Great Britain. Laws & Statutes (George III)

62 pages, written in several cursive hands in black and brown ink, legal folio (12 3/4 x 8 in.; 324 x 203 mm), [London, 1764], with some contemporary underlining, interlinear and marginal corrections in ink, stitched with pink silk ribbon; some light marginal soiling, small edge tear in first leaf touching one word.

some light marginal soiling, small edge tear in first leaf touching one word.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Working draft manuscript of the Sugar Act, probably owned by one of the Commissioners of Customs who drafted the Act.

A modified version of the Molasses Act (1733), the Sugar Act (1764) was intended to help defray the national debt incurred by the French and Indian War, by reducing the rate of tax on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon, and establishing measures to actually enforce the duty. The act also listed more foreign goods to be taxed including sugar, certain wines, coffee, pimiento, cambric and printed calico, and further, regulated the export of lumber and iron. The enforced tax on molasses caused the almost immediate decline in the rum industry in the colonies. The combined effect of the new duties was to sharply reduce the trade with Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and the French West Indies (Guadelupe, Martinique and Santo Domingo), all important destination ports for lumber, flour, cheese, and assorted farm products. The situation disrupted the colonial economy by reducing the markets to which the colonies could sell, and the amount of currency available to them for the purchase of British manufactured goods.

The present draft contains several significant differences from the printed act passed on 5 April 1764: it does not include clauses XXII, XXXVI and XXXIX which appeared in the final version; American territorial waters are defined in this draft as 3 leagues while the final version read as 2 leagues (XXXIII, p. 47); clause XXXIV is largely rewritten; there are many blanks left in the text for penalties and dates of implementation of the act.