ported from, the- Cape of Good Hope, except as fea-ftores,
but by the Eail India Company, or by their licence.
The export duties vary according, to the nature of the articles,
but,, on a general average,, they amount to about 5 per
cent.,qn commodities,, the growth andproduce of the Cape.
8. The port fees, or wharfage and harbour money, were
formerly levied at a fixed fum on all ihips dropping anchor at
the Cape, whether they were large or, fmallj but were afterwards,
altered to fixpence per ton upon their, registered tonnage.
9. The poflage of letters was a. fmall charge made-on the
delivery of letters at the poft office, more with a view to prevent
improper correfpondence during the war, than to, raife a revenue,
which, indeed, amounted to .a mere trifle.
10. Seizures, fines, and penalties. The law; refpe<aing fmug-
gling is very rigid at the Cape of Good Hope. Not only the
aftual Shipping or landing of contraband goods is punifhable,
but the attempt to do it,, if proved, is equally l iableand the
penalty is confiscation of the; goods, when found, together
with a muldt amounting to three times- their value.; or, if not
found, on Sufficient evidence being produced, the. delinquent is
liable to forfeit four tiines their value. The cafe I- alluded, to in.
the Second chapter, where the Court, of Juftice was. Severely-
cenfured, was an attempt xo fmugglemoney out o f the colony;
and. the penalty was. levied upon the Sum.that-it;appeared, on.
evidence,' the „captain, of; the ihip. had,, at one- time,, brought'
clandandeftinely
on'board for that purpofe; as it was prefumed
that the intention Was to convey it out of, though he afterwards
difpofed of it in, the colony. The fentence of the court was.
reverfed in the Court of -Appeals, and the money ordered to be
reftored; but the captain, not Satisfied with the deeifion of the
Court of Appeals, without recovering, at the fame time, large
damages, intends to bring his action before a Britiffi Court in
England.
Of all Seizures and confiscations, and penalties for misdemeanors,
the Fifcal receives one-third of thh amount, the informer
or profecutor orie-third, and the other third, which was formerly
the lhare df the Governor, was/direfired by Lord Ma>-
cartney to be always paid into the Government Treafury in aid
'of the revenue.
11. The licences granted For the retailing of wine, beer, and
Spirituous liquors, are Tafrhed Out in ldtfc to the Tiigheft bidders-
and they produce a very con'fidetable fum to Government, proportioned,
however, to the ftrength of the garrifon, the foldiers
being their beft Cuftomerti Sir James Craig, wiffiing to difedur-
age, as much aVpoffible, all mOnopolies^ propofed to divide the
retailing Of wine among 32 perfons, but fifteen only were found
to take them out; and thefe the following year refufmg to renew,
it became necefiary to recur to the old method, to prevorrt
the revenue from fuffering, as well as the diforders that might
be fuppdfed to arife from an unreftrained liberty of Sale. It
Was, however, fouhd difficult to get any one after thite to undertake
the farm on the moft moderate terms. Such is often'the
efiedt