Imposts

Taxes, duties or impositions. A duty on imported goods or merchandise.

Story, Const § 949. And see Norris v. Boston, 4 Mete. (Mass.) 296; Pacific Ins. Co. v. Soule, 7 Wall. 435, 19 L. Ed. 95; Woodruff v. Parham, 8 Wall. 131, 19 In Ed. 382; Dooley v. U. S„ 183 U. S. 151, 22 Sup. Ct. 62, 43 In Ed. 128; Passenger Cases, 7 How, 407, 12 In Ed. 707.

Impost is a tax received by the prince for such merchandises as are brought into any haven within his dominions from foreign nations. It may in some sort be distinguished from customs, because customs are rather that profit the prince maketh of wares shipped out; yet they are frequently confounded.

Cowell.