New Impositions
Encyclopedia
The Crown traditionally exercised the right to impose import duties for the regulation of trade and the protection of domestic industry. New impositions of this kind were imposed by Elizabeth I on currants and tobacco (1601) and extended by King James I
to most imports (1608) after a favourable ruling in Bates' Case
(1606). John Bates was a merchant from the Levant Company
who refused to pay the import duty on currants, this was taken to the Court of the Exchequer, he lost and so impositions were extended giving the treasury a "windfall".
In the face of Parliament
's angry protests in 1610, the tax was amended to ensure that the greatest impact fell on foreign merchants.
Impositions were among the prerogative
rights that King James I was to give up under the Great Contract
of 1610, as drawn up by Lord Treasurer Robert Cecil
, then Lord Salisbury, in return for an immediate sum to pay off Royal debt and an annual subsidy that would greatly increase income. However negotiations fell through; mainly because both sides kept changing what they wanted out of the Contract.
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
to most imports (1608) after a favourable ruling in Bates' Case
Bates' Case
Bates's Case was an important English legal case in the Court of the Exchequer in 1606. The case is sometimes cited as the Case of Impositions....
(1606). John Bates was a merchant from the Levant Company
Levant Company
The Levant Company, or Turkey Company, was an English chartered company formed in 1581, to regulate English trade with Turkey and the Levant...
who refused to pay the import duty on currants, this was taken to the Court of the Exchequer, he lost and so impositions were extended giving the treasury a "windfall".
In the face of Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
's angry protests in 1610, the tax was amended to ensure that the greatest impact fell on foreign merchants.
Impositions were among the prerogative
Prerogative
In law, a prerogative is an exclusive right given from a government or state and invested in an individual or group, the content of which is separate from the body of rights enjoyed under the general law of the normative state...
rights that King James I was to give up under the Great Contract
Great Contract
The Great Contract was a plan submitted to James I and Parliament in 1610 by Robert Cecil. It was an attempt to increase Crown income and ultimately rid it of debt....
of 1610, as drawn up by Lord Treasurer Robert Cecil
Robert Cecil
Robert Cecil may refer to:*Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury , statesman, spymaster and minister to Elizabeth I of England and James I of England...
, then Lord Salisbury, in return for an immediate sum to pay off Royal debt and an annual subsidy that would greatly increase income. However negotiations fell through; mainly because both sides kept changing what they wanted out of the Contract.