Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. THE EXCISE. Excise—Its Nature—Evils arising from the Power of the Officers—First imposed in England by the Long Parliament—A Portion of these Duties granted to Charles II. in Exchange for the Feudal Tenures—Articles upon which levied—Excisable Articles—Eighteen Branches of Taxation in England and only Eight in Ireland—Glass—Tea—Malt—Hops—John Royle, Esq.—Breweries—Bricks—Probable Repeal of the Permit System —Deductions from this Branch of the Revenue—Commission of Inquiry— Account of the Charges of Collection, andc.—Compensation to Salt Commissioners— Cruisers—Retired Allowances—Salaries in Scotland—Corn Returns—Hereditary Excise granted to Charles II.—Alterations in the Court of Exchequer in Scotland—Wellington Administration—Pensions of theDukeofGrafton—Lord Cowper—The Earl of Bath—Fishery Boun ties and Salaries of Commissioners—Excise Establishment. The second most important source of revenue, forming part of the permanent taxation of the country, is the duties (as they are called) of the Excise. The word excise is derived from the Belgic " acciisse," which signifies tribute ; and it is an inland duty or imposition, paid sometimes upon the consumption of the commodity, and frequently upon the wholesale, which is the last stage before the consumption. It is thought by some persons (though the justice of this opinion may be doubted) to be the most economical way of taxing the subject, the charges of collection and management being considerably less in proportion than in other branches of the revenue. It may also produce a less effect in enhancing the price of the commodity than would be produced by charging it with customs to the same amount, as it is generally iraposed at a much later stage; and the consumer, therefore, pays the profit of only one or two indi...