Dear Sir
The great Zeal you have shewn for
the Improvement of ye Revenue, emboldened me
some time ago to ask
you some Questions in relation to one Branch of it
tho not immediately within your Department: I mean
ye Stamp Duty, which unless unforeseen Objections
occur
will probably be extended next year to
America. There
has not yet been time for me to receive your Answer
& your Permission to write to you upon ye Subject:
but
I cannot help preserving on your goodness, so far as
to address to you some further Enquiries in relation to it,
the Answer to which you may be afraid I shall keep
very private & shall esteem myself greatly obliged
to you for: I know there has been a Stamp Act in
your Colony: I should be glad to know what was its
product & on what Articles it chiefly produced? What
Difficulties have occur'd in executing it? What
objections may be made to it: & what additional
provisions must be made to those in force here?
The greatest Difficulty will be to ascertain the
law proceedings that ought to be stampt. I should
be much obliged to you if you could procure me the
Names of your several Courts & of ye respective
Instruments & Proceedings using therein which any
lawyers of your Acquaintance can readily furnish
you with. Have you any fines & recoveries? Have
you any inferior Courts that hold plea to a certain
sum only? What Appeals have you from one Court
to another? & are your Writs ye same as are mention'd
in our Stamp Acts? It will be a principal object of
attention here to make this Tax as little burthensome
as possible, but for this purpose it will be necessary
to know whether ye same Duties as are imposed in
England on Obligations, Instruments of Conveyance &
Indentures of Apprenticeship would be too heavy on
the Colonies? Which of ye English Duties will be
burthensome? which should be omitted? & which
lightened & why? I should also be glad to be informed
whether you ause Stampt cards & Dice; how many
Newspapers are circulated in ye provinces & what
may reaonably be expected to be ye produce of a Stamp Act
should the Duty be laid at an Average in any given
proportion to that imposed in England? I am ashamed
to trouble you with so many Questions, but ye
Importance of ye subject will I hope prevent their
being thought impertinent, your
old acquaintance excuse the Liberty
I have taken. you will be glad
after so much Business to hear
that our friend Webb is made a Welch Judge, which
is a place for life of £ 700 P ann. Coll Clarke who
has been in Spain & France since ye War, called
on me yesterday, just ye same man & injust the
same Spirits he ever was . Your other Acquaintance
whom I have ye pleasure to know are all well
Ever Yours
Treasury Chambers
14th. Augst 1764
To
John Temple Esqr
Surveyor Genl of ye
Customs
at Boston
Massachusets Bay
Thos. Whateleys Letter
14 Augt. 1764
No. 2