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Entry, Twenty Shillings; and for every Servant to serve by Inden-
ture, or Custom of the Country, for a less Term than Seven Years,
at the Time of Entry, Five Shillings: And is merely descriptive to
shew upon what Servant the Duty of Twenty Shillings is laid, and
on what the Duty of Five Shillings; for, Why otherwise was that
Expression dropt in that Part relating to Negroes? Why, in that
relating to Madeira Wine? Should it be said, that Lower House
intended the Duties upon Convicts to be paid at the Time of Entry,
as a Discouragement to the Importation of them; I am somewhat
doubtful, whether such an Answer might not be considered as a Mark
of the Want of Duty to our Mother-Country, in thus passing Laws
to discourage, what they have passed a Statute to promote, I mean,
the Transporting their Felons to the Plantations, as well as of a Want
of Prudence in publicly making such a Confession; and if they were
intended as a Discouragement to the Importation of Servants (not
being Convicts) Would it not be thought a Stain upon our Prudence,
in thus obstructing the Increase of Labourers amongst us, which
have always been considered, as the most certain and speedy Method
of increasing the Stock and Riches of a young Country ? Since there-
fore a Discouragement to the Importation of Labourers of any
Denomination, could not have been the Motive for inserting that
Expression; Was it that the Public might be the sooner in Credit by
these Duties, by their Payment at the Time of Entry? But this cannot
have been the Design, because, tho' they were paid down at the Time
of Entry, yet the Naval-Officer is by that Act only to account, as he
does for other Duties, and to pay yearly; so that this End will not be
answered; besides, if this was the Motive, since that good End might,
tho' in a less Degree, have been promoted by pursuing the same Course
with Regard to the Negroes and Madeira Wine, Why was not that
Expression continued to them, as well as to Servants ? But to them
so precise a Description was unnecessary, since there is but one Duty
per Head on every Negro imported, and but one Duty per Gallon, on
all Madeira Wine imported; whereas the different Kinds of Servants,
with a different Duty upon each, must necessarily require to each
kind a different Description; but tho' that Expression, at the Time of
Entry, plainly imports nothing more than a mere Description of the
different Kinds of Servants, you nevertheless, as well as the late
Lower House, seem fond of understanding them, as obligatory upon
the Naval-Officers, to receive those Duties at the Time of Entry, or,
to have refused to have Entered those Vessels, until the said Duty
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L. H. J.
Liber No. 49
Dec. 16
p. 226
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was paid down; expressly contrary to the plain and obvious Construc-
tions of that Paragraph, to Two former Acts of Assembly, and to a
long and uninterrupted Course of Trade in this Province.
Tho' many Observations might still be made, to show that the
Construction, which you, as well as the last Lower House, are desirous
of giving that Act of Assembly, is egregiously wrong; I shall, how-
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p. 227
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