The Political and Commercial Works Volume 1; Relating to the Trade and Revenue of England, the Plantation Trade, the East-India Trade, and African Trade to Which Is Annexed a Copious Index in Five Volumes (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1771 Excerpt: ...to pro 5. 8 al. and by laying the.whole duty '.1POn.I'nalt.. But this will appear no argument to such as look into the bottom of the matter; for the 15 s. 11 Ld. which seems to be upon malt, does not' all lie upon that commodity, as is vulgarly thought. ' V For a great many different persons contribute to the payment of this duty, before it comes inco.the, exch.equer.-First, the landlord because of the excise, is forced to let his barley land at, a lower rate; and' upon the same score, the tenant must sell his barley at a less price 5 then the maltiter bears his share, for because of the duty, he mufl: abate something in the priceof his malt, onlteep it: In a proportion it likewise affevfks the hop merchant, the cooper, the collier, and all trades that have relation to the commodity.. Thevltc tai ers to about 1, ooo, ooo A Duty of 10 d. per bushel on malt, may produce about--1, ooo, ooo By the duty onthe liquid, there lies upon 5. d. the quarter of malt, -11 niIf the duty be laid upon the dry malt, there will be on the quarter, but-6 8 ceipts in his exchequer, than he has lately met with.-r. The common objections lying in the way of such a scheme, are, that the farmers may rack the people; or, that by taking only the full due, they may disafleet the kingdom.-As uo illegal exaetions, there is little cause to apprehend excesles of that nature, when we have' fnequent parliaments to redress grievances. And there can be no reason', in justice or cquity, why the people should not acquiesce in' the payment of whatever is the king's due by law. The parliament' would never lay the duty itscfi', if they thought it such a burthen as could not-be borne by the traders, in the commodities they in-, tend to P But let its weight be what it will-, the retailci-s find ways to shift...