eceipts at over L1,800,000 and the peace expenditure at about
L1,100,000. Parliament accepted the view that L1,200,000 per annum would
suffice for the ordinary requirements of the kingdom. It, further,
introduced the system of the Civil List (q.v.) and assigned L600,000 for
the fixed payments placed under that head, leaving the remainder to be
appropriated for the other needs of the state. As the "hearth money" had
proved to be a very unpopular charge, it was, in spite of its yield
(L170,000), given up. The temporary excise duties were voted for "their
majesties' lives" and the customs for a limited term. These branches of
revenue were altogether insufficient to meet the pressure of the war
outlay, and in consequence new heads of taxation--or old ones
revived--came into use. A series of poll and capitation taxes were
imposed between 1689 and 1698, but were after that date abandoned for
the same reason as that for the repeal of the hearth money. The monthly
assessment was tried in 1688; then came an income tax followed by
"twelve months'" assessments in 1690 and 1691. The way was thus prepared
for the property tax of 1692, imposing a rate of 4s. in the pound on
real estate, offices and personal property. The old difficulties of
securing returns made the tax chiefly one on land. It was under the name
of "the land tax" that it was generally known. The 4s. rate brought in
L1,922,712, a return which declined in the following years. To meet this
a fixed quota of nearly half a million (a 1s. rate) was adopted in 1697,
the amount to be apportioned in specified sums to the several counties
and towns. The framework of the tax remained without substantial change
till 1798, the time of Pitt's redemption scheme. In 1696 houses were
taxed 2s. each, with higher rates for extra windows. The beginning of
the "window tax," licences on pedlars, and a temporary tax on the stocks
of companies complete the imposts of this kind. Stamp duties--imitated
from Holland--were adopted in 1694 and extended in 1698: they mark the
beginnings of the modern duties on transactions and the "death duties."
Large additions were made to the excise. Breweries and distilleries were
placed under charge, and such important commodities as salt, coal, malt,
leather and glass were included in the list of taxable articles, but the
two last mentioned were soon relieved for the time. The customs rates
were also increased. In 1698 the general 5% duty was raised by the new