that Excife, no true Englishmen." The King was forced to give it up; and they foon after impeach'd the Duke of BUCKINGHAM for Excifing them. After the troubles began, the Parliament itself established an Excife by law in 1643. It made the people uneafy, so that Parliament promised by the Judges on their Circuits, in 1645, that it should be taken off as foon as the urgency of the war was over. Enemies to the State, and Soon after the court of wards and liveries was abolished, and the Excife was likewife reftrained to Victuallers. Some attempts were made in the Protectorate to extend and perpetuate the Excife, but they came to nothing. At the Restoration in 1660, it was propofed to give the Crown the Excife, reftrained to Victuallers, in lieu of wards and liveries, and knight fervice. This, however, was much oppofed, and it was propofed rather to fix and regulate the old powers of that feudal Court; but the Court had a mind to the Exçife, and carried it, though restrained, but Sir by two, viz. 149 to 151. In the courfe of this bill, an artful attempt was made to extend the Excise to private houses, under the pretence of levying a duty on the makers of cyder and perry; but the Parliament perceived the fnare, and, on the question, rejected the propofal. The Excife has ever fince been confined to Traders and Victuallers. Sir Robert Walpole's extenfion of it to the Cuftoms, was opposed as a precedent that might bring it to private houses. Robert propofed, as a remedy, to regulate the powers of Excife, by an appeal; but this did not fatisfy, and having confefs'd the grievance by propofing a remedy (the oppofite party too being ftrong) he was forced to drop it; and thus it continued till the prefent scheme. This was first brought in as a scheme of fupply, without extending the Excise, confining the duty, which was much heavier than what was afterwards fixed by the act, to the Victualler. This the country gentlemen did not relish, and the court feeming to to attend to them, changed the mode, extended the Excife to private houses, and lowered the duty The country gentlemen seeing the tax lowered, feemed not to regard the power of the Excife, till they felt it, and then in vain, or not in earnest, opposed it. One thing, however, must be acknowledged, that the bill was hurried through both houses with such remarkable and fingular dispatch, that there was not time for the fufferers to petition and remon→ strate against it. But the city of London immediately met in the Guildhall, and with a spirit of liberty deserving the higheft commendations, unanimoufly determined to present petitions to the three branches of the legislature, against a bill which they could not but confider as an invasion of the natural rights and privileges of their fellow fubjects. The pro *The original plan, was ten fhillings on the retailer, then on the first buyer, and next four fhillings on the grower; and this laft was only pitched upon after the bill had half paffed the houfe, having gone thro' the committee. ceedings of the city the reader will fee in the note*. In the House of Commons the bill was fharply contested, and there were no lefs than fix divifions upon it. However, all proved ineffectual. The bill was fent up to the Lords. The day of the second reading, the petition from the city of London was prefented *At a Court of Common Council, held in Guildhall on Tuesday the 22d of March, 1763, the following reprefentation of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the city of London, to their Reprefentatives, in relation to the original bill for laying an Excife on Cyder, &c. was agreed to. "THIS court cannot forbear expreffing to you their surprise at the precipitate progrefs which has been made in a new attempt towards a General Excife. "The extenfion of Excife laws into private houses, whereby the fubject is made liable to a frequent and arbitrary vifitation of officers, and the judicial determination of commiffioners removable at pleasure, is inconfiftent with thofe principles of liberty, which have hitherto diftinguished this nation from arbitrary governments. "An attack upon the liberty of the subject, made fo immediately after a glorious and fuccefsful war, and at a time when we had juft reafon to expect to enjoy the bleffings of peace, demands your ferious attention. "And this court doth remark, that whatever may be the neceffity of the times, the fmallness of the fum indicates that cannot be the only motive to fo extraordinary a measure.. << For presented against it by Lord TEMPLE. At the fame time the Favourite was told, by his friend Sir JOHN PHILLIPS, who faid he had been informed by Sir RICHARD GLYNN, that there was another petition ready "For these reasons, this court doth most earnestly recommend your conftant attendance in parliament, and utmost endeavours to oppose every enlargement, and extenfion of the powers of Excife, and that you do not conceal from the public any fuch attempt, nor fuffer yourselves to be amufed by any plaufible alteration in the bill, fubjecting the makers of cyder and perry to Excise laws." After which, a motion was made, and the queftion put, That it is the opinion of this court, that a petition be prepared to the honourable House of Commons, against fo much of a bill now depending in that honourable Houfe, for granting to his Majefty an additional duty on wine, cyder and perry, as relates to the fubjecting the makers of cyder and perry to the Excife laws. The fame was unanimously refolved in the affirmative. Whereupon this court doth nominate and appoint ALDER MEN, Sir Thomas Rawlinson, Sir John Cartwright, Samuel Turner, Efq; COMMONERS, Mr. Deputy Francis Ellis, To be a committee to prepare, the faid petition, who having withdrawn, returned, and presenting a draught H 3 of |