Page:PettyWilliam1899EconomicWritingsVol2.djvu/284

Rh We said that the Excise of Beer and Ale is shrunk at Dublin $1/6$ of the whole, or 947l. in the Midsummer Quarter of this Year 1687, and more in other Places. Now whereas it is commonly said, That the Cause thereof is, That the Army are all almost Irish, and that the Irish drink little Exciseable Drink, contenting themselves with Milk, Whey, &c.

To this I answer, that the $1/6$ of Excise upon Ale and Beer And Ale Licenses is near 15000l. per Annum; that the Pay of the whole Army is about 204000l. per Annum. That the Soldiers (many of whom have Families) cannot spend $1/10$ of their Pay in Drink, and find themselves with other Necessaries of Meat, Cloths, horses, Arms, &c. out of the rest. That is to say they cannot afford above 20000l. for drink the Excise whereof is about $1/8$ of the same or 2500l., or which is but $1/6$ of 15000l., which was $1/6$ of the Whole. We may say That if all the Irish of the Army drink onely Water, the King's Revenue of Excise would scarce fall $1/10$ for that Reason, nor above $1/60$ Part of the Whole 90000l. as aforesaid.

Another Argument for the Impoverishment of the Inhabitants of Dublin, at least for the Lessening their Expence, is the Consumption of Coals their General and Uniform Fuel, which may therefore be a Measure of all other Expence. Now it appears that in the Years 1683 and 1684, that Expence was near alike, but in the Year 1685 (when Fear first seizd the said Inhabitants, who, as appears by the Registred Baptisms, were most Protestants) it shrunk $1/10$ Part; and in the Year 1686 another $1/10$ Part; in all $1/5$. Which answers the Shrinking of the Customs $1/4$ and of the Excise $1/6$.

The Expence of Coals or Fuel at Dublin.