New-York tribune., 1909-09-04
TALES or TAXES.
The Uamors of the British Cnst9m
Hou&e IN Earlier Dags.

--iz, &c 60 > e-5 =
E~et F--or1 WIN ------z 2 p
-a- E 90
uaes Il curious Information s1 regard % cae
customs s=rstce Z England q comprised f. t.s
volume 1-c forth ~ -Eo devoted members ct
r-a- service. TIE Development n e.-s-r-~.s from
EaIaaza-1 uerac- e<- pays-g royal Gsotg ana
-ayrar1-Eg rcya- <avo---zs = tae.- present broad
relations IS portrayed ~ . lo-g series Il #.-s-
crar-se facts z-5 Incidents. BIZ excerpts e-ola
laws and regulations. ~ anecdotes la1 s1-lze t-s
t--5-.ar.cns ~ r-1e waters ~ g.-e1- 1rF--- ~
Tn-gga-s and the s.- eTas.1zs ct sie-E o@-z-=-
5v t5e figures = revenue collection. hy 2 -t5--
sarf ard one strange --et-c cr notable r------a-
stances drawn frora the vcl1n.n1lH ~=19r5s of
tie service There has Tee. 81 abundance ~
material - tn Disposal RI the writers. aaa they
have used j. freely Al is g~isr u their u..l
and 4 t1e Illustrative and a1ec55-eI matter over
shadows tho narrative. they ---st ~ admitted 70
have assembled Z East amount NJ aove., inter
es,l-g pertinent and amusing Information
IL taz carly days IL was tn practice ~ t-a
ruler - zre1c according u his fancy and saddle
The bin upon -le customs receipts Thus - raa
coronation festivities of Edward II -le officials
we're required - provide about o1a hundred and
fly thousand gallons NJ vL1e s1r --= drinking oC
his ra5estv's very good health. Tae o1ar-,-on
vas financed by FIoreutiHe barEers Vro r.
couped then selves CIT q ts.= customs. Richard
Il. equally ira1rov6err. beirg i7 debr 70 IN I-z-
isn money lender ard 20 the EaE1- - London,
gave them The clearance seal oC tae F5-- o.
London until the debt should be INUNDATED. and
Ecaard II. having b9rrosed 541 from a -oer-
chant - Calsis allowed him u deduct half a
mark from the duty on every sack - his oHu
wool 10 % the amount II the debt Jf course,
regulations 80 arbitrary and 50 easily altered
were constantly Graded. and smuggling became
q recognized business. An early instance of
scrupIes n dealing E-th custom house rs tta-
II q German trader who approached King p h
ard r. pleading that the Eanse merchants had
expelled Gin from thelr guild because b. had
paid the KIM n England reore c'stom than rrf
necr8sqtY. whereupcu The King admitted this in
comprehensive Teueon 70 the privileges - q
denizen and the Mayor of London gave him the
freedom of the city.
Aliens - rule did not fare IS neH. ror their
goods pai5 heavier duties. and e they should
chance u be wrecked they were stripped beaten
and their goods appropriated The foreigner
was thought lucky i he kept mis- property AZ ali.
and somewhere about 1870 eu order WAS issued
To arrest certain C0rnishr1en VINO helped them
selves 10 the goods of Breton merchants. Ta-
thieves could not be fou.d although one of tEeu
spoil had been three tuns of wine. Richard HIS
accession was slgnalized. we are told. by vim
Gictive edlcts against aliens and their manu-
factures.
The wording Of these statutes illustrates viyidly
the antpatay of the older Engs! 20 races fs-ea 7s
the Italians and Jews VINO followed none o-L nc
inevitably crooked occupations Of traehc and uslE.
T. stated tnaf many merchant Strangers es--
N 9Ie4s Ta1s 1fey s52%sa ' f g93 gf6g5 sod 70 @
n ~
pleasure they not employ their ultimate profits
within the kingdom, but conveyed them oversee
that they acted in colonies and made secret bar
gains, and that tney came 10 London In numbers IS
artlfcers and usurped the manufacture oL - -naJ.te
such ploUghing and csrting. i was accordingly
enacted mat the Ita Ans should sell oy gross o1-s,
by retail. that ail aliens should sell within eight
ses and taat alien araoers should not practise
their calling7 IN England
In the time Of the Henrys the sovereign was
allowed the usual subsidies from the customs
for life By way of return for Henry VII
substantial encouragement Of the Cabots in
their great undertaking the King stipulated for
one-fifth II the proceeds Of the voyage and eX-
enpted them from all customs duties on such
articles as they brought back A great show
Of generosity was this. II is Interesting To note
that the net revenue for customs mp 20 the end
of Elizabeth's reign rarely approached 100000
but James !. having Cecil for financial plot
managed 10 raise the amount 10 half as much
again. James put hides on the free list, to-
gether with cotton. silk hemp ard other raw
materials, and got a substantial revenue from
logwood, which had formerly been prohibited
and from other foreign articles. most Of which
he considered vain and Improbable and thus a
fit object Of taxation. When Charles came 10
the throne Parliament avenged upon the King
his fathers debts and antics for 1T has always
been the English way to endure overlong and
then resent IN stubborn fashion" TIE better
classes and nearly all the merchants we're tired
Of Stuart rule. and the King Was apt Ia fur
nisiing pretexts for quarrel. Under the Puri-
tans Parliament believed in rigid protection.