To the Honorable the
COMMONS
OF
England in Parliament Affembled.

THE
Coffee Men dwelling within the Bills of Mortality, Humbly Prefent this
their Anſwer to a Printed Paper lately Publifhed, Entituled, Propoſi-
tions for changing the Excife now laid upon Coffee, Chocolet, and Tea into an Impo-
fition upon thofe Commodities at their Importation.

THE faid Paper seems to be framed in Favour of the Retailers of Coffee, &c. and to caſe them of the great Burthen they groan under, by the Excife already laid on the Liquors of Coffee, Chocolet and Tea: Whereas, in Truth, this Paper was Forſd and Contriv'd by ſome Projectors, who do not think fit to fet their Names thereto, or to own the fame, and without the leaſt Conſent or Knowledge of the Coffee-fellers, and is ſo far from tending to their being caſed of their preſent Grievances, as that it would bring certain Ruin on Them and their Families, and utterly deſtroy the Trade of Retailing the faid Liquors, unleſs the Subject be forced to pay Two or Three Pence a Difh for Coffee, and the like ratable proportions for Chocolet and Tea, which they muſt neceſſarily be obliged to do, if this Project ſhould be brought into a Law.

The faid Paper is grounded upon notorious Untruths, and miſrepresentations of Faſt, which are
obvious to every Man that underſands the making of thofe Liquors, (and which many Gentlemen have had the Curioſity to look into) and will appear to be no more than a vain Project of
ſome Perſons, who for their private Lucre may have a defign to Farm from the Crown the New
Impoſts by them thus propoſed, which as it would Ruin the Retailers, ſo it would bring great
Prejudice inſtead of Profit to the Crown.

The falſe Suggesions of the ſaid Paper are Anſwered, as follows.

Paper. That a Pound of Coffee will make Four Gallons of Liquor.

Anſ. It cannot make above Ten Quarts.

Paper. That a Pound of Tea will make Sixteen Gallons of Liquor.

Anſ. At the moſt, a Pound of Tea will not make above Nine Gallons, but if the Tea be
bad it will not make near ſo much.

Paper. That a Pound of Chocolet makes Four Gallons of Liquor.

Anſ. It will not make more than One Gallon.

And whereas the Paper ſays, That every Quart of Coffee, Tea, and Chocolet makes Eight
Difhes, the faid Allegation is notoriously Falſe; for that the moſt that a Quart of Coffee and Tea
makes, is but Six Difhes, and of Chocolet but Five.

And, foraſmuch, as by an Endorſement written on the back of the ſaid Paper 112 l. weight of
Coffee-berries is computed at 100 l. weight, this alſo is not True, for that 112 l. of Coffee-ber-
ries, when roaſted and ground into Powder, is by the loſs in roaſing and grinding diminifhed to
80 l. weight, which makes about one third part difference according to the Projectors Calculation.

It is to be noted, alſo that the ſaid Paper hath omitted to take notice, that the Comſioners
knowing the Retailers of Coffee, &c. could not live by the Trade and pay the full Duty, did uſually
ſtrike off one third part thereof, before they made their Compoſitions, as the ſaid Retailers have hum-
bly Repreſented in their Cafe, annexed to their Petition to this Honourable Houſe.

For all which Reaſons, the ſaid poor Tradesmen (who confiſt of Six Hundred Families at the
leaſt) do humbly hope and Pray, that the additional Duty mentioned in their ſaid Petition and Cafe
may be taken into Conſideration, and that the ſaid project propoſed by the ſaid Printed Paper may
be rejected, they being ready to prove the Truth of all the Allegations herein contained as this Ho-
nourable Houſe ſhall think fit to direct.

Alexander Man.

Jonathan Miles.

John Bridg.

Richard Elford.

Richard Torver.

George Conſtantine.

William Chipps.

Jeremiah Stoakes.

William Gale.

Richard Hargrave.

Brabazon Aylmer.

Thomas Manwaring.

John Vigures.

Charles Kifdel.

William Urwin.

Henry Long.

Thomas Freeman.

David Howling.