King: and as this would
be inconvenient for him to do before he has sold his tobacco, he is
permitted, on arrival, to deposite it in the King's warehouse, under the
locks of the King's officer. As soon as he has sold it, he goes with the
purchaser to the warehouse; the money is there divided between the
King and him, to each his proportion, and the purchaser takes out the
tobacco. The payment of the King's duty is thus ensured in ready money.
What is the expense of its collection, I cannot say; but it certainly
need not exceed six livres a hogshead of one thousand pounds. That
government levies a higher duty on tobacco than is levied here. Yet
so tempting and so valuable is the perfect liberty of sale, that the
merchant carries it there and finds his account in doing so.

If, by a simplification of the collection of the King's duty on tobacco,
the cost of that collection can be reduced even to five per cent., or
a million and a half, instead of twenty-five millions; the price to the
consumer will be reduced from three to two livres the pound. For thus I
calculate.

The cost, manufacture, and revenue, on twenty-four million pounds

of tobacco being (as before stated)................46,800,000 livres.

Five per cent, on thirty millions of livres,

expenses of collection .............................1,500,000

Give what the consumers would pay, being

about two livres a pound...........................48,300,000

But they pay at present three livres a pound...... 72,000,000

The difference is..................................23,700,000

The price being thus reduced one third, would be brought within the
reach of a new and numerous circle of the people, who cannot, at
present, afford themselves this luxury. The consumption, then, would
probably increase, and perhaps in the same if not a greater proportion,
with the reduction of the price; that is to say, from twenty-four to
thirty-sis millions of pounds: and the King, continuing to receive
twenty-five sous on the pound, as at present, would receive forty-fire
instead of thirty millions of livres, while his subjects would pay but
two livres for an object which has heretofore cost them three. Or if,
in event, the consumption were not to be increased, he would levy only
forty-eight millions on his people, where seventy-two millions are now
levied, and would leave twenty-four millions in their pockets, either
to remain there, or to be levied in some other form, should