treatise on taxes and contributions-第12章

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dearer　then　the　same　things　grown　or　made　at　home；　if　the　same　be　feasible　caeteris　talibus。　　　　　2。　That　all　Superfluities　tending　to　Luxury　and　sin；　might　be　loaded　with　so　much　Impost；　as　to　serve　instead　of　a　sumptuary　Law　to　restrain　the　use　of　them。　But　here　also　care　is　to　be　had　that　it　be　not　better　to　smuckle　then　to　pay。　　　　　9。　On　the　contrary；　all　things　tending　to　Luxury　and　sin；　might　be　loaded　with　so　much　Impost；　as　to　serve　instead　of　a　sumptuary　Law　to　restrain　the　use　of　them。　But　here　also　care　is　to　be　had　that　it　be　not　better　to　smuckle　then　to　pay。　　　　　9。　On　the　contrary；　all　things　not　fully　wrought　and　Manufactured；　as　raw　Hides；　Wool；　Beaver；　Raw…silk；　Cotton；　as　also　all　Tools　and　Materials　for　Manufacture；　as　also　Dying…stuff；　etc。　ought　to　be　gently　dealth　with。　　　　　10。　If　to　leavy　the　payment　of　thse　Duties　could　be　most　exactly　performed；　Princes　might　strangely　practice　one　upon　another；　where　fore　since　they　cannot；　the　people　pay　no　more　then　they　cannot　with　greater　safety　upon　the　whole　matter　save；　nor　observe　any　more　of　the　Laws；　then　they　cannot　elude。　　　　　11。　The　Inconveniences　of　the　way　of　Customs；　are；　viz。　　　　　1。　That　Duties　are　laid　upon　things　not　yet　ripe　for　use；　upon　Commodities　in　fieri；　and　but　in　the　way　of　their　full　improvements；　which　seems　the　same　ill…husbandry；　as　to　make　fuel　of　young　Saplings；　instead　of　Dotards　and　Pollards。　　　　　2。　The　Great　number　of　Officers　requisite　to　Collect　the　said　Duties；　especially　in　a　Countrey　where　the　Harbours　are　many；　and　the　Tides　convenient　for　shipping　of　Goods　at　any　time。　　　　　3。　The　great　facility　of　smuckling　by　Briberies；　Collusions；　hiding；　and　disguising　of　Commodities；　etc。　and　all　this　notwithstanding　Oaths　and　Penalties；　and　withall　by　the　several　wayes　of　mitigating　and　taking　off　the　said　Penalties　even　after　discovery。　　　　　4。　The　Customs　or　Duties　upon　the　few　Commodities　of　the　growth　of　England　exchanged　with　Forreigners；　make　too　small　a　part　of　the　whole　Expence　of　the　people　of　this　Kingdom；　which　（perhaps　is　not　less　then　fifty　millions　of　pounds　per　annum）　out　of　which　to　bear　the　common　Charges　thereof；　so　as　some　other　way　of　Leavy　must　be　practised　together　with　it；　whereas　by　some　one　way；　if　the　best；　the　whole　work　may　be　absolved：　wherefor　'tis　an　inconvenience　in　the　way　of　Customs；　that　it　necessitates　other　wayes　then　it　self。　　　　　12；　Now　as　a　small　attempt　of　a　Remedy　or　Expedient　herein；　I　offer　rather；　that　instead　of　the　Customs　upon　Goods　shipped；　every　Ship　that　goes　in　or　out；　may　pay　a　Tonnage；　the　same　being　collectible　by　a　very　few　hands；　as　a　matter　visible　to　all　the　world；　and　that　the　said　Duty　be　but　such　a　part　of　the　Fraight；　as　the　like　whereof　being　excinded　out　of　the　whole　Consumption；　would　defray　all　the　Publick　Charge；　which　part　perhaps　is　4。　per　Cent。　or　thereabouts；　viz。　two　millions　per　annum　out　of　fifty。　　　　　13。　The　other　is；　that　the　Customs　be　reduced　into　the　nature　of　an　Ensurance…praemium；　and　that　the　same　be　augmented　and　fitted；　as　whereby　the　King　may　afford　to　ensure　the　goods　as　well　against　the　Sea　as　Enemies；　by　which　means　the　whole　Nation　for　his　own　sake　would　more　willingly　enter　and　pay　for　whatsoever　he　would　have　ensured。　　　　　14。　But　it　will　be　here　objected；　that　although　the　duty　of　Customs　be　abrogated；　yet　that　there　must　be　almost　the　same　number　of　Officers　maintained　as　now　to　prevent　the　bringing　in　and　carrying　out　of　prohibited　Commodities。　Wherefore　we　shall　here　state　the　nature　of　such　Prohibitions　by　two　or　three　grand　instances。　　　　　15。　To　prohibit　the　Exportation　of　Money；　in　that　it　is　a　thing　almost　impractable；　it　is　almost　nugatory　and　vain；　And　the　danger　of　it　resolves　either　into　a　kinde　of　Ensurance　answerable　to　the　danger　of　being　seized；　or　unto　a　Surcharge　of　a　Composition　by　bribing　the　Searchers。　As　for　example；　If　but　one　in　fifty　Exportations　are　seized；　or　if　twenty　shillings　be　usually　taken　for　coining　at　fifty　pounds；　then　the　Commodities　bought　with　this　Money　must　be　sold　two　at　least　per　cent　the　dearer　to　the　Comsumptioner。　Now　if　the　Trade　will　not　bear　this　Surcharge；　then　Money　will　not　be　exported　with　discretion。　Now　the　use　of　this　Prohibition；　supposing　it　practicable；　is　to　serve　as　a　sumptuary　Law；　and　to　binde　the　Nation　in　general　not　to　spend　more　then　they　get；　for　if　we　could　export　no　Commodity　of　our　own　growth　or　manufacture　then　by　prohibiting　the　going　out　of　Money；　it　is　also　ipso　facto　commanded　that　nothing　forreign　should　be　brought　in。　Again　supposing；　that　ordinarily　we　export　enough　to　furnish　us　with　all　Forreign　Commodities；　but　upon　some　extraordinary　decay　of　our　Land　or　hands；　we　are　able　to　export　but　half　as　much　as　would　procure　our　ordinary　proportion　of　Forreign　Goods；　then　the　Prohibition　of　Money　performs　indeed　the　part　of　a　sumptuary　Law；　in　hindring　us　to　bring　in　any　more　then　half　as　much　Forreign　Commodities　as　we　formerly　used；　onely　it　leaves　it　to　the　discretion　of　the　Merchant；　to　chose　which　he　will　neglect　or　forbear　to　bring　in；　and　which　not；　whereas　in　sumptuary　Laws　the　State　taketh　this　care　upon　themselves。　As　for　example；　If　we　wanted　Exportations　to　ballance　our　Importations　by　forty　thousand　pounds；　and　suppose　for　examples　sake；　that　the　Importation　of　forty　thousand　pounds　worth　of　Coffee…Berries；　or　the　like　of　Spanish　Wine　must　be　retrenched；　in　this　case；　the　said　Prohibition　of　Money　will　do　one；　or　some　of　one；　and　some　of　the　other　as　much　harm　as　the　Merchant　himself　pleases：　But　the　sumptuary　Law　determines；　whether　we　shall　encourage　and　keep　fair　with　the　Nation　that　sends　us　wine　rather　then　that　which　sends　us　Coffee；　whether　the　Expence　of　Wine　or　Coffee　be　most　prejudicial　to　our　people；　etc。　　　　　16。　The　benefits　alledged　for　the　free　Exportation　of　Money　is　merrily　this；　viz。　that　if　a　Ship　carrying　out　of　England　forty　thousand　pounds　worth　of　Cloth；　might　also　carry　with　it　forty　thousand　pounds　in　Money；　then　could　the　Merchant　stand　the　stiffer　upon　his　terms；　and　in　fine　would　buy　cheaper；　and　sell　dearer；　but　by　the　way；　the　Merchant　buyes　this　power　with　the　power　with　the　Intrest　and　advantage　of　the　Money　he　carries；　which　if　it　amount　to　five　pounds　per　cent　then　he　had　better　sold　his　Goods　at　four　pound　per　cent　under　rate；　then　to　have　fortified　himself　with　Money　as　aforesaid。　But　of　this　more　may　be　said；　we　hasten　to　the　great　point　of　Wool。　　　　　17。　The　Hollanders　having　gotten　away　our　Manufacture　of　Cloth；　by　becoming　able　to　work　with　more　art；　to　labour　and　fare　harder；　to　take　less　fraight；　Duties　and　Ensurance；　hath　so　madded　us　here　in　England；　that　we　have　been　apt　to　think　of　such　exorbitantly　fierce　wayes　of　prohibiting　Wool　and　Earth　to　be　exported；　as　perhaps　would　do　us　twice　as　much　harm　as　the　losse　of　our　said　Trade。　Wherefore　to　return　to　our　Wits　and　Trade　again；　before　we　can　tell　what　to　do　in　this　case；　we　must　consider。　　　　　1。　That　we　are　often　forced　to　buy　Corn　from　abroad；　and　as　often　complain　that　we　are　pestered　with　abundance　of　idle　hands　at　home；　and　withall　that　we　cannot　vend　the　Woollen　Manufactures　even　which　our　few　working　hands　do　produce。　In　this　case　were　it　not　better　to　lessen　our　shee