220 



TOBACCO PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. 



"shrinking and wasting" was two pounds in every hundred if not paid away in two mouths, and one pound for 

 every month afterward, the whole, however, not to exceed six per cent., and various allowances in different 

 counties were provided in the weights of tobacco, to compensate for the expenses of transportation, according 

 to their distance from market or points of shipment. Sheriffs and collectors were allowed 4 pounds in the 

 hundred for all tobacco paid to government by inspector's notes. All tobacco shipped to Maryland was required 

 to be inspected and stamped. All stemmed tobacco not laid straight, whether loose or in bundles, and all tobacco 

 packed in hogsheads which exceed 48 inches in length of stave or 30 inches across the head within the cross, making 

 reasonable allowance for prizing not to exceed 2 inches above the gauge in the prizing head was to be accounted 

 unlawful tobacco, and not be passed or received, and was also to be repacked in sizable casks. 



Refuse tobacco was to be burned in the presence of the inspectors, and overseers of plantations were made liable 

 for such waste. All marks, numbers, weights (gross, net, and tare) were required to be entered in a book kept by 

 the inspectors, as also the ship or ships upon which the tobacco was loaded, and they were required to make an 

 annual report to the naval officer before the 1st of July; to make out and give bond with good security of 1,000 

 lawful money; to be fined if found guilty of receiving bribes; to be disabled from holding any other colonial 

 office and not to be allowed to trade in tobacco, their salary being fixed at 60. () Forging tobacco notes was 

 made a felony, and the penalty for taking unstamped tobacco on board a vessel was -3 and forfeiture of the 

 tobacco. 



In 1731 the price of tobacco in the province of Maryland was fixed at 6s. per hundred pounds. (I) In this 

 year also the exports of tobacco from Virginia and Maryland was G0,000 hogsheads of GOO pounds each, which yielded 

 375,000, the net value of which to England was 180,000, which sum was paid in merchandise. The imposts upon 

 tobacco by Great Britain became so onerous, and the abuse of the trade by the English factors in the extent and 

 multiplicity of their charges so oppressive, that the colonists in 1732 published their grievances to the world in 

 pamphlet form, (c) Nor were fraudulent practices confined to England, for an instance is cited of a dishonest shipper 

 in Virginia, who, in loading a vessel with 310 hogsheads of tobacco in the year 1727, by a misrepresentation of 

 weights (the original marks being erased) defrauded the crown of nearly one-seventh part of the duties, (d) The 

 contrast of the prices obtained in Virginia and iu England is exhibited in the statement that " in this present year 

 tobacco has been sold to foreign buyers from twopence half-penny to threepence half-penny; * * * * yet 

 at this juncture the best Orouoko tobacco is sold to buyers in London, for the home consumption, for sevenpence 

 a pound", and the charges to which it was subject are evidenced by the fact that the price yielded to the planter 

 was " not more than one penny half-penny, without the duty ". (e) 



Examples of the government duties and the merchants' charges are afforded by the following bills rendered of 

 sales : 



TEN HOGSHEADS OF TOBACCO. 



DR. 



Duties, freight, and other charges. 

 Commission, at 2| per cent 



. . 



165 15 



3 16 



rf. 



169 11 11 



CR. 



.. s. d. 



Sold 5,237 pounds, at Id 21 16 3 



Debentures and other allowances 131 19 2 



The owner in debt. 



153 15 5 

 15 16 6 



169 11 11 



FORTY-FOUR HOGSHEADS. 



DR. 



. a. d. 



Duties, freight, and other charges 652 9 4 



Commission, at 2| per cent., on 694 4. 7d ... 17 7 2 



Net proceeds 29 4 11 



699 1 5 



CK. 



. . d. 



Allowance for damage 4 16 10 



7 hogsheads, at 3d 46 10 10 



11 hogsheads, at Id 23 9 9 



1 hogshead, at lid 3 4 10 



5 hogsheads abroad 22 16 10 



1 hogshead, at Hid 14 19 3 



16 hogsheads, at lid 45 6 7 



3 hogsheads, at Ifd 10 14 2 



Drawbacks, &c 527 2 4 



699 



a Honing, iv, pp. 247-271. 



b The Case of tht Planter* of Tobacco in Virginia, as represented by themselves ; signed by the President of the Council and Speaker 

 of the House of Burgesses, to which is added a vindication of the said representation. 8vo. London, 1733. 

 o Cose of the Planters, etc., p. 23. 

 d Ibid.,y. 25. 

 e Ibid., pp. 34, 35. 

 814 



