Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 2 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present dayLanaghan, Mrs.
History
Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 2 (of 2): A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day
Lanaghan, Mrs.
Antigua -- Description and travel; Antigua -- History
The amount expended for the military defence of this country,
sustained by the colony exclusively, not under the control of the
ordnance department, amounts to near 2500l. sterling; and that
incurred by Great Britain in this time of peace is sometimes over
24,000l. sterling. Some years it may be 1000l. or so under, and
particularly now the island has no militia, as it ceased to exist
in July, 1838, by order of her Majesty in council.
Revenue.—The comparatively yearly revenue may be estimated at
about 19,000l. sterling. The expenditure is generally more, which
is raised by ¼d. assessed upon all lands; 1d. on every 100 lbs.
of sugar; 3d. on every 100 gallons of rum and molasses; a
street-tax, and a per centage upon all dwelling-houses or
merchant-warehouses, according to the exigencies of the case;
also a cistern-tax upon all dwelling-houses of the annual rent of
60l., not having a cistern on or belonging thereto; (while this
is a very necessary precaution in cases of fire, it brings in a
very good revenue;) an import duty imposed by the British
parliament on all American importations, (part of this only is
paid into the island treasury, as a per centage is first detained
by the collector of her Majesty’s customs for defraying the
expenses of officers’ salaries; however, the surplus paid into
the treasury may be computed at 9000l. currency annually, but has
at times amounted to 16,000l.;) also another import duty, levied
by our colonial legislature on all goods imported not coming
under the act of the imperial parliament, but such as upon all
British or other articles of foreign manufacture may not be
considered dutyable, in that case, 2l. 10s. upon every 100l. is
paid; also an annual sum is paid by every retailer of spirituous
liquors, wines, and beer; and a customs duty on wine imported,
(except it be brought from Madeira and the Western Islands.
Amount of Export in the Year 1770.
£. s. d.
To Great Britain 430,210 0 0
To North America, United States, and the
West India Islands 35,806 17 6
£466,016 17 6
Amount of Export, in the Year 1787.
To Great Britain, North America, the West
India Islands, United States, and Foreign
Ports, consisted of 284,526 casks of
sugar, 716,545 gallons of rum, 5910
gallons of molasses, 160,510 pounds of
cotton, 4l. sterling worth of dyeing
woods, and 48,000l. worth of other
miscellaneous articles, which together
amounted to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £592,596 9 0
Shipping Inwards, 1831.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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