Several particulars showing the many great Conveniences or receiving the Imposition or Excise at the Customhouse, by way of Impost, upon all Goods and Merchandise imported.  

I. In reference to the State.  
1. THe intricate and uncertain Accounts now made with Merchants and Tradesmen, pretended by Shrinkage, Leakage, and decaying of Goods, in the way the Excise is now in, will be prevented; as also the adventures that are run, and losses often made by the obscurity of persons, and the difficulty of finding their Goods, when once passed the Customhouse, together with the length of time before sale, until which Excise cannot be demanded, all which as it now stands, can no ways be remedied.  
2. The settling of that Revenue by way of Impost, so long as the necessity of the Commonwealth shall require, is more agreeable to the minds of the people, then by that distasteful name of Excise.  
3. The Revenue would be more punctually received with the same hands, and at the same charge, the Customs usually are, and that vast charge of many thousands per annum now paid to the several Officers of the Excise, spared.  
4. The many Exorbitances, and arbitrary proceed committed and practised by the several Officers employed in that service, which hath not a little reflected upon the Parliament, to the great grief and unjust vexations both of Merchants and Tradesmen, would be wholly taken away, viz. The stopping and detaining of their Goods, after duty paid, upon slender surmises, and frivolouss informations; Their often waitng and attending before they could have any redress; the searching of their houses, waiting in their shops, and no recompense given to any who have had their goods so seized, and detained, though nothing hath been made good against them; By all which, the Ancient and most received Rights of the people, have not a little been infringed.   

II. In reference to Merchants.  
1. THereby they will be at liberty to remove, sell, or barter their goods or any part of them, at all times and seasons as they please, which now they cannot do.  
2. When the Rates shall be settled, and time of payment fixed at the Customhouse, it will be the only means to prevent all those miscarriages and inconveniences that happen both to Merchants and Tradesmen, after goods are there cleared.   

III. In reference to Inland Traders.  
1. INland Traders will be free from Officers, tickets, fines, penalties, and the like, as before is expressed.  
2. They would also be at liberty after duty paid, to dispose of their Goods at all times and seasons, as their occasions shall require, which now they cannot do, the want of which is much prejudicial, burdensome, and very vexatious, to all Tradesmen, to their great discouragement and loss of Trade.  
3. Hereby will be prevented that great and intolerable evil, and ruining, both to Merchants and Tradesmen, which they groan under, by reason that the Officers of the Excise, under pretences, and upon occasion, do make a deeper inspection into all men's Trades, and thereby a very great advantage to themselves, both in buying and selling, above any other; the Trader being forced to discover the quality of his goods, the places where, and persons to whom he sells; and of whom and at what prizes he buys, whereby the whole manner of their trades have been discovered and taken up, by the Officers of the Excise, and others, who before that time traded not at all; those who did, yet not in several of those commodities they now trade in; to the very great prejudice of very many eminent Tradesmen, that bear a very great share in the public charge.  
4. Both Merchants and Tradesmen shall be free from that daily charge and trouble, they are now at, in the sending for tickets, and Officers to the Excise Office.  
Object. And whereas some have objected, that if the Excise should be secured at the Customhouse, it will much exhaust the stock of the Merchant; and that the Merchant will be in hazard, to make bad debts of the Excise, as well as of the principal.  
Answ. It is answered, the Merchant selleth generally for ready money, therefore the Excise will be paid unto him before it be due to be paid to the State, and so the Merchant is freed from that hazard he pretendeth, when he shall receive the Excise upon the sale of his goods; and the Inland trader giveth great credit, and usually selleth at long time; So that it is the Inland trader, that bears the burden of the Excise, and his stock is thereby exhausted, and not the stock of the Merchant.   

Reason's further humbly offered, showing that the enhancing of the Imposition of Excise or new Impost for goods Imported, will be found (as is conceived) a disadvantage to the State.  
1. THe general experience of all times witness, that the higher the Imposition is, the less is the receipt. For instance in Gold and Silver wire. In Tobaccoes of all sorts, at the first settling of the Excise, in the years 1641. 1642. and 1643. The same instances are to be given in Ireland, Scotland, and Holland, and upon Plate and other goods in the Spanish Dominions.  
2. The higher the Imposition the l●sse is the consumtion; for it's the cheapness of things that makes the expense; and proportionable to the vend of commodities, is the increase 2r decrease of trade; and it's much better for the State to receive 100000. pound per annum upon an account of Trade, to the value of 2. Millions then of one, for the greater expense the greater your Trade, the greater your Trade the more your Shipping the more your Shipping the more employment for your people, and the greater your riches and strength.  
3. The greater Imposition, the more ways and devises are used, and men's wits heigthened and improved, every way to gain their goods without paying any Imposition at all: neither is there a greater adventure run, considering the profit, then is usual in all Trade.  
4. When great Impositions are laid, great Bribes may be given, even such as will countervail the loss of places.  
5. Impositions enhancing the prize of commodities, makes all Traders unwilling, and most unable to have any store or stock of Commodities by them, but they will only buy for necessity, or their present occasions; whereas otherwise there would be a continual stock of Commodities throughout the Commonwealth, and a constant and continual Trade and commerce throughout the whole land.  
6. Answerable to the Impositions upon, and obstructions in Trade is the decay thereof; and the decay of Trade in a Commonwealth is the decay of its chief support.  
7. Answerable to the Improvement of Trade in any place, is the improvement of Land; the decay of Trade produces a necessary fall of Land.  
8. The raising of necessary charges, for support of the State, by way of excise, will not be found so equal, nor so easy and insensable as is supposed; For the very account of that Imposition occasions the expense of many 1000 per annum, for defraying the charge thereof, besides the many pounds, shllings, pence, exspended upon those in that service, by all who have to do with them; and it's insensable only to him, (and that but for a time) who accounts his expenses only by the gross; and it's not much better to lose a man's purse being blindfold, then having his eyes open; neither can it be supposed, but that every man tavable in the Commonwealth, had better pay 5. pounds per quarter, than two shillings per diem.  
9 Not so equal, for many poor people, having necessarily greater families than the rich, nay there are more great families of the poor than the rich; so that upon this account, the poor must pay more than the rich.  
10. Not so equal, because no man hereby pays according to his estate, but most according to their necessity; others according to their living and deportments, the Niggardly and Covetous little or nothing, the Liberal free and wisely generous a proportion accordingly.  
11. Those numerous company of Officers employed about that receipt, like drones living of the Commonwealth, would live and employ themselves to and for the good and profit of it.  
12. It's conceived to be more than probable, that by easy, and light Impositions upon, and Freedom in trade, this Commonwealth would thereby become the greatest Magazine, for trade, of any place in this part of the World. Easie Impositions inviting Merchants to Import themselves and goods, whereby a place becomes a market for all sorts of commodities, and so begets a trade of exportation again, besides an inland doing off what's imported; whereas, great impositions discourage all Merchants from importing goods to that place; because, they cannot expect sale for any considerable quantity of goods, in respect of those underhand importations, constantly attending such impositions.  
By all which it doth appear, (as is conceived) that a moderate imposition upon goods imported, and receiving the same at the Custom house, with convenient time and allowance to the Merchant, will prove not only very dvantagious to this State, in saving so vast a yearly charge, ascertaining and increasing that Revenue, as also great ease and content both to Merchant and Tradesmen, but very much tend to the advance and increase of Trade.  
Which nevertheless they (as in duty bound) wholly submit to your great wisdoms and care, to do therein as you shall find most conducing to the good and welfare of this Commonwealth, These being humbly presented, not in the least, from any unwillingness to bear ashare of such Impositions, as the ●…ities of this S●ate shall require for support thereof, but only from those due and hearty respects they bear unto the honour and esteem of this High Court, and those earnest desires they have of the flourishing estate of this Republic.