Lot 114

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Description:

Parliament Passes One of the Townshend Acts to Enforce the Collection of Customs, Ex-Forbes

GEORGE III, “An Act to enable His Majesty to put the Customs, and other Duties, in the British Dominions in America, and the Execution of the Laws relating to Trade there, under the Management of Commissioners to be appointed for that Purpose, and to be resident in the said Dominions,” [June 29, 1767]. Printed Document. 6 pp., cover page plus pages 563-566, 7.5" x 11.875". Residue from disbinding on left edge; small edge tear; very good.

This act was one of the five Townshend Acts that placed new taxes on various items imported into Great Britain’s North American colonies and created a new system of enforcement. Passed under the leadership of Charles Townshend, the chancellor of the Exchequer, the acts were meant to raise revenue and consolidate Parliament’s power over the British colonies in America. This act authorized the King to create a new five-member Customs Board for the North American colonies based in Boston. Because a board in England had overseen the collection of the customs, smuggling was rampant and enforcement was sporadic. The new board increased enforcement, and clashes with smuggling colonists led to the occupation of Boston by British troops. This occupation in turn led to the Boston Massacre. Parliament eventually repealed the Townshend Acts, except for the tax on tea, but the acts were a primary point of dispute between Great Britain and the colonists that led to the American Revolutionary War.

Excerpt:

“whereas the appointing of commissioners to be resident in some convenient part of his Majesty’s dominions in America, and to be invested with such powers as are now exercised by the commissioners of the customs in England by virtue of the laws in being, would relieve the said merchants and traders from the said inconveniences, tend to the encouragement of commerce and to the better securing of the said rates and duties, by the more speedy and effectual collection thereof; be it therefore enacted by the King’s most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same, that the customs and other duties imposed by any act or acts of Parliament upon any goods or merchandises brought or imported into, or exported or carried from any British colony or plantation in America, may from time to time be put under the management and direction of such commissioners to reside in the said plantations....”

Provenance: Ex-Forbes Collection. Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), the American owner-publisher of Forbes magazine and a consummate collector, amassed one of the most substantial autograph collections of such breadth and depth that it filled a half-dozen residences on three continents. Many of his manuscripts were sold in a series of multi-million dollar sales by Christie's in the early 2000s. The Forbes name is considered to be the apex of provenance, especially when attached to an item like the above. We are honored to have been chosen by the family to sell at auction the substantial balance of the collection.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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January 6, 2021 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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