000. per annum, for defraying the charge thereof, besides the many pounds, shllings, pence, exspended upon those in that service, by all who have to do with them; and it's insensable onely to him, (and that but for a time) who accounts his expences onely by the grosse; and it's not much better to loose a mans purse being blindfold, then having his eyes open; neither can it be supposed, but that every man tavable in the Common-wealth, had better pay 5. pounds per quarter, then two shillings per diem.
9. Not so equall, for many poor people, having necessarily greater families then the rich, nay there are more great families of the poor then the rich; so that upon this account, the poor must pay more then the rich.
10. Not so equall, because no man hereby payes according to his estate, but most according to their necessitie; others according to their living and deportments, the Nigardly and Covetous little or nothing, the Liberall free and wisely generous a proportion accordingly.
11. Those numerous company of Officers imployed about that receipt, like droans living of the Common-wealth, would live and imploy themselves to and for the good and profit of it.
12. It's conceived to be more then probable, that by easie, and light Impositions upon, and Freedome in trade, this Commonwealth would thereby become the greatest Magazine, for trade, of any place in this part of the World. Easie Impositions inviting Merchants to Import themselves and goods, whereby a place becomes a market for all sorts of commodities, and so begets a trade of exportation again, besides an inland doing off what's imported; whereas, great impositions discourage all Merchants from importing goods to that place; because, they cannot expect sale for any considerable quantity of goods, in respect of those underhand importations, constantly attending such impositions.
By all which it doth appear, (as is conceived) that a moderate imposition upon goods imported, and receiving the same at the Custome house, with convenient time and allowance to the Merchant, will prove not onely very dvantagious to this State, in saving so vast a yearly charge, ascertaining and increasing that Revenue, as also great ease and content both to Merchant and Tradesmen, but very much tend to the advance and increase of Trade.
Which neverthelesse they (as in duty bound) wholly submit to your great wisdomes and care, to do therein as you shall find most conducing to the good and welfare of this Commonwealth, These being humbly presented, not in the least, from any unwillingnesse to bear ashare of such Impositions, as the [...]ities of this S [...]ate shall require for support thereof, but onely from those due and hearty respects they bear unto the honour and esteem of this High Court, and those earnest desires they have of the flourishing estate of this Republick.