Lot 113

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Description:

Parliament Passes One of the Townshend Acts to Rescue the East India Company, Ex-Forbes

GEORGE III, “An Act for taking off the Inland Duty of One Shilling per Pound Weight upon all Black and Singlo Teas consumed in Great Britain; and for granting a Drawback upon the Exportation of Teas to Ireland, and the British Dominions in America, for a limited Time, upon such Indemnification to be made in respect thereof by the East India Company, as is therein mentioned; for permitting the Exportation of teas in smaller Quantities than One Lot to Ireland, or the said Dominions in America; and for preventing Teas seized and condemned from being consumed in Great Britain,” [June 29, 1767]. Printed Document. 10 pp., cover page plus pages 863-870, 7.5" x 11.875". Residue from disbinding on left edge; 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.

The American colonies were one of the largest consumers of tea from the British East India Company, but the company was losing profits to smuggled Dutch tea, and the British government was losing revenue. This act reduced taxes on the British East India Company when it imported tea into England. This provision allowed them to export the tea to the colonies more cheaply and resell it to the colonists at a price that undercut smuggled Dutch tea. The new taxes and enforcement measures increased clashes with smuggling colonists that 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Parliament eventually repealed the Townshend Acts, except for the tax on tea, which outraged the colonists even more. Their response was to dump a ship’s cargo of tea into Boston Harbor in the “Boston Tea Party.” Parliament responded by passing the Coercive Acts that closed Boston Harbor and took over the government of Massachusetts. The Townshend Acts were among the primary points of dispute between Great Britain and the colonists that led to the American Revolutionary War.

Excerpts:

“for and during the space of five years, to be computed from the fifth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven, the said inland duty of one shilling per poundweight upon teas shall not be paid for or in respect of any bohea, congo, souchong, or pekoe teas, commonly called black teas, or any teas known by the denomination of singlo teas, which shall be cleared for consumption within Great Britain, out of the warehouses of the united company of merchants of England trading to the East Indies, or their successors; but that all such teas so to be cleared, whether the same have been already, or shall be hereafter, sold by the said company, or their successors, shall be and are hereby freed and discharged during the said term from the said inland duty.”

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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