treatise on taxes and contributions-第9节

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　man　is　responsible　or　not；　without　any　certain　knowledge　of　his　Wealth　or　true　Estate。　Whereas　I　think　the　nature　of　credit　should　be　limited　onely　to　an　opinion　of　a　mans　faculites　to　get　by　his　art　and　industry。　The　way　of　knowing　his　Estate　being　to　be　made　certain；　and　the　way　of　making　him　pay　what　he　owes　to　the　utmost　of　his　ability；　being　to　be　expected　from　the　good　execution　of　our　Laws。　　　　　18。　I　should　here　enlarge　upon　a　Paradox；　to　prove　that　if　every　mans　Estate　could　be　alwayes　read　in　his　forehead；　our　Trade　would　much　be　advanced　thereby；　although　the　poorer　ambitious　man　be　commonly　the　more　industrious。　But　of　this　elsewhere。　　　　　19。　The　next　objection　against　this　so　exact　computation　of　the　Rents　and　works　of　lands；etc。　is；　that　the　Sovereign　would　know　too　exactly　every　mans　Estate；　to　which　I　answer；　that　if　the　Charge　of　the　Nation　be　brough　as　low　as　it　may　be；　（which　depends　much　upon　the　people　in　Parliament　to　do）　and　if　the　people　be　willing　and　ready　to　pay；　and　if　care　be　taken；　that　although　they　have　not　ready　money；　the　credit　of　their　Lands　and　Goods　shall　be　as　good；　and　lastly；　that　it　would　be　a　great　discommodity　to　the　Prince　to　take　more　then　he　needs；　as　was　proved　before；　where　is　the　evil　of　this　so　exact　knowledge？　And　as　for　the　proportion　of　every　Contributor；　why　should　any　man　hope　or　accept　to　ease　himself　by　his　craft　and　interest　in　a　confusion？　or　why　should　he　not　fear；　though　he　may　be　advantaged　this　time　to　suffer　in　the　next。

Chapter　6

Of　Customs　and　Free　Ports

　　　　Custom　is　a　Contribution　of　Excisium　out　of　Goods　sent　out　or　imported　into　the　Princes　Dominions：　In　these　Countreys　of　a　twentieth　part　not　according　to　the　Prices　currant　among　Merchants　of　each　respective　Commodity；　but　according　to　other　standing　Rates　set　by　the　State；　though　advised　for　the　most　part　by　concerned　Persons。　　　　　2。　I　cannot　well　imagine　what　should　be　the　natural　Reasons；　why　a　Prince　should　be　paid　this　duty　inward　and　outward　both；　there　seems　indeed　to　be　some；　why　he　should　be　paid　for　indulging　the　Exportation　of　some　such　things　as　other　Countreys　do　really　want。　　　　　3。　Wherefore　I　think；　that　Customs　at　the　first　were　a　praemium　allowed　the　Prince　for　protecting　the　Carriage　of　Goods　both　inward　and　outward　from　the　Pyrats；　and　this　I　should　verily　believe；　if　the　Prince　were　bound　to　make　good　losses　of　that　kinde。　And　I　thought　that　the　proportion　of　five　pound　per　cent　was　pitched　upon　computation；　that　the　Merchants　before　the　said　undertaking　and　compostion；　had　usually　lost　more　by　Pyracy：　And　finally；　that　the　Customs　had　been　an　ensurance　upon　losses　by　enemies；　as　the　ensurance　now　usual；　is　of　the　casualities　of　sea；　winde；　weather；　and　Vessel；　or　altogether；　or　like　the　ensurance　in　some　Countreys　of　Houses　from　Fires　for　a　certain　small　part　of　their　yearly　Rent。　But　be　it　what　it　will；　it　is　anciently　established　by　Law；　and　ought　to　be　paid　until　it　shall　be　abolished。　Onely　I　take　leave　as　an　idle　Philosopher　to　discourse　upon　the　Nature　and　Measures　of　it。　　　　　4。　The　Measures　of　Customs　outwards　may　be　such；　as　after　reasonable　proft　to　the　Exporter　will　leave　such　of　our　own　Commodities　as　are　necessary　to　Forreigners　somewhat　cheaper　unto　them　then　they　can　be　had　from　elsewhere。　　　　　As　for　example；　Tin　is　a　Native　Commodity；　which　governs　the　Market；　that　is；　there　is　none　so　good　and　so　easie　to　be　had　and　exported。　　　　　Now　suppose　Tin　might　be　made　in　Cornwall　for　four　pence　the　pound；　and　that　the　same　would　yield　twelve　pence　at　the　nearest　part　in　France；　I　say；　that　this　extraordinary　profit　ought　to　be　esteemed　as　a　Mine　Royal；　Tresor　Trouve；　and　the　Sovereign　ought　to　have　his　share　in　it：　Which　he　will　have；　by　imposing　so　great　a　duty　upon　Tin　Exported；　as　on　one　side　may　leave　a　subsistence　to　the　Workmen；　（and　no　more）　with　a　competent　profit　to　the　owners　of　the　ground；　and　on　the　other　side；　may　leave　the　price　abroad　less　then　that　for　which　Tin　may　be　had　from　any　other　place。　　　　　5。　The　same　Imposition　might　also　be　made　on　the　Tin　spent　at　home；　unless　it　be　as　impossible　so　to　do；　as　for　the　King　of　France　to　impose　the　Gabel　upon　Salt　in　the　very　place　where　it　is　made。　　　　　6。　But　it　is　observed；　that　such　high　duties　make　men　endeavour　not　to　enter　any　such　Goods　at　all；　or　pay　for　them；　provided　the　charge　of　smuckling　and　bribing；　with　the　hazzard　of　being　seized　do　not　communibus　vicibus　exceed　the　Duty。　　　　　7。　Wherefore　the　Measures　of　this　Nature　are；　that　it　be　more　easie；　safe　and　profitable　for　men　to　keep　the　Law；　then　to　break　it；　unless　it　be　in　such　cases；　where　the　Magistrate　can　with　certainty　execute　the　Law。　As　for　example；　it　would　be　hard　to　save　the　Duties　upon　Horses　shipped　at　a　small　Port；　without　adjacent　Creeks；　and　that　but　some　certain　two　hours　every　Tide；　forasmuch　as　Horses　cannot　be　disguised；　put　up　in　bags　or　cask；　or　shipped　without　noise　and　the　help　of　many　hands。　　　　　8。　The　Measures　of　Customs　upon　imported　Commodities　are；　I。　That　all　things　ready　and　ripe　for　consumption　may　be　made　somewhat　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　wit