Proposals for a tobacco-law, in the province of Maryland. Humbly offered to the consideration of the legislature, and all lovers of their country. : In a letter from a gentleman to William Parks, printer in Annapolis.

Proposals for a tobacco-law, in the province of Maryland. Humbly offered to the consideration of the legislature, and all lovers of their country. : In a letter from a gentleman to William Parks, printer in Annapolis.

Table of contents

Title page

The Necessity of a Tobacco-Law consider'd.

Advertisement. There is now in the Press, and is proposed to be Publish'd in March next,

[Page]

The Necessity of a Tobacco-Law consider'd.

SIR,

MANY of the Conveniences which attend a Press in our Infant Country, as well as in other Places, are obvious to all, both from the Nature of the Thing, and from Experience: Yet, One seems hitherto either not thought of, or at least neglected, tho' it might, perhaps, render your Press as useful to the Country, as it is in any other Instance whatsoever; which is to make Publick the Thoughts of any Well-Wisher of his Country, where he endeavours to discover any Thing that may be for a general Good, which is the only End the Author of this following Piece aims at: And he persuades himself you will readily Publish these his Thoughts, as well as those of any Others, whenever they will give themselves the Trouble of Communicating them freely to you, upon such Occasions as require every Ones best Endeavours to help themselves and their Country, when the Whole seems in Danger of being involv'd in a general Calamity, as is too manifestly our present Case; whilst our Tobacco Trade, which is our entire Staple, is under the most deplorable and languishing Condition, and never to be reliev'd but by our selves.

[Page] And tho' several Tobacco-Laws have been made for this Purpose; yet, by Experience, they have been found rather to burthen and oppresst he Country in General, than afford it any Relief or Advantage as they were designed: And altho' the late Sessions of our Assembly were Conven'd at the general Instance of the Country, as the Governour declared in his Speech at the Opening thereof, purely to consider of some Means that might relieve our sinking Trade and Country, yet none could then be thought of, or agreed on, whereby that Meeting was rendered Fruitless, and without any other Effect, than to encrease the Publick Charge.

When this is considered, it may seem to be too great a Presumption for a private Person to suggest, that there is a Possibility left to remedy this Evil; and gives too much Discouragement to any Attempt of that kind: Yet, as the Evil is of such a Nature, that inevitable Ruin to the Whole, seems to be the infallible Consequence of omitting the Application of some Remedy, it is such a cogent Motive to excite, not only the most melancholly Reflections and Concern, in every individual Person, that is like to be involv'd in this general Calamity, but also to induce each One to exert his utmost Endeavours to find some Means to extricate our selves out of these most deplorable Circumstances, that the Author persuades himself, the Publick will easily excuse the Trouble he gives them, and give this Attempt a favourable Reception, since a general Good is his only View. And tho' it should not have the Effect he hopes for, yet it will probably put others that are more capable, upon something of the same Nature, wherein what is a-miss here may be rectified and amended; and upon the Whole, something may be discovered, that may answer the desired End.

[Page] In order to effect this, it will not be a-miss to consider where the Difficulty lies in concurring in a Business of so much Consequence, and so unanimously desired: The chiefest appears to be the Jealousy that is between the Two Houses of our Legislature; for as the Upper House is chiefly constituted of such Gentlemen who enjoy the most considerable Publick Offices in the Province, which are attended with large Revenues; And the Lower House, who are the Representatives of the Country, have very few Advantages from those Publick Offices, and are sensible that those they represent do not enjoy any of these beneficial Places, they are therefore apprehensive, that whatever is suggested by any Member of the other House, is with some private View. And further, that whatever Law can be made to raise the Price of Tobacco, only serves to inhance the Income of the Publick Officers, having by Experience found, that the Tobacco-Laws which have been made, have had scarce any other Effect, than Raising the Price of Tobacco in the Country, without affecting the Markets in Europe. This is certainly a Consequence which ought to be avoided; otherwise any Attempt to relieve the Province, which is attended with this Circumstance, wou'd but the more speedily and effectually accomplish its Ruin.

To obviate this, many Attempts have been made, to lessen the Officers Fees, and all publick Dues, in Proportion to the Quantity that was proposed to be lessened, of what was usually made: This Attempt has always been without Effect, for it is hard to find such a Medium as will be agreed on to be a just Equivalent, but that either the Gentlemen who are in the Publick Offices will think it too much lessens their Service, or the Country, that they are too much augmented. This is really a Difficulty hard to overcome; yet, if all Parties are truly Patriots of their Country, as in Charity we ought to [Page] take them to be, since all solemnly averr that the Publick Good, is their first and chiefest View: If so, I say, it will not be impossible or impracticable to get over it, as shall be demonstrated hereafter.

Having first try'd to find some such Law as may be a real Service to our Country, and then well endeavoured to find out that happy Expedient to reconcile such a Law to each Ones Interest, Three Things seem absolutely necessary to obtain this End. First, To ascertain a Time for Shipping off our Tobacco. Secondly, To lessen the Quantity, and mend the Quality of what shall be made in the Province. Thirdly, To oblige the Freighters to carry their Tobacco to the Ships in which they send it.

The most effectual Way to accomplish these Ends would be, First, For our Legislature to affix a certain Time, before which, and another after which, none shall be Ship'd. Secondly, To restrain every Taxable that works in Tobacco throughout the Province, to a certain Number of Pounds. Thirdly, To oblige every Freighter not only to rowl or carry his Tobacco to his Landing, there to be Weighed and Stamped by the proper Officer, but likewise to oblige him, after that is done, to carry it to the Ship's Side in which he sends it; the Master to pay him Five Shillings, or some certain Price, for every Hogshead so delivered, and to be restrained from fetching any himself, or receiving any without the proper Stamp, under very severe Penalties.

A Law of this Nature would be attended with many Advantages, how difficult and surprizing soever it may seem at first View. To demonstrate this, Let us consider some of the necessary Consequences that will inevitably attend such a Law, and the Conveniences and Advantages that will flow from thence; and then, with the same Impartiality▪ We'll [Page] take a View of the Objections and Difficulties, that may be made to it, or that it is liable to; whereby a Judgment may be form'd whether it wou'd be for the Advantage of the Country, or not: To proceed therefore in the Order proposed, some of the natural Effects attending such a Law, seem evident.

First. The Merchants will know when to send their Ships, and be at a Certainty how long they'll stay; at least, they'll be sure that they cannot be detain'd longer than such a Time: The Advantage the Country will receive from hence is very obvious, for as their Ships are sure to be dispatch'd, they may certainly afford to carry our Tobacco at easier Freights than they now exact.

The Second Consequence attending this Part of the Law is, that our Tobacco will arrive at the European Markets at a certain Time, after which the Merchants will be sure no more can come that Season: From hence, this Advantage is apparent, which will probably be a very considerable One, that they can then keep up the Price to almost what they please, when none of them can have any Advantage of another, in their Expectation of more, before the usual Time in the ensuing Year; it will then be out of their Power to circumvent each other in a clandestine Way of sending and having their Ships return at all Seasons of the Year, and keeping off the Buyers with an Expectation of the Arrival of another Vessel with a good Load of fresh Tobacco every Week or Fortnight; the Choice whereof they are promised to have at an easy Rate. As it wou'd prevent all this, so it wou'd be a Means to unite the Merchants, which if it cou'd be effected, they might then have almost what Price they wou'd for our Tobacco.

These are some of the Advantages that wou'd necessarily attend the First Part of the Law: Let us now see the Consequences of the

[Page] Second. It's unnecessary to repeat what every Body is sensible of, that the great Quantity of Tobacco made, and the Badness of it's Quality, are the Occasions of the Smallness of it's Value. This is allow'd by all; if so, can there be a more effectual Way to lessen the Quantity, and mend the Quality, then by this Method of restraining the Taxables that work in that Trade, to a certain Number of Pounds instead of Plants, which the Country once design'd; for by this, as well as that Method, the Quantity will be lessen'd; and it's apparent that this is a much more effectual Way to mend the Quality: For when the Planter is restrain'd to a Number of Pounds, he'll be sure to make more than that Quantity, in Order to make so much good; whereas by the other Method, we might be assur'd every Leaf, tho' as bad as possible, wou'd be put up, so that thereby neither the Quantity wou'd be much lessen'd, nor the Quality amended, whereas this Method wou'd effectually answer the End for which it is design'd, and then we may reasonably Hope for all the Advantages which can be expected or desir'd from the Value that is always set on any Commodity that is both scarce and good.

Another Advantage that will attend this Law, is, that when the Planter is so restrain'd to a certain Quantity of Tobacco, he may have Leisure to employ some of his People and his Time in making Inclosures, and raising good Stocks of all kinds, Husbandry or some other Manufacture, so that his whole Attention will not be upon making great Crops of Tobacco, which, when made, are good for nothing▪ The benefit of this [...] manifested by our Neighbours of Pensilvania, who go on all [...] of [...] ▪ and some little Manufactures of Hemp [...] they feed and cloath themselves comfortbly and [...] with their own Industry, which we might [...] do as they, and lay up most of the Produce of our [Page] Tobacco, for a Provision for our Posterity; nay more, be able to sell, and raise Money by our Provisions, Grain, &c. Hence it follows That we shou'd live much more comfortably, and get more Money, which wou'd be an effectual Accomplishment of what we aim at.

There wou'd be this further Advantage in it, That the Merchants by having an Account of the Number of our Taxables that work in Tobacco, and by knowing how much each such Taxable is allowed to make, wou'd know what Quantity of Ships to send, which wou'd certainly be a great Ease to Trade. It wou'd be a tedious Work to enumerate all the lesser Advantages that wou'd attend such a Law, we will therefore content ourselves with these few Instances, that are most apparent and most considerable, in the Two foregoing Parts of such a Law, and proceed to consider those which evidently follow the Third.

The First of these, is the great Ease and Dispatch it will be to Ships, whereby they may, and certainly will go at easier Freights than what we now give 'em, when the Tobacco is thus brought to their Sides, and they are dispatch'd in a very short Time.

The Second, is the Quantity of Money this will bring into the Province, when the Captain of each Ship is obliged to pay so much as shall be thought proper, for each Hogshead, that shall be carried on Board him.

The Third, is the Quantity of Sloops, Flats and other Craft that will then be employ'd by, and belonging to our Province, which is an Advantage to a Country.

The Fourth, is the Number of those People that are now Idlers, if not worse, that will then be employed and make it their Business to carry those Persons Tobacco on Board, that have not Conveniencies themselves of doing of it, for a small Part of the Profit that is to be had for delivering it, as aforesaid; [Page] whereby they'll be taken off of their idle (and perhaps Roguish) Way of Living, get a comfortable Subsistance, be brought up Watermen or Sailors, and be render'd useful to their Country: These are the most considerable Advantages that at present accur, which will necessarily attend such a Law; a little Experience might perhaps discover more, but these are so manifest, and so very considerable, that surely they can neither be deny'd nor slighted by any Lover of his Country, when he makes serious Reflections hereon.

We'll now examine and consider the Objections, which may be made hereunto, with the same Impartiality as we have done the Advantages, and try if we cannot reconcile them, or at least discover whether they are of such a malignant Nature, or so pernicious a Consequence as to over-ballance the Good and Benefits already demonstrated, as necessarily attending such a Law. In Order to do this in the most regular and clear Manner we can, we'll proceed in the same Order as we did in the foregoing Part, and consider the Objections which may be made to, as we did the Advantages that may arise from the Three Parts of this Law.

To the First Part, there cannot be any Manner of Objection when a convenient Time for Shipping our off our Tobacco is affix [...]d, unless that shou'd be too long a Time; if so, the Ships wou'd be scattering one after another almost all the whole Year, round as they are at present, and be continually coming to the Market with fresh Loads of Tobacco, whereby the Evil this Part is design'd to cure, wou'd remain; therefore the Consideration of a proper Time, which will neither too much streighten the Planter, nor give too much Latitude to him, or the Ships, must be submitted to the Legislature, and is the only Thing to be consider'd on this Part of such a Law.

[Page] But to the Second Part of this Law, whereby the Planter is to be restrained to a certain Number of Pounds, many Objections may arise, which we'll put in the strongest Light we are able, and consider their Force with the most sincere Impartiality. To proceed,

Objection the First. If the Quantity of Tobacco be much lessen'd, his Lordship will be cut off of a great Part of his Revenue, and it cannot be expected that he will agree to any such Law, that will cause him to be so great a Sufferer.

Answer. The same Objection holds against a Number of Plants as to a Number of Pounds, or against any other Method which lessens the Quantity; therefore there's no Doubt but it's reasonable, that upon making any such Law, an Equivalent to his Lordship ought to be consider'd, of which the Legislature are the best Judges, nor will the Author presume to prescribe to them what wou'd be an Equivalent: But this is manifest, from his Lordship's publick Spirit, and great Regard that he has discovered in many Instances, for the Good of the Country, even to the Prejudice of his Interest, that he will not be very exact or hard to please in that Equivalent.

Objection the Second. This is not an equal Law, for Tobacco is much more valuable in one Part of the Country than another, so that the same Number of Pounds in those Parts are of double or perhaps treble the Value they are of in others.

Answer. This appears to be one of the most forceable Objections that is, or can be urg'd against this Law; yet when it is well consider'd, it has not that Difficulty which may be apprehended, and will be found to proceed more from a general ill-grounded Prepossession, than from any real Foundation; for the Assertion is not true in Fact; and whatsoever Notions may be entertained of the great Price which is generally given for Tobacco made in the Freshes of almost all the [Page] Rivers of the Province on the light Lands, proceeds only from a very few nice industrious Planters, who make a few Hogsheads in Proportion to their Crop of this fine Kite-Foot, or Pale Yellow, Bright Tobacco, which fell high, and is noised about the Country as the Price of their whole Crop; whereas it is not perhaps the Fifth, or hardly the Tenth Part of what they make, and their Neighbours have not more, or so much by the Pound, as those in other Parts of the Country, who make good Leaf, which is always made in these Parts, where Colour is not aim'd at, and is really much the more certain Kind of Tobacco, and has for these Seven Years past, if the Accounts of any considerable Quantity of both were to be compar'd, sold higher by the Pound, than that light, ch [...]ffy Tobacco, which the Planter has endeavoured to put up for Colour; and by some small Accident, (which cannot be foreseen or prevented) it loosees that, and is then of no Value at all, having neither Colour nor Substance, so that in reallity the Leaf is the only certain valuable Tobacco: For, supposing this light, chaffy Sort not to be of so precarious a Nature as it is, and that a Quantity of it could be made, in that Case, the Author of this Piece affirms, he has had it from some of the most eminent Merchants in our Trade, that Twelve or Fifteen Hundred Hogsheads wou'd quite over do and glut all the Markets in Europe, where that Sort is in Demand, and make it a mere Drugg, of which he is perswaded many of the Legislature are sensible; so that he may justly conclude the Leaf Tobacco to be the most certain kind, and most to be esteem'd: Besides this, the strong Lands have unquestionably the Advantage of the light Soil in the Produce of Grain, or any other Thing, which our Lands will be much employ'd in, if such a Law be made. Upon the whole, when this is well consider'd, it will appear to be as equal a Law as can be thought of, and [Page] much more so than that which was design'd to restrain the Taxables to a Number of Plants, which wou'd afford near double the Number of Pounds on the strong Land, that they wou'd yeild on the light Soil, and each of those Pounds are already demonstrated to be as valuable, as the same Number of those where so many less in Quantity are made; so that by such a Law, those Parts of the Country wou'd make double the Profit by Tobacco, and have a better Soil to out-do them as much in any other Commodity. Let it be further consider'd, that the Poor generally live on the poorest Land, and if they were to be restrained to a certain Number of Plants which would, on such Lands, yield but a few Pounds, they would always be kept poor; whereas by this Method, they would be upon an Equality with others, in a Prospect of amending their Condition by their Industry.

Objection the Third. It will be very difficult and expensive to find out the Number of Pounds, which are made by each Taxable

Answer. As to the Difficulty of doing this, it may easily be removed, by appointing Two or Three Officers, (more or less) as shall be adjudg'd convenient, in every Hundred, who shall be sworn Officers to Weigh and Stamp each Freighters Tobacco, and keep an exact Account of the Number and Weight of each Man's Hogshead, and every Freighter obliged on Oath, or under great Penalties, to declare what, and how many Landings his Tobacco is Shipped off at; at which Landing-Places, the proper Officer must Weigh and Stamp his Tobacco, and the Master of the Ship be obliged not to take it on Board, under very severe Penalties, without the proper Stamp.

By this Means, it is only knowing the several Landings, from which any Freighter ships his Tobacco, (which should [Page] be Registred with the rest on a publick Record) examining the several Officers Accounts that are appointed for those Landings, to see how much he has Shipped from thence, and comparing that with the Constables List of the Number of his Taxables, to detect him if he has Transgressed the Law, and in that case to destroy the Overplus, and fine him considerably, if it appears to be a considerable or wilful Transgression.

But, as there will unavoidably be somethng over or under, which will be occasioned by the Difference of Weights, a Regard therefore ought to be had to that, and so much per Cent. as shall be thought reasonable, allowed for it: Not that so much more be allowed to be made, but where it comes within that Allowance it should not be destroyed, but the Planter charged with so much Shipped off that Year more than his Number of Pounds, which must be deducted out of his next Year's Crop; and so on the contrary, where he falls short of his Quantity, to have Credit for the ensuing Year.

This is still to be understood, where it comes within so much per Cent. as may be allowed, for if it exceeds that Allowance, it is to be presumed a wilful Transgression, and it ought to be destroyed. All this will not be near so troublesome, as the Method proposed in the Law, for ascertaining a Number of Plants, where the Officers were to be obliged to go into every Man's Field, and count the Number of his Plants, in which be would be often deceived and imposed on: And as to the Expence, as the Trouble is not so much, the Charge cannot be more, and here is a Reward for delivering our Tobacco will defray that Charge.

Objection the Fourth. Still there will be a Difficulty of discovering whether those Persons comply with the Law, who lay out their Tobaco in the Country, and do not ship it.

[Page] Answer. None at all, Let every Merchant who purchases Tobacco, or every Sheriff who receives any from any Planter, either be obliged to give an Account of what they received, and of whom, to the proper Officer; or let such Tobacco come to the Landings before it is Shipped off, with both the Makers and present Proprietors Mark on it, whereby the Officer may easily know who made it, and charge him therewith accordingly.

Objection the Fifth. What can the Planter do who is indebted to the Merchants and others, to comply with his Engagements, when he is restrained from making enough to do it?

Answer. As to any Money-Engagements, it is intended to raise Money sooner by this Method to comply therewith, than to go on in the old Manner; but as to Tobacco Debts, in which the Force of this Objection lies, there is no greater Objection against this Method, than that of a Number of Plants, or any other Law, which can be thought of, that would lessen the Quantity; and tho' it may be something hard on such, yet when a general Good is obtained, tho' some few particular Persons should suffer a small Inconvenience, it must be submitted to; and if it were to be considered, that these Debtors perhaps engaged themselves thus to the Merchants several Years ago, at a Time when Tobacco was very valuable, and he has lain a great while out of his Debt, it will not appear any great Hardship, that the Debtor should be obliged to discharge his just Debt, tho' with some Inconvenience to him, when a Law has again raised the Value of Tobacco to what it was when he contracted the Debt; tho', I confess, there may be extraordinary Instances on this Occasion, which will unavoidably attend any Tobacco-Law, which lessens the Quantity. When such particular Instances appear, [Page] it will become the Wisdom of the Legislature to take those particular Cases under their Consideration, and give such Relief therein as Justice requires, rather than loose a beneficial Law, for some particular Cases it may be injurous to; for there is scarce any advantageous Law, but some private Persons are Sufferers by, yet a good Law for the General, ought not to be lost on that Consideration.

Objection the Sixth. What will become of those Poor that have not any Slaves, or other Taxables or Workers for them, than their Wives and Children, and are obliged to lay out all the Tobacco they can make in Stores, to clothe themselves with, which it will scarce do, when they are restrained to such a Quantity.

Answer. It is intended by, and expected from such a Law, that the small Quantity they will then be permitted to make, will be of more Value than the Whole they now make, and they will have some spare Time, as well as others, to do some other Thing for their Support; but if the Legislature are of Opinion, that it will be hard on such, Let them be allowed to make more than others, or even as much as they can, provided they make it good, which will prevent all Clamour of oppressing the Poor.

Objection the Seventh. If we lessen the Quantity of Tobacco, and inhance its Value, our Neighbours of Pensilvania will make it, and supply the Markets in Europe, so that they will be as well stock'd as ever, and it will be as great a Drugg.

Answer. And must we go on in this Manner, and reduce our selves, and our Posterity to Beggary and Misery, for fear our Neighbours shou'd do so too▪ Are we so fond of Engrossing these Blessings to our selves? But we need not be under these Apprehensions; for those who are in a Way of [Page] subsisting themselves comfortably, will not be so willing to exchange it for such a Prospect, as we imagine; nor is it so easy for them to leave their old Way of Living to fall into such a Trade as ours, which requires more Servants, Timber and Expence, than they can well afford.

Objection the Eighth. Warehouses at so many Landings, to hold all People's Tobacco, will be very burthensome, and a vast Expence.

Answer. A good, wholesome and advantageous Law, shou'd not be lost for some Expence: But to reduce That, as much as possible, reduce the Number of Landings as much as may be, and a few large, rough Houses, at each of those Landings will suffice to hold all the Tobacco that can be made: And if the Publick will not be at the Expence of building such▪ let them lay a small Duty on each Hogshead, for the Benefit of the Proprietor of those Houses; and give any one that will build, Liberty to do so at those Landings, let it be on whose Ground it will, only the Proprietor of the Land to have the Preference of building such himself: By this Method, these Houses will soon be erected, without any Expence to the Publick.

Objection the Ninth. How will the Planters comply with their Publick Dues, when the Quantity is so much lessen'd, the Remainder will very little more than suffice to discharge them, so that scarce any thing will remain to subsist themselves and Families upon?

Answer. The same may be said to this, as has been to sundry of the former Objections, viz. That the same holds good against any Law that lessens the Quantity of Tobacco; but to be more particular in the Answer to this, and the following Objection will naturally lead us to comply with our Promise in the Beginning. To reconcile this Law to the Interest [Page] of the Planter, and Country in general, and to those who enjoy Publick Offices, and have large Publick Revenues: By what has been already said, it seems evident, that such a Law would be very advantageous to all concern'd in Tobacco; but if this Objection be not remov'd, the Planter will really be injur'd, for it is of no Advantage to him to raise the Value of Tobacco to ever so great a Height, if he must make but little and that little must go to discharge his Publick Dues.

The Country has already clipp'd and lessen'd the Officers Fees so often, that it is to be apprehended they'll not agree, nor is it perhaps equitable to dock them more: What remains then to be done? The First Thing that appears necessary in this Case, is, To consider the Nature of these Fees, and the Services done for them, in the several Publick Offices in the Province; and where the Fee is more valuable than the Service for that particular Fee requires, there it ought to be reduc'd, so as to render it adequate to the Service: And altho' the Officers wou'd not agree to lessen their Fees promiseuously, one Third, one Fourth, or any other Proportion, which has always hitherto been the Method, whereby many Fees which are already too small for the Service for which they are perform'd, are reduc'd so much less, and others, perhaps, not near enough reduc'd by that Proportion; yet I believe, none of them would refuse this Method of Entring into the Method of the Services they do the Country, and consider the Rewards that justly attend such Services; and if on this Scrutiny, it be apparent in particular Instances, that the Reward exceeds the Value of the Service, they would readily agree to such a Reduction as might be reasonable: By this Means a great Part of the publick Dues would be lessened, and that with the Officers Content. When this is adjusted, the next Thing to be considered, is, What a Proportion of [Page] Tobacco usually made in the Province, may be lessen'd by this Law: When that is agreed on, let the same proportionable Part of all Publick Dues, be paid in Grain of any sort, Hemp, Flax, &c. at stated, fix'd Prices; which wou'd both be an Ease to the Planter, and an Encouragement to go on those Sorts of Manufactures.

Objection the Tenth. Still the remaining Part of our publick Dues will take away great Part of that little, we are permitted to make, which we should be very unwilling to part with, when it is the chiefest Thing we have to depend on, to raise Money by; and if we would buy it of the Officers, they will hold it up at such an exorbitant Rate, that it will take the Produce of what we make, to pay for it, so that still we must either part with that little Tobacco we make, or its full Value to the Officers.

Answer. It is to be hoped, when such a Reduction of the Officers Fees, as was proposed in the foregoing Answer, is made, and such a Proportion of them that are allowed, and all other publick Dues, are to be paid in the Manner there proposed, that the remaining Part will not be so burthensome to the Country: However, if it appears to be so, the Legislature may settle all publick Dues of what Nature soever, at a certain fixed Rate in Money, to be paid to the Sheriff of each County, by such a Day, if the Debtor pleases; so that it may be left to his Choice to pay the Money or Tobacco. If this Method be agreed on, it solves all the Objections I can think of, that can arise on the Second Part of this Law, reconciles the Interest of the Officer and Planter together▪ and will certainly render it very advantageous to the whole Province.

We will now take a View of the Objections that may be made against the Third Part of such a Law (wherein the [Page] Freighter would be obliged to carry his Tobacco to the Ship's Side in which he sends it) which are but Two, viz.

Objection the First. The Difficulty of rowling many Peoples Tobacco, and after that is done, carrying it to the Ship's Side, is so great, that the poor, middling, and even many of the better sort of Planters, that have not Convenience for either, will be under great Hardships to comply with it.

Answer. As they are to be paid for every Hogshead so delivered, it will be a sufficient Reward for the Trouble they are at, who undertake to do it themselves: And, for such as will not undertake it, there will be enough, both by Land and Water, who will then make it their Business to do it for Hire, who may be employed to carry it on Board, for much less than the Reward which will be received, for delivering it.

Objection the Second. The Merchants, Owners of the Ships, and Masters, will not agree to give so much Money for each Hogshead brought on Board; and it will be a Barthen on Trade.

Answer. It will be quite otherwise, it will be an Ease to Trade, and all that are concerned, will willingly pay that Money, when they are to be at no further Charge for Craft; when Rowling (a Work not fit for Men) is over, and when they'll meet with so great Dispatch it will manifestly be very advantageous to them, and a great Ease to Trade in general.

Thus I have gone thro', and considered the Consequences of such a Law; I have shown several considerable Advantages, that will attend it, have also (as I persuade my self) reconciled the Objections that may be made to it; have likewise reconciled it (I hope) to the Interest both of the Officer, and Planter, and demonstrated it to be an Ease to Trade: So that all Parties concerned, will find their Advantage in it; Yet, I am not so fond of my own Performance, as to think [Page] it uncapable of Amendment; on the contrary, I am sensible that few such Projections are perfect at first Attempt: It would therefore be of Service to the Country, if any Gentleman discovers any Defect herein, or can form a more advantageous Scheme, that he would with the same Freedom communicate his Thoughts to the Publick, and correct what may be a miss here; which would be so far from giving any Resentment to the Author of this Piece, that on the contrary, he desires it, and would be thankful to them, and willingly submit to any real Amendment which can be proposed: And, as he does not doubt your Readiness to Publish these Thoughts, so he is persuaded, you will, with the same Readiness, make Publick those of another, on the same Occasion; whereby the Country may perhaps receive some Benefit, which is the only View of a Well-Wisher to it, And

Your humble Servant, A Lover of his Country.

Nov. 19. 1726.

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PROPOSALS FOR A Tobacco-LAW, In the Province of MARYLAND.

Humbly offered to the Consideration of the Legislature, and all Lovers of their Country.

In a Letter from a Gentleman to William Parks, Printer in Annapolis.

Annapolis: Printed in the Year, 1726.

(Price One Shilling.)

Advertisement.
There is now in the Press, and is proposed to be Publish'd in March next,

A Compleat Body of the Laws of Maryland, in Force, from its first Settlement to the Year 1727, well Bound. All Persons who intend to have the said Books, and have not yet Subscrib'd for them, are desired to be speedy in sending their Names, and Places of Abode, to William Parks, Printer, in Annapolis. The Price to Subscribers is Twenty Four Shillings Currency: But to those who do not Subscribe, they will not be Sold so Cheap, if there should be any left after the Subscribers are serv'd.

Information about this book

Title statement

Proposals for a tobacco-law, in the province of Maryland. Humbly offered to the consideration of the legislature, and all lovers of their country. : In a letter from a gentleman to William Parks, printer in Annapolis.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2004-08.

ID [DLPS]

N02364

ID [TCP]

N02364

ID [STC]

Evans 2806

ID [NOTIS]

APY4051

ID [IMAGE-SET]

2806

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99031179

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 2806.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N02364)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 2806)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 2806)

Source

— Proposals for a tobacco-law, in the province of Maryland. Humbly offered to the consideration of the legislature, and all lovers of their country. : In a letter from a gentleman to William Parks, printer in Annapolis.,

Extent

21, [1] p.

Printed [by William Parks],. Annapolis: :: in the year, 1726. (Price one shilling.). (Signed on p. 21: Your humble servant, a lover of his country. Nov. 19. 1726.) (Prospectus, at foot of p. 21.)

Creation

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