T 1/445/214 - Guernsey - Taubman involved

Proposals for regulating the trade of Guernsey and the adjacent Isles.

Humbly Submitted

Guernsey and the adjacent Islands (in like manner as the Isle of Man before the purchase thereof) under the Sanction of ancient privileges cover an illict Trade highly prejudicial to his Majesty's Revenue. It would be superfluous to enter into a detail of this Trade, as it is precisely the same with the late illicit Trade of the Isle of Man, only greatly augmented since the sale of that Island, and especially as I have given a particular Account of it in a Letter Dated 30th October last to be laid before the Honble the Lords of the Treasury. At present therefore I shall only touch upon an Article omitted in that Letter, vit the Importation of Rum from the Danish Islands in the West Indies.

By an Ordnance subsisting in Denmark the Quantity of Rum to be Imported from their Sugar Islands is limited, and no Vessel is allowed to bring home more than one third of her Cargo in that Commodity; The reasonof this probably is, to lay the Inhabitants of those Islands under the necessity of exchanging the Remainder of their Rum for provisions. Accordingly the whole of this Rum formerly was carried to our Colonies in North America in Return for provisions and Lumber; till the late War, when the Traders of the Isle of Man fell upon the means of Importing it here for the purpose of Smugling in return for provisions sent from Ireland. Since the purchase of this Island certain Manks Smugglers continue in like manner to Import this Danish Rum into Guernsey.

There is a Vessel at present bound from the Isle of Man to Santa Cruz upon this Trade and one Taubman a capital Smuggler in this Island lately commissioned 20,000 Barrels of Beef to be made up in Cork in order to be sent to Santa Cruz, whence he has already imported into Guernsey two Cargos of Rum and proposes soon to land many others, having stationed one Parr, a notorious Smuggler as his Agent there.

It is likewise confidently asserted that Rum the produce of these Danish Islands is lately permitted to be Landed at Berghen in Norway free of Duties under Bond given its Exportation in a limited time, whence the Smuglers can easily convey it into the North of Scotland and Ireland.

This Trade as before observed is pernicious in various respects in depriving the North Americans of a cheap and profitable return for the produce of their Lands. In raising the price of provisions in Ireland, especially when liberty being granted to Import them into England great care ought to be taken to keep them as low as possible.

To attempt to lay any Restrictions upon the Exportation of provisions from Ireland with a view of suppressing this Trade would no doubt meet with great opposition and probably not answer the purpose. The only practicable method therefore that offers, besides excluding all foreign Rum to be Imported into Guernsey or any of his Majesty's Dominions in Europe, is that recommended in proposals Dated the 20th instant, for suppressing the present illicit Trade from Foreign parts, by prohibiting Vessels the property of his Majesty's subjects to carry spirits in small Casks. If by this means the smugling of foreign spirits could be checked, the destructive Trade in question would cease and the Inhabitants of the Danish Sugar Islands traffick as formerly with North America.

It is evident that to allow Guernsey and the adjacent Isles the privilege of Importing at large all Foreign Commodities is attended with most pernicious consequences to his Majesty's Revenue, nor is it in shape necessary to the welfare and Happiness of the Inhabitants. What more can be desired for people in such a Situation, free from internal Taxes, than [that] they should have the necessaries and conveniences of Life plentiful and cheap, follow agriculture, Fisheries and Manufactories and have the Market of Great Britain free and open for the produce of their Land and Labour, agreeable to this Idea I would propose the following Regulations with respect to the Trade of Guernsey &c.

... [section omitted]

Upon the whole, tho the Expulsion of the illicit Traders from Guernsey &c may not entirely extinguish smuggling it nevertheless lays it under still greater difficulties. for it is certainly more inconvenient on many Accounts to smuggle from a Foerign port, than to have a free port or Magazine for that purpose within his Majesty's Dominions.

Humbly Submitted
Chas Lutwidge recr & Surv Gwnl of the Isle of Man

Douglas Isle of Man 24th Novemr 1766

Notes

See also Taubman's plan to use the Danish Faroe Islands