第 52 节
作者:
嘟嘟 更新:2021-04-30 16:07 字数:9322
In some manufactures; besides; coal is a necessary instrument of
trade; as in those of glass; iron; and all other metals。 If a
bounty could in any case be reasonable; it might perhaps be so
upon the transportation of coals from those parts of the country
in which they abound to those in which they are wanted。 But the
legislature; instead of a bounty; has imposed a tax of three
shillings and threepence a ton upon coal carried coastways; which
upon most sorts of coal is more than sixty per cent of the
original price at the coal…pit。 Coals carried either by land or
by inland navigation pay no duty。 Where they are naturally cheap;
they are consumed duty free: where they are naturally dear; they
are loaded with a heavy duty。
Such taxes; though they raise the price of subsistence; and
consequently the wages of labour; yet they afford a considerable
revenue to government which it might not be easy to find in any
other way。 There may; therefore; be good reasons for continuing
them。 The bounty upon the exportation of corn; so far as it tends
in the actual state of tillage to raise the price of that
necessary article; produces all the like bad effects; and instead
of affording any revenue; frequently occasions a very great
expense to government。 The high duties upon the importation of
foreign corn; which in years of moderate plenty amount to a
prohibition; and the absolute prohibition of the importation
either of live cattle or of salt provisions; which takes place in
the ordinary state of the law; and which; on account of the
scarcity; is at present suspended for a limited time with regard
to Ireland and the British plantations; have all the bad effects
of taxes upon the necessaries of life; and produce no revenue to
government。 Nothing seems necessary for the repeal of such
regulations but to convince the public of the futility of that
system in consequence of which they have been established。
Taxes upon the necessaries of life are much higher in many
other countries than in Great Britain。 Duties upon flour and meal
when ground at the mill; and upon bread when baked at the oven;
take place in many countries。 In Holland the money price of the
bread consumed in towns is supposed to be doubled by means of
such taxes。 In lieu of a part of them; the people who live in the
country pay every year so much a head according to the sort of
bread they are supposed to consume。 Those who consume wheaten
bread pay three guilders fifteen stivers… about six shillings and
ninepence halfpenny。 These; and some other taxes of the same
kind; by raising the price of labour; are said to have ruined the
greater part of the manufactures of Holland。 Similar taxes;
though not quite so heavy; take place in the Milanese; in the
states of Genoa; in the duchy of Modena; in the duchies of Parma;
Placentia; and Guastalla; and in the ecclesiastical state。 A
French author of some note has proposed to reform the finances of
his country by substituting in the room of the greater part of
other taxes this most ruinous of all taxes。 There is nothing so
absurd; says Cicero; which has not sometimes been asserted by
philosophers。
Taxes upon butchers' meat are still more common than those
upon bread。 It may indeed be doubted whether butchers' meat is
anywhere a necessary of life。 Grain and other vegetables; with
the help of milk; cheese; and butter; or oil where butter is not
to be had; it is known from experience; can; without any
butchers' meat; afford the most plentiful; the most wholesome;
the most nourishing; and the most invigorating diet。 Decency
nowhere requires that any man should eat butchers' meat; as it in
most places requires that he should wear a linen shirt or a pair
of leather shoes。
Consumable commodities; whether necessaries or luxuries; may
be taxed in two different ways。 The consumer may either pay an
annual sum on account of his using or consuming goods of a
certain kind; or the goods may be taxed while they remain in the
hands of the dealer; and before they are delivered to the
consumer。 The consumable goods which last a considerable time
before they are consumed altogether are most properly taxed in
the one way; those of which the consumption is either immediate
or more speedy; in the other。 The coach…tax and plate…tax are
examples of the former method of imposing: the greater part of
the other duties of excise and customs; of the latter。
A coach may; with good management; last ten or twelve years。
It might be taxed; once for all; before it comes out of the hands
of the coachmaker。 But it is certainly more convenient for the
buyer to pay four pounds a year for the privilege of keeping a
coach than to pay all at once forty or forty…eight pounds
additional price to the coachmaker; or a sum equivalent to what
the tax is likely to cost him during the time he uses the same
coach。 A service of plate; in the same manner; may last more than
a century。 It is certainly easier for the consumer to pay five
shillings a year for every hundred ounces of plate; near one per
cent of the value; than to redeem this long annuity at
five…and…twenty or thirty years' purchase; which would enhance
the price at least five…and…twenty or thirty per cent。 The
different taxes which affect houses are certainly more
conveniently paid by moderate annual payments than by a heavy tax
of equal value upon the first building or sale of the house。
It was the well…known proposal of Sir Matthew Decker that
all commodities; even those of which the consumption is either
immediate or very speedy; should be taxed in this manner; the
dealer advancing nothing; but the consumer paying a certain
annual sum for the licence to consume certain goods。 The object
of his scheme was to promote all the different branches of
foreign trade; particularly the carrying trade; by taking away
all duties upon importation and exportation; and thereby enabling
the merchant to employ his whole capital and credit in the
purchase of goods and the freight of ships; no part of either
being diverted towards the advancing of taxes。 The project;
however; of taxing; in this manner; goods of immediate or speedy
consumption seems liable to the four following very important
objections。 First; the tax would be more unequal; or not so well
proportioned to the expense and consumption of the different
contributors as in the way in which it is commonly imposed。 The
taxes upon ale; wine; and spirituous liquors; which are advanced
by the dealers; are finally paid by the different consumers
exactly in proportion to their respective consumption。 But if the
tax were to be paid by purchasing a licence to drink those
liquors; the sober would; in proportion to his consumption; be
taxed much more heavily than the drunken consumer。 A family which
exercised great hospitality would be taxed much more lightly than
one who entertained fewer guests。 Secondly; this mode of
taxation; by paying for an annual; half…yearly; or quarterly
licence to consume certain goods; would diminish very much one of
the principal conveniences of taxes upon goods of speedy
consumption the piecemeal payment。 In the price of threepence
halfpenny; which is at present paid for a pot of porter; the
different taxes upon malt; hops; and beer; together with the
extraordinary profit which the brewer charges for having advanced
them; may perhaps amount to about three halfpence。 If a workman
can conveniently spare those three halfpence; he buys a pot of
porter。 If he cannot; he contents himself with a pint; and; as a
penny saved is a penny got; he thus gains a farthing by his
temperance。 He pays the tax piecemeal as he can afford to pay it;
and when he can afford to pay it; and every act of payment is
perfectly voluntary; and what he can avoid if he chooses to do
so。 Thirdly; such taxes would operate less as sumptuary laws。
When the licence was once purchased; whether the purchaser drank
much or drank little; his tax would be the same。 Fourthly; if a
workman were to pay all at once; by yearly; half…yearly; or
quarterly payments; a tax equal to what he at present pays; with
little or no inconveniency; upon all the different pots and pints
of porter which he drinks in any such period of time; the sum
might frequently distress him very much。 This mode of taxation;
therefore; it seems evident; could never; without the most
grievous oppression; produce a revenue nearly equal to what is
derived from the present mode without any oppression。 In several
countries; however; commodities of an immediate or very speedy
consumption are taxed in this manner。 In Holland people pay so
much a head for a licence to drink tea。 I have already mentioned
a tax upon bread; which; so far as it is consumed in farm…houses
and country villages; is there levied in the same manner。
The duties of excise are imposed briefly upon goods of home
produce destined for home c