Fees in the American Colonies. 
103 
ners, 1 printers, 2 lawyers, 3 physicians, 4 Indian traders, 5 peddlers, 6 
tavern keepers, 7 8 pilots, 3 and many others. No one at that time 
could foresee that the liquor regulation, which then seemed even 
less necessary than some of the other license regulations, should 
one day become so important as it has grown to be. The regula¬ 
tion of any one of the above mentioned subjects, might have de¬ 
veloped in the same way that the liquor licenses have, provided 
the conditions had been suitable. All of them attained the first 
stage of development, but many reached no farther. As exam¬ 
ples may be cited the printers’ and tanners’ licenses. Many 
others have tended to disappear, or have been made conditional 
upon certain qualifications, educational and otherwise, the fee 
being often changed from a license fee to an examination fee. 
On the other hand, many occupations which are now subject to 
stringent license regulations, were forbidden in the colonial pe¬ 
riod. As examples may be mentioned peddlers in Connecticut, 
Massachusetts, 9 and New York, 10 and theatres in Massachusetts 11 
and Rhode Island. 12 
The second stage in the development of license regulations is 
reached when a fee is collected for the privilege conferred by the 
license. This stage was very often hastened by the fact, that 
the colonial governors were eager for any opportunity or excuse 
I Two early laws of Massachusetts and Connecticut, which read almost 
like the ancient Guild regulations, provided that no one should engage in 
the business of tanner until he had shown his ability and knowledge of 
the mystery of tanning to the county court, and had paid a license fee. 
(In force down to 1796.) 
2 History of New York (Commonwealth series), I, 255. 
* Laws, S. C., 1789, IV, 669. 
4 Laws, N. H., 1789, p. 302. 
6 Statutes, S. C., 1711, II, 359. 
6 Peddling was forbidden in New York [Laws, Ninth Session, p. 201). 
'Laws, S. C., 1711; Rev. Stat., 1801, V, 100. 
8 Colonial Laws, S. C., 1690, pp. 51, 93. 
9 Laws 1799, I, 213. 
10 New York Statutes, Ninth session, Ch. XI, 201; Twenty-fourth ses¬ 
sion., p. 15. 
II Up to 1806. First playhouse in Boston, 1794. Weeden, History of 
Neiv England, II, 863. 
12 Statutes 1825, p. 152, § 1. 
