EARLY USE. 41 



Down to a late period (1832) the con- 

 sumption of cocoa in England was confined 

 within very narrow limits, owing to the 

 oppressiveness of the duties with which it 

 was loaded. The ruin of the cocoa plan- 

 tations which once flourished in Jamaica 

 was caused, says Mr. Bryan Edwards, the 

 historian, by the heavy hand of ministerial 

 exaction. In 1832 the duty on cocoa from 

 a British possession was reduced from 6d. 

 to 2d. per pound. The result was that the 

 consumption which, during the three years 

 ending in 1831, averaged only 440,578 

 pounds a year, shortly increased to an 

 average of 2,072,335 pounds. The duty of 

 6d. per pound on f6f%i&n cocoa was con- 

 tinued some pSne&o'nger ; but in 1853 the 

 duties were finally equalized and fixed at 

 id. per pound, and on paste or chocolate 

 at 2d. The duties on husks and shells 

 were reduced to 2s. per cwt. in 1855. 



It is stated, on what appears to be good 



