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one shilling on the hundred weight of tanned leather, weigh-ing one hundred and twelve pounds. They have obtainedlikewise the drawback of two-thirds of the excise duties im-posed upon their commodity, even when exported withoutfurther manufacture. All manufactures of leather may beexported duty free; and the exporter is besides entitled tothe drawback of the whole duties of excise. Our graziersstill continue subject to the old monopoly. Graziers, sepa-rated from one another, and dispersed through all the differentcorners of the country, cannot, without great difficulty, com-bine together for the purpose either of imposing monopoliesupon their fellow-citizens, or of exempting themselves fromsuch as may have been imposed upon them by other people.Manufacturers of all kinds, collected together in numerousbodies in all great cities, easily can. Even the horns ofcattle are prohibited to be exported ; and the two insignificanttrades of the horner and comb-maker enjoy, in this respect,a monopoly against the graziers.
Restraints, either by prohibitions or by taxes, upon theexportation of goods which are partially, but not completelymanufactured, arc not peculiar to the manufacture of leather.As long as any thing remains to be done, in order to lit anycommodity for immediate use and consumption, our manu-facturers think that they themselves ought to have the doingof it. Woollen yarn aud worsted are prohibited to be ex-ported under the same penalties as wool. Even white clothsare subject to a duty upon exportation, and our dyers haveso far obtained a monopoly against our clothiers. Ourclothiers would probably have been able to defend themselvesagainst it, but it. happens that the greater part of our prin-cipal clothiers are themselves likewise dyers. Watch-cases,clock-cases, and dial-plates for clocks and watches, have beenprohibited to be exported. Our clock-makers and watch-makers are, it seems, unwilling that the price of this sort ofworkmanship should be raised upon them by the competitionof foreigners.
By some old statutes of Edward HI., Henry VIII. , andEdward VI. , the exportation of all metals was prohibited.Lead and tin were alone excepted ; probably on account ofthe great abundance of those metals; in the exportation ofw hich, a considerable part of the trade of the kingdom inthose days consisted. For die encouragement of the miningtrade, the 5th of William and Mary , chap. 17. exempted