THE WEALTH OF NATIONS.

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Besides the forfeiture of the goods, the exporter incurs thepenalty of three shillings for every pound weight of wooleither exported or attempted to be exported, that is aboutfour or five times the value. Any merchant or other personconvicted of this offence is disabled from requiring any debtor account belonging to him from any factor or other person.Let his fortune be what it will, whether he is or is not ableto pay those heavy penalties, the law means to ruin him com-pletely. But as the morals of the great body of the peopleare not yet so corrupt as those of the contrivers of this sta-tute, I have not heard that any advantage has ever been takenof this clause. If the person convicted of this offence is notable to pay the penalties within three months after judgment,he is to be transported for seven years, and if he returns be-fore the expiration of that term, he is liable to the pains offelony, without benefit of the clergy. The owner of the shipknowing this offence forfeits all his interest in the ship andfurniture. The master and mariners knowing this offenceforfeit all their goods and chattels, and sutler three months’imprisonment. By a subsequent statute the master sufferssix months’ imprisonment.

In order to prevent exportation, the whole inland commerceof wool is laid under very burdensome and oppressive restric-tions. It cannot be packed in any box, barrel, cask, case, chest,or any other package, but only in packs of leather or pack-cloth, on which must be marked on the outside the words woolor yarn, in large letters not less than three inches long, onpain of forfeiting the same and the package, and three shil-lings lor every pound weight, to be paid by the owner orpacker. It cannot be louden on any horse or cart, or carriedby land within five miles of the coast, but between sun-risino-and sun-setting on pain of forfeiting the same, the horses andcarriages. The hundred next adjoining to the sea-coast, outof or through which the wool is carried or exported, forfeitstwenty pounds, if the wool is under the value of ten pounds;and it of greater value, then treble that value, together withtreble costs, to be sued for within the year. The executionto be against any two of the inhabitants, whom the sessions•oust reimburse, by an assessment on the other inhabitants,as in the cases of robbery. And if any person compoundsw ‘th the hundred for less than this penalty, he is to be impri-soned for five years; and any other person may prosecute.Ihese regulations take place through the whole kingdom.