Taxes on imports

⁷² The 22nd of Charles 2nd chapter 13 imposed a duty of 192 pence the quarter on wheat imports whenever the home price did not exceed 640 pence the quarter.

It imposed a duty of 96 pence whenever the home price did not exceed 960 pence.

The price of 640 pence the quarter happened only during very great scarcity.

The price of 960 pence has not happened at all.

Yet this statute subjected wheat to a very high duty when it rises above 960 pence.

If wheat rose above 640 pence, it subjected it to a very high duty equal to a ban.

The importation of other grain was restrained by high rates and duties in proportion to the grain’s value.

Subsequent laws further increased those duties.

These duties were imposed, partly by:

• the 22nd of Charles II, in place of the Old Subsidy,
• the New Subsidy
• the 1/3 and 2/3 Subsidy
• the Subsidy 1747

The table of duties in this note is an exact copy of that in Charles Smith, Three Tracts on the Corn Trade , 2nd ed., 1766. p. 83

That author:

• took the figures from “Mr. Saxby, in his Book of Rates” ( i.e. Henry Saxby, The British Customs, containing an Historical and Practical Account of each branch of that Revenue , 1757, pp. 111-114)
• rounded off Saxby’s fractions of a penny in an inaccurate and inconsistent way
• miscopied:
  • the second duty on barley
  • the first duty on peas
  • the third duty on wheat

The “Old Subsidy” consisted of the 5% or 1s. poundage imposed by 12 Car. II., c. 4, on to the Act

According to this, imported beans, barely and malt were to be rated at 26s. 8d. the quarter when the actual price at the place of importation did not exceed 28s.

When the actual price was higher than that, they were to be rated at 5s. the quarter.

Oats and peas were to be rated at 4s. the quarter.

Rye when not over 36s. was to be rated at 26s. 8d., and when over that price at 5s.

Wheat when not over 44s. was to be rated at 40s., and when over that price at 6s. 8d.

So under the Old Subsidy:

• Beans, barley and malt at prices up to 28s. were to pay 1. 4d., and when above that price 3 pence
• Oats and pease to pay 2.4d
• Rye up to 36s. to pay 1s. 4d., and when above, 3 pence
• Wheat up to 44s. to pay 2s., and when above, 4 pence.

The Act 22 Car. II., c. 13, took off these duties and substited the following scheme:

• Beans to 40s to pay 16s., and above that price, 3d.
• Barley and malt to 32s. to pay 16s., and above, 3d.
• Oats 16s. to pay 5s. 4d., and above, 2.4d.
• Pease and rye the same as beans.
• Wheat to 53s. 4d. to pay 16s., then to 80s. to pay 8s., and above that price, 4d.
• Buckwheat to 32s. to pay 16s.

But 9 and 10 Will. III., c. 23, imposed a “New Subsidy” exactly equal to the Old, so that:

• duties equal to those of 12 Car. II., c.4, were superimposed on those of 22 Car. II, c. 13.
• by 2 and 3 Ann., c. 9, an additional third
• by 3 and 4 Ann., c. 5, an additional two-thirds of the Old Subsidy were imposed,
• by 21 Geo. II., c. 2, another amount equal to the Old Subsidy (“the impost 1747”) was further imposed

So between 1747 and 1773 the dtuies were those of 22 Car. II., c. 13, plus three times those of 12 Car. II., c. 4

This gives the following scheme:

• Beans to 28s. pay 20s. and after till 40s. pay 16s. 9d. then 1s.
• Barley to 28s. pays 20s. and after till 32s. pays 16s. 9d. then 1s.
• Oats to 16s. pay 5s. 11.2d. and then pay 9.6d.
• Pease to 40s. pay 16s. 7.2d. and then pay 9.6d.
• Rye to 36s. pays 20s. and after till 40s. pays 16s. 9d. then 1s.
• Wheat to 44s. pays 22s. and after till 53s. 4d. pays 17s. then 9s. till 80s., and after that 1s. 4d.

Saxby’s figures are slightly less, as they take into account a 5% discount obtainable on all the subisdies except one.