ABSTRACT
During the interval between his arrival in London and his proclamation as King, William, acting as head of the administration, collected the revenue which James had hitherto enjoyed. That revenue—to leave out a few minor sources—was derived from the lands and hereditaments of the Crown, the hereditary Excise, the Hearth Tax and the Post Office, both of which were hereditary, certain Customs and Excise duties, granted to James for life, and other Customs duties, which had been granted him some for eight, some for five years. Parliament’s first proceedings appear to indicate that, while intending to grant William—either for life or a term of years—a revenue adequate for ordinary expenses, they yet desired time for deliberation. The Commons refused to accept the amendment and argued that the Lords, having passed the first bill, could not alter its provisions by the insertion of a clause in the second bill, which dealt only with the taxation of commoners.
