And whereas by an Act of Parliament made in the Ith Year of the Reign of his late Majesty K. George I. [Intitled, An Act for more effectually preventing Frauds and Abuses in the Publick Revenues; for preventing Frauds in the Salt Duties, and for giving Relief for Salt used in the curing of Salmon and Codfish, in the Year 1719, exported from that Part of Great Britain called Scotland; for enabling the Infurance Companies to plead the General Ifue in Actions brought against them; and for fecuring the StampDuties upon Policies of Insurance] it is amongst other Things provided and enacted, that it should and might be lawful for the Commissioners of the Inland Duties on Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate, or any two or more of them for the Time being, within the respective Jurisdiction of the faid Commissioners, or Justice or Justices of the Peace, upon any Officer or Officers for the said Inland Duties making Complaint upon Oath to such Commissioners, or Justice or Justices of the Peace respectively, that he or they did fufpect any Dealers in the faid Commodities not to have made true and just Entries in the Books which he, she, or they are obliged by the faid Act to keep for that Purpose, of such of the faid Commodities as he, she, or they from Time to Time fold, deliver'd out, or confum'd, in which should be fet forth, the Causes of fuch Suspicion, to summon such suspected Person or Persons to appear before the faid Commiffioners, or Justice or Juftices of the Peace respectively, with their respective Entry-Books aforesaid; to the Intent that such Commisioners, or Justice or Justices of the Peace respectively, might examine such suspected Person or Persons, or such as keep the faid Book or Books, upon his, her, or their Oaths or Affirmation, touching the Truth of the Entries made in their faid Books. And any such Dealer in Coffee, Tea, or Chocolate, who should neglect or refuse to make such Oaths or Affirmations so appointed to be administred, being thereunto required by the respective Person or Persons who by the said Act were authorized to adminifter the fame, or should refuse or neglect to attend such Summons as aforesaid, with his, her or their respective Entry-Books, and be examin'd upon Oath as aforesaid, touching the Truth of the Entries made in their respective Entry-Books; Then, and in every fuch Cafe and Cafes, the Person or Persons offending therein, or either of them, should, for each and every fuch Offence, forfeit and lose the Sum of 201. And And whereas the above recited Clause or Proviso hath by Experience been found to be inconvenient to the Several Dealers in the faid Commodities, and of no Advantage to the Revenue; Be it therefore enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that from and after the faid Day of the faid Clause or Proviso before recited, and every Matter and Thing therein contained, shall be, and is hereby repealed. FINIS. UR last concluded with the Inland Duty, or Excise Bill on Tobacco ; next occur the two following memorable Pieces, which for Want of Room, could not be then inserted; they make, indeed, a late Ap pearance, but are of so important a Nature in the Eye of the Publick, we should be wanting to the curious Reader, should we decline them on that Score. Before then we begin with our Journal of last Session of Parliament, we premise first with The Protest of the Lords in Parliament, relating to the Application of the Sinking Fund. Moved to refolve, T Die Mercurii, 30 Maii, 1733 HAT it is the Opinion of this House, that the Produce of the Sinking Fund should be apply'd, for the future, towards redeeming such Taxes as are most grievous to the Subject, oppressive to the Manufacturer, and detrimental to Trade. Which, being objected to, and Debate had concerning the fame. The Question was put upon the faid Motion, Diffent 1. Because we conceive that it would have been extremely for the Honour of the House, and for the Service of the Publick, to have enter'd this Resolution in our Books, at a Time when we have so far confented, in Compliance with the House of Commons, to a Bill by which near half a Million collected for the Sinking Fund, in feveral Years, is appropriated to the Service of the present Year. 2. Because the Sinking Fund, being composed of the Surplusages of Funds originally granted, as Securities to the Creditors of the Publick; and these Surplusages arifing chiefly from a Reduction to 4 per Cent. of the Interest granted them, for the most part at the Rate of 6 per Cent. we cannot but think, that this Saving ought to be apply'd according to the most inviolable Rules of Equity, and according to the known Design, and the repeated and folemn Engagements of Parliament, to a gradual Difcharge of the Principal due to these Creditors of the Publick, who have parted with a Third of their Revenue in this View, and upon this Confidence. 3. Because we apprehend, that the Method of applying large Proportions of the Sinking Fund to the Service of the current Year, must in Effect perpetuate the Debts and Taxes which lie on the Nation, and is therefore injurious to the Publick. Had this whole Fund been strictly apply'd from the Beginning to its proper Use, we think it may be demonftrated, not only that much more of the National Debt might have been difcharged, but that those Taxes, which are most oppreffive to the Poor, and most prejudicial to Trade, might have been already taken off, fince upwards of 480,0001. per Ann. belonging, as we conceive, to this Fund, has been apply'd to other Uses. 4. Because we apprehend that it cannot be for the Good of the Nation, nor confequently for the Honour of Parliament, to separate those Interesls in the particular Appropriations of the Sinking Fund, which are fo wisely and so justly united in the original and general Design of it, the Interest of the Nation, and the Interest of the Proprietors of the Nation's Debts; the former was intended to be eased, and for that Purpose the latter were to be clear'd as foon as possible. If it be faid therefore, that the Creditors of the Publick do not defire to be cleared any fafter than they are in the preTent Method, nor object to the Application of Part of 4 the Sinking Fund to other Uses, we apprehend that no Argument which ought to avail in the House of Parliament, can result from such an Affertion, because we conceive, that in every Instance of this Kind, in every Application of the Sinking Fund, or of any of it, we are to look on ourselves, as obliged, not only to be just to the Creditors of the Publick, but to be careful of the Eafe of the People, to keep the particular and general Interests united as they originally were, not to sever them. If in Fact the Creditors of the Publick do not object to the Application of fuch large Proportions of the Sinking Fund to other Uses than to the Payment of the Debts, it may be faid, that no Injustice is done them by any fuch Application, according to the known Maxim, Volenti non fit Injuria; nay, it may be deem'd for their private Interesl, to have such beneficial Mortgages continued to them as long as possible; and they may defire therefore not to be cleared any fafter than they are likely to be in the present Method; but we apprehend that it cannot be for the Interest of the Nation to have these Mortgages continued any longer than is abfolutely necessary to discharge the Debts secured by them, and that we, by Consequence, who are Trustees for the People, ought to defire and endeavour that the Debts may be discharged, and the Load of Mortgages may be remov'd as foon as possible. In this Manner, publick Faith would be strictly kept, Justice would be done, no Injustice could be done to the Creditors of the Publick : In the other Method, and by diverting such large Portions of the Sinking Fund, if it should be granted, that no present Injustice was done to the Proprietors of these publick Debts; yet must it be allow'd, as we apprehend, that great Injury is done to the Nation, unless it can be proved, that the unnecessary Continuation of Debts and Taxes is a National Benefit. 5. Because we conceive that if the whole Produce of the Sinking Fund were not to be apply'd to the Difcharge of the publick Debts, it would be much more for the Eafe of Trade and Advantage of the Nation, that fome of those grievous Taxes out of which it arises, should cease, than that they should be continu'd to fupply the current Service at 4 per Cent. which might certainly be supply'd by other Ways at a cheaper Rate; these Taxes are not only grievous in themselves, but almost intolerable, by the Manner of collecting them under the Laws of Excife; Laws so oppreffive to the Subject, Y 2 |