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always import Rum Melasses Wine & Sugar in Exchange for
the Provisions they export & scarcely any thing else they must
& will purchase the Corn Flour &c. of the Inhabitants so much
the cheaper, or sell the Rum Wine &c. that they import so
much the dearer & either way the Burthen will in fact fall on
the Inhabitants, but the mode of Collecting the Duties I have
proposed is so easy simple & agreable to the Custom long
established here that the money would be raised almost imper-
ceptably especially as the Price of those Liquors will be now
much lower here than it has been during the Continuance of
the War & as to the proposed Duty on Tobacco it is only
three pence a Hhd more than they have for these thirty years
past been accustomed to pay. If it should be objected to
this Mode of Taxation that it would in reality be laying an
Additional Burthen on the Tobacco Merchants who pur-
chase Tobacco in the Province, & be a kind of Prohibition
against importing Rum, it may be alledged that the greatest
Part of our Tobacco is sent to England to be sold on the
Planters Account who are consequently burthened with all
Charges & if the Merchants purchase any in the Province they
consider what Duties it is liable to on Exportation & regulate
their Price accordingly ; tho indeed Eighteen pence a Hhd is
a Trifle not worth considering : & to the other Objection it
might be answered that Experience shews that the Consumers
of Rum do not regard a small Additional Burthen on it, for
tho by reason of extraordinary Insurance Freight & the Excise
laid on it in this Province since 1756 its price to the Consumer
hath been almost twice as great as it had commonly been yet
the Importation hath been rather encreasing since that Period,
& I am afraid the Demand will continually increase much too
fast for the health or Welfare of many of the Inhabitants. As
it might perhaps be difficult for the Exporters of Tobacco &
Importers of Rum &c to get at all times sterling Money
Liberty should be given them to pay the Duties either in
sterling Money or foreign Coin rated so as to be equivalent
to sterling as for Instance a Spanish Dollar at four shillings &
six pence & other Specie in similar proportion. If neither of
the Modes or Plans I have now proposed can be adopted, it
will I am apt to think be found a very difficult matter to raise
Money in this Province at least no other mode of levying it
occurs to me, for as to those Taxes imposed by the Act of
1756 & the method proposed by the Assessment Bill I flatter
myself they will never be thought of. I am very much obliged
to you for your kind Promise to do me any Services in Your
Power with the Ministry or otherwise. I thank you for your
promise to write to His Ldp on the Subject of my Request in
favour of Mr Key & Dr. Scott. I rejoice to hear that His Ldp
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Letter Bk. IV
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