PROPOSALS, showing How a Duty on SUGARS, Imposed by an Act Expiring in June next, may be Continued, and made no burden to the Plantations.  
IF the Act Imposing a Duty on Sugars goes off the Twenty fourth of June next, which unless revived this Session it will, a considerable Part of the Revenue will fall off; and since the Cause of it proceeds from a tender Regard to the Plantations; It's Humbly Proposed,  
That the two Shillings four Pence per Cent. Impost Duty, on Muscovado or Brown Sugars, be permitted to go off only.  
By the Remove of this two Shillings four Pence Duty, all the Plantations who Import Muscovado Sugars, will be eased, and they are Jamaica, Nevis, Antego, Monserat, St. Christophers and Berbadoes, these being all the Sugar Islands we have, and who Import Muscovado Sugars only, being the first Product, Barbadoes only excepted, who Import about a fourth part of the Sugar of that one iceland Purged or Clayed.  
This Ease being given to our Plantations where the Duty is only a burden, and the foreign Buyer hereby deprived of 2 s. 4 d. Draw-back, which hath been a very great Motive to them to Export Muscovado Sugars on foreign Bottoms to be Manufactured out of the Kingdom.  
The Duty on all White Sugar, and Sugar fit for use, continued as now it stands, will Preserve a Revenue to the King, and not lessen the quantities of Clayed Sugars imported: For, as it always hath been at the Choice of the Clayers whether they Import their Sugars in Muscovado or Clayed, yet have they hitherto Imported Clayed, notwithstanding this Duty was upon it.  
But it may be Objected, 
 That the Duty of two Shillings four Pence being removed, and this Duty continued, will Induce them to Import their Sugars in Muscovado: It is Answered,  
This were to be Wished rather than its Hoped, for the Plantations and the Kingdom in its Trade and Navigation would fare the Better for it.  
But if it can be supposed that the Quantity of Clayed Sugars in its Importations will be hereby abated, the Revenue will suffer little by it, since the Imports of Muscovado Sugars in its Quantitities will be so Augmented thereby, that the lesser Duty on that will amount to near, if not altogether as much as the greater on the Clayed.  
But if the Act Expires the Twenty Fourth of ●une next, and goes entirely off, The Second and Third sorts of Clayed( termed) Sugars, fit for Use, and which many times sells for double the Price of Muscovado, will be Imported at the same Duty as Muscovado: No Notice being taken of those sorts in the Book of Rates, there being none Imported when it was made.  
This will put the Clayer upon Importing those sorts only, avoiding thereby the Duty of White, which is Five Shillings, by making them a little inferior, and so the King will have but one Duty upon all sorts of Sugars, Claying of Sugar greatly lessening the Quantities, and consequently the Duty; and which is a greater Mischief, the Navigation.  
That the Gentlemen Interested in Claying of Sugars are but few in Number, tho' a fourth part of Barbadoes in their Hands, and have great Estates, some of them not so little as three Thousand Pounds per Annum, all Charges paid; and it seems Just and Equal they should continue the Duty( Contentedly) towards the Charge of the War, since this War is made much more Expensive, by Maintaining many Men of War, Winter and Summer, to Protect and Preserve their great Estates, as well as the rest of the Islands.  
It will look very severe that the Nation should be Taxed to supply this Revenue going off, when these Gentlemen in a very Profitable Trade shall be Excused, being so well able that there are but very few Claying Planters in Barbadoes but keep their Coaches, and very many keep Coaches and six Horses, and live in as great splendour, and have as great Attendance in Livery, as many Noble Men in the Kingdom.  
This is not mentioned from any Envy to their Greatness, may they be as Great as their Hearts can desire, so it be not to make the Interest of the Nation in its Trade, Navigation and Plantations, very little and poor.  
And as it is of absolute Necessity that a physician must know where the Diseased Part lies e're he can adapt a Remedy, so in this Political Body or Interest it's necessary to Point to the aggrieved Part and the sound also, least the Remedy be misapplied. To Conclude, the Muscovado Importers stand in the Interest of the Nation, and with submission ought to be Preserved and Cherished, and they cannot be better Provided for than by Encouraging the Refining of Sugars in the Kingdom, for thereby are their Buyers multiplied, and that makes a good Market for them; and without this it would be very hard that they should be enjoined, as by the Act of Navigation they are, to bring their Sugars to England, and yet to have no Demand there for them, but what the foreign Buyer makes for Exportation.   

LONDON, Printed by J. Astwood. 1693.