ceſſary to ſend purveyors beforehand, to get together a ſufficient quantity of proviſions and other neceſſaries for the houſhold: and, leſt the unuſual demand ſhould raiſe them to an exorbitant price, the powers before-mentioned were veſted in theſe purveyors: who in proceſs of time very greatly abuſed their authority, and became a great oppreſſion to the ſubject though of little advantage to the crown; ready money in open market (when the royal reſidence was more permanent, and ſpecie began to be plenty) being found upon experience to be the beſt proveditor of any. Wherefore by degrees the powers of purveyance have declined, in foreign countries as well as our own; and particularly were aboliſhed in Sweden by Guſtavus Adolphus, towards the beginning of the laſt century[1]. And, with us in England, having fallen into diſuſe during the ſuſpenſion of monarchy, king Charles at his reſtoration conſented, by the ſame ſtatute, to reſign intirely theſe branches of his revenue and power: and the parliament, in part of recompenſe, ſettled on him, his heirs, and ſucceſſors, for ever, the hereditary exciſe of fifteen pence per barrel on all beer and ale ſold in the kingdom, and a proportionable ſum for certain other liquors. So that this hereditary exciſe, the nature of which ſhall be farther explained in the ſubſequent part of this chapter, now forms the ſixth branch of his majeſty's ordinary revenue.
VII. A seventh branch might alſo be computed to have ariſen from wine licences; or the rents payble to the crown by ſuch perſons as are licenſed to ſell wine by retale throughout England, except in a few privileged places. Theſe were firſt ſettled on the crown by the ſtatute 12 Car. II. c. 25. and, together with the hereditary exciſe, made up the equivalent in value for the loſs ſuſtained by the prerogative in the abolition of the military tenures, and the right of pre-emption and purveyance: but this revenue was aboliſhed by the ſtatute 30 Geo. II. c. 19. and an annual ſum of upwards of 7000đ. per annum, iſſuing out of the new ſtamp duties impoſed on wine licences, was ſettled on the crown in it's ſtead.
- â Mod. Un. Hiſt. xxxiii. 220.
