Description:

George III King of England

Parliament Replaces Sugar Act with a Lower Import Duty on Both Foreign and British Sugar, Ex-Forbes


GEORGE III, “An act for repealing certain Duties, in the British Colonies and Plantations, granted by several Acts of Parliament; and also the Duties imposed by an Act made in the last Session of Parliament upon certain East India Goods exported from Great Britain; and for further encouraging, regulating, and securing, several Branches of the Trade of this Kingdom and the British Dominions in America,” [March 18, 1766]. Printed Document. 18 pp., cover page plus pages 831-846, 7.75" x 12.25". Residue from disbinding on left edge; very good.


Parliament passed this act in response to objections against the Sugar Act of 1764. Although that act reduced the duty on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon, vigorous efforts to collect the tax caused outrage in the colonies. In Massachusetts, Samuel Adams and James Otis argued that the Sugar Act invaded the colony’s charter rights to govern itself by imposing taxation without representation.


This Revenue Act reduced the duty on molasses to one penny per gallon but extended the tax to cover molasses from both foreign sources and the British sugar islands. Although this reduction pleased Americans financially, the revise duty still looked like a tax for revenue. Despite its nature as a tax, the lower duty made smuggling unprofitable, and the Act produced more revenue in the colonies than any other Act ever passed by Parliament.


At the same time, Parliament also passed the Declaratory Act, which insisted that Parliament’s authority to tax was the same in the American colonies as in England and that Parliament had the authority to make laws for the American colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”


The following year’s series of Townshend Acts increased American fears of the parliamentary threat to colonial self-government. Each of these acts contributed to the distrust that led directly to the American Revolutionary War.


Excerpts

“Whereas the several Duties herein after mentioned, imposed by certain Acts of Parliament to be raised in the British Colonies and Plantations in America, have been attended with great Inconveniencies to the Trade of his Majesty’s Dominions; and it is therefore necessary that the same should be discontinued, and that other Duties should be granted in lieu thereof;.... That from and after the said First Day of November, One thousand seven hundred and sixty six, there shall be raised, levied, collected and paid unto His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, the several and respective Rates and Duties herein after mentioned; that is to say, For every Gallon (Wine-measure) of Melasses and Syrups, which shall be imported or brought (except as is herein after mentioned) into any Colony or Plantation in America, which now is, or hereafter may be, under the Dominion of His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, One Penny.”


Provenance: Ex-Forbes Collection. Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), the American owner-publisher of Forbes magazine and a consummate collector, amassed one of the most substantial autograph collections of such breadth and depth that it filled a half-dozen residences on three continents. Many of his manuscripts were sold in a series of multi-million dollar sales by Christie's in the early 2000s. The Forbes name is considered to be the apex of provenance, especially when attached to an item like the above. We are honored to have been chosen by the family to sell at auction the substantial balance of the collection.


This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.


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