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<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-08-05</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140635.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B28768">
<STC T="W">R558a</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">[ocm]63041639</BIBNO>
<VID>190193</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="petition">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>REASONS Humbly offer'd to the Honourable Hou&s;e of COMMONS, AGAINST <HI>Laying a farther Duty upon PAPER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>TO lay a Duty upon Home-made Paper will greatly di&s;courage the Manufacture of it in <HI>England,</HI> whatever may be repre|&s;ented to the contrary by Private Per&s;ons, for their own Ends. Experience &s;hews, That the greate&s;t part of this Duty will be &s;pent in the Salaries of Commi&s;&s;ioners and other Officers to levy it. The Value of all the Paper made in the Kingdom not amounting to above 30000 <HI>l. per Ann.</HI></P>
<P>As to Forein Paper, (altho the High Duty of 25 <HI>l. per Cent.</HI> be now expired) 'tis &s;till extreamly Dear: the true Rea&s;on of which is this, There being now a Duty of 60<HI>l. per Cent.</HI> upon <HI>French</HI> Paper, and the <HI>Dutch</HI> u&s;ing that Paper them&s;elves, which they buy at a Low Rate, do &s;ell us their own at a very great Price; well knowing, that we cannot Import <HI>French</HI> Paper, with|out paying a Duty of 45 <HI>l. per Cent.</HI> more than we do for theirs.</P>
<P>The Dearne&s;s of Paper is the only occa&s;ion that a great Number of Voluminous and U&s;eful Books, in many Sciences, now ready for the Pre&s;s, cannot be Printed; to the great Di&s;couragement of Trade, as well as of Indu&s;try and Learning, very many of the Profe&s;&s;ion being forc'd to employ them&s;elves on trivial Pamphlets. And if a farther Duty &s;hould be laid upon Paper, it is too vi&s;ible, that the <HI>Dutch</HI> will certainly carry away the be&s;t part of the Trade of Printing from us; towards which they have already made &s;o great a Progre&s;s; by rea&s;on that <HI>French</HI> Paper (which is mo&s;t proper for Printing) imported into <HI>Holland,</HI> pays no more Duty than One Penny <HI>per</HI> Ream: and &s;uppo&s;ing the intended farther Duty of 30<HI>l. per Cent.</HI> be laid upon it, we &s;hall pay above 4<HI>s. per</HI> Ream for the &s;ame: So that no u&s;e can be made in <HI>England</HI> of <HI>French</HI> Paper, unle&s;s, in&s;tead of loading it with Additional Duties, which conveys all the Profit of it to the <HI>Dutch,</HI> it &s;hall be thought rea&s;onable to reduce the Duty to that upon all other Forein Paper; by which the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> will &s;till pay Two Shillings for what the <HI>Dutch</HI> pay but One Penny.</P>
<P><HI>Therefore 'tis humbly hoped, that this Honourable Hou&s;e will con&s;ider, how destructive the intended Duty will inevitably be to the Manu|factures of Paper and Printing in</HI> England, <HI>to the total Ruine of a great Number of Families, who&s;e &s;ole Dependence is upon the Paper-Trade, which hath already &s;uffered &s;o much by the Scarcity and Dearne&s;s of Paper. And that your Honours will be plea&s;ed, either wholly to lay a&s;ide the &s;aid intended Duty, or el&s;e to allow Paper to be imported from all Parts beyond the Seas at an equal Duty.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Note,</HI> That two Thirds of the Paper u&s;ed for Printing and Common Writing, which is rated in our Book of Rates at 4 <HI>s.</HI> 6 <HI>d. per Ream,</HI> doth co&s;t beyond Sea no more than from 1 <HI>s.</HI> 3 <HI>d.</HI> to 3 <HI>s. per Ream.</HI></P>
<P>The whole Produce of the Paper-Duty, from <HI>March</HI> 1. 1696, to <HI>March</HI> 1. 1698, came but to 16848 <HI>l.</HI> 10 <HI>s.</HI> 9 <HI>d</HI> about one Third whereof was collected upon the Stock which was in the Hands of Trade&s;men before and at the time when the Act pa&s;s'd.</P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="docket title">
<PB REF="2">
<P><HI>REASONS</HI> AGAINST Laying a farther Duty upon Paper.</P>
<PB REF="2">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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