An Answer to a Proposal for Laying a Duty upon HATS.  
Humbly submitted to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons.  
WHereas there is a Proposal presented to this Honourable House for the raising of above 200000 l. per Annum, by an Imposition on Hats, which Sum the Proposer pretends may be raised by the Duty following, ( viz.)   s.   s.   s. d. That a Hat under 0.5     pay 00 03 That a Hat of 05 and under 10 pay 00 06 That a Hat of 10 and under 20 pay 01 00 That a Hat of 20 and under 30 pay 02 00 That a Hat of 30 and under 40 pay 03 00 That a Hat of 40 and under 50 pay 04 00 That a Hat of 50 and under 60 pay 05 00 That a Hat of 60 and under 70 pay 06 00  
And the Proposer allows that ¾ of the said Duty would be raised upon Hats made in and about London.— Of all Projectors this Gentleman is the most grossly mistaken in his Calculate: For it's ready to be proved before this Honourable House, That there are not Five hundred and twenty Journey-men and Apprentices employed( in the Hat-making Trade) within the Bills of Mortality; and of the several prized Hats above specified, there are not made within the above Limits above the several Numbers following, ( viz.)   s. d.   Hats.   Men. Of the Hats to pay 00 03 every Week 443. These employ 37 Of the Hats to pay 00 06 every Week 1834. These employ 183 Of the Hats to pay 01 00 every Week 1532. These employ 255 Of Beavers of all sorts, which one with another will not pay per Hat, above 4 00 every Week 266 These employ 044 So that there are not made every Week one with another, above 4075 And these do employ 519  
By which it appears, That the Number of Hats made within the Bills of Mortality, would( according to the above Tax) not amount to above   181 l. 05 s. 09 d. per Week. Which is 9526 l. 19 s.   per Annum.  
Out of which being deducted at least 2500 l. for the Drawback, there will not remain above 7026 l. 19 s. per Annum, of this Duty, arising within the Bills of Mortality: And the Duty within those Limits being allowed by the Proposer to be ¾ of the Duty, the Whole within the Kingdom would not amount to above 9369 l. 05 s. 04 d. per Annum.— The mistaken Gentleman that proposed this Duty, was very positive there was made 15000 Hats a day in and about London: But it's ready to be proved before this Honourable House, there are not 680 made per diem, within the Bills of Mortality.  
There are not made( within the Bills of Mortality) the Twentieth p●… t of that Number of Hats which this mis-inform'd Gentleman supposed; neither would the Duty amount to the Twentieth part of the Sum thereby pretended to be raised; out of which being deducted the Charge of Collecting, the Remainder would be inconsiderable.— But the Prejudice the public would suffer by this Imposition, would be very Considerable: For the Felt-making Trade is our own Manufacture, and of late much declined; and by such an Imposition would be much more discouraged, and our Conny-Wool( employed in this Manufacture) would then bear no Price.  
It's pretended by the Proposer, That good Security will be given for the Farming it at 100000 l. per Annum.  
Answ. If any upon good Security should become Farmers upon those Terms, the Government might One Year possibly raise 100000 l. by the Ruin of such Security. But that would not be for the Interest of the public, nor tend much to the Advancement of either the Interest or Reputation of this mis-inform'd Proposer.