number of pounds made for the box, cask, &c., which contains the article under consideration.

Draft or Tret is an allowance of a certain per cent. (usually 4 per cent.) on the weight of goods for waste

or refuse matter.

Leakage is an allowance of a certain per cent. (usually 2 per cent.) for the waste of liquors contained in casks, &c.

OBS. 1. All duties, both specific and ad valorem, are regulated by the Government, and have been different at different times and in different countries.

2. The allowance or deductions for draft, tare, leakage, &c. are also different on different articles, and are regulated by law.

3. In buying and selling groceries in large quantities, allowances are sometimes made for draft, tare, leakage, &c. similar to those in reckoning duties.

CASE I.

Ex. 1. What is the specific duty on 10 pipes of wine, at 15 cents per gallon, reckoning the leakage at 2 per cent.?

Suggestion. First deduct the leakage. In 1 pipe there are 2 hogsheads or 126 gallons; in 10 pipes there are 10 times 126, or 1260 gallons. Now 2 per cent. of 1260 gallons, is 1260 ×.02=25.20 gallons; (Art. 225;) and 25.2 gallons subtracted from 1260 gallons leaves 1234.8 for the number of net gallons. Now if the duty on 1 gallon is 15 cents, on 1234.8 gallons it is 1234.8x.15= $185.22, the duty required. Hence,

273. To find the specific duty on any given merchandise.

First deduct the legal draft, tare, leakage, &c. from the given quantity of goods; then multiply the remainder by the given duty per gallon, pound, yard, &c., and the product will be the duty required.

QUEST. Obs. How are duties regulated? Are the allowances for draft, tare, &c. the same for all articles? Are allowances ever made in buying and selling groceries for draft, &c.? 273. How are specific duties calculated?

2. What is the specific duty, at 2 cents per pound, on 12 boxes of sugar, weighing 900 lbs. apiece, allowing 20 pounds per box for draft?

Ans.

S The draft is 240 pounds.

And 2 per ct. on 10560 lbs. is $211.20.

3. At 3 cents a pound, what is the duty on 25 casks of nails, each weighing 125 lbs. allowing 8 pounds on a cask for tare?

4. At 5 cents a pound, what is the specific duty on 75 boxes of raisins, weighing 60 lbs. apiece, allowing 6 pounds a box for draft?

5. At 4 cents per pound, what is the specific duty on 110 chests of cinnamon, each weighing 230 lbs. allowing 16 lbs. per chest for draft?

6. At 15 cents a pound, what is the specific duty on 300 bags of indigo, allowing 4 per cent. for tret?

CASE II.

7. What is the ad valorem duty at 15 per cent. on an invoice of calico prints, which cost $150 in Liverpool?

Suggestion. When duties are imposed upon the actual cost of merchandise, there are of course no deductions to be made; consequently we have only to find 15 per cent. of $150, the amount of the given invoice, or cost of the goods, and it will be the duty required. Thus $150 X.15 $22.50. Ans. Hence,

274. To find the ad valorem duty on any given merchandise.

Multiply the given invoice by the given or legal per cent., and the product will be the duty required. (Art. 225.)

OBS. 1. An invoice is a written statement of merchandise, with the value or prices of the articles annexed.

2. The law requires that the invoice shall be verified by the owner,

QUEST. 274. How are ad valorem duties calculated? Obs. What is an invoice? What does the law require respecting the invoice of imported goods?

or one of the owners of the goods, wares, or merchandise, certifying that the invoice annexed contains a true and faithful account of the actual costs thereof, and of all charges thereon, and no other different discount, bounty, or drawback, but such as has been actually allowed on the same; which oath shall be administered by a consul, or commercial agent of the United States, or by some public officer duly authorized to administer oaths in the country where the goods were purchased, and the same shall be duly certified by the said consul, &c. Fraud on the part of the owners, or the consul, &c. who administers the oath, is visited with a heavy penalty.-Laws of United States.

8. What is the ad valorem duty, at 30 per cent., on a box of books invoiced at $250?

9. What is the ad valorem duty, at 20 per cent., on a quantity of Java coffee, which cost $356.12 ?

10. What is the amount of ad valorem duty, at 25 per cent., on a quantity of Turkey carpeting, which cost $526.61 ?

11. What is the duty on a quantity of bombazines, invoiced at $310, at 30 per cent. ?

12. What is the duty on a quantity of beeswax, the invoice of which is $460.25, at 15 per cent. ?

13. At 25 per cent., what is the duty on an invoice of bleached linens, amounting to $745.85.

14. At 20 per cent., what is the duty on an invoice of jewelry, to the amount of $4250 ?

15. What is the duty on a bale of goods invoiced at $2500, at 40 per cent.?

16. What is the duty on an invoice of silks, amounting to $5650, at 30 per cent.?

17. What is the duty on a quantity of cutlery, invoiced at $4560, at 33 per cent.?

18. What is the duty on an invoice of broadcloths, which amounts to $8280, at 35 per cent. ?

19. What is the duty on an invoice of wines, amounting to $10265, at 35 per cent.?

20. What is the duty on a quantity of cotton fabrics, invoiced at $13637.50, at 33 per cent.?

21. What is the duty on a quantity of ready-made clothing, amounting to $5638.25, at 50 per cent.?

ASSESSMENT OF TAXES.

275. A Tax is a sum imposed or levied on individuals for the support or benefit of the Government, a corporation, parish, district, &c. Taxes levied by the Government, are assessed either on the person or property of the citizens. When assessed on the person, they are called poll taxes, and are usually a specific sum. assessed on the property are usually apportioned at a certain per cent. on the amount of real estate and personal property of each citizen or taxable individual.

Those

OBS. Property is divided into two kinds, viz: real estate and personal property. The former denotes possessions that are fixed; as houses, lands, &c. The latter comprehends all other property; as money, stocks, notes, mortgages, ships, furniture, carriages, cattle, tools, &c.

276. When a tax of any given amount is to be assessed, the first thing to be done is to obtain an inventory of the amount of taxable property, both personal and real, in the State, County, Corporation, or District, by which the tax is to be paid; also the amount of property of every citizen who is to be taxed, together with the number of polls.

OBS. 1. By the number of polls is meant the number of taxable individuals, which usually includes every native or naturalized freeman over the age of 21, and under 70 years. In some States it also includes the young men over the age of eighteen years, who are subject to military duty.

2. When any part or the whole of a tax is assessed upon the polls, each citizen is taxed a specific sum, without regard to the amount of property he possesses.

Ex. 1. A certain town is taxed $315. The town contains 200 polls, which are assessed 25 cents apiece; and

QUEST.-275. What are taxes? Upon what are they assessed? When assessed upon the person, what are they called? When assessed upon the property, how are they apportioned? Obs. How is property divided? What does real estate denote ? What is personal property? 276. When a tax is to be assessed, what is the first step? Obs. What is meant by the number of polls? How are poll taxes assessed?

the whole amount of property, both real and personal, is valued at $13750. How much is the tax on a dollar; that is, what per cent, is the tax, and how much is a man's tax who pays for 1 poll, and whose property is valued at $850?

Suggestion. The tax on the polls is 200 ×.25=$50. And $50 subtracted from $325 leaves $275, which is to be assessed equally on the amount of property possessed by the citizens of the town. The next step is to find how much must be paid on a dollar. Now if $13750 pay $275, $1 must pay 1350 part of $275. And $275÷ $13750 $.02, the tax on $1, which is 2 per cent. nally, at 2 per cent., or 2 cents on $1, the tax on $850, the amount of the man's property, is $850×.02-$17.00. And $17+.25 (the poll)=$17.25, the man's tax. Hence,

277. To assess a State, County, or other tax.

Fi

I. First find the amount of tax on all the polls, if any, at the given rate, and subtract this sum from the whole tax to be assessed. Then dividing the remainder by the whole amount of taxable property in the State, County, &c., the quotient will be the per cent. or tax on 1 dollar.

II. Multiply the amount of each man's property by the per cent. or tax on one dollar, and the product will be the tax on his property.

III. Add each man's poll tax to the tax he pays on his property, and the amount will be his whole tax.

278. PROOF.-When a tax bill is made out, add together the taxes of all the individuals in the town, district, &c., and if the amount is equal to the whole tax assessed, the work is right.

The whole

2. A certain parish is taxed $237.50. property of the parish is valued at $8000; and there are 75 polls, which are assessed at 50 cents apiece. What per cent. is the tax; and how much is a man's tax who pays for 3 polls, and whose property is valued at $500 ?

QUEST.-277. How are taxes assessed? 278. When a tax bill is made, how is its correctness proved?