DECKER

decker, sir matthew, bart. (1679-1749), english merchant and writer on trade, was born in amsterdam in 1679. he came to london in 1702 and established himself there as a merchant. he was remarkably successful in his business life, gaining great wealth and having many honours conferred upon him. he was a director of the east india company, sat in parliament for four years as member for bishops castle, and was high sheriff of surrey in 1729. he was created a baronet by george i. in 1716. decker's fame as a writer on trade rests on two tracts. the first, _serious considerations on the several high duties which the nation in general, as well as trade in particular, labours under, with a proposal for preventing the removal of goods, discharging the trader from any search, and raising all the publick supplies by one single tax_ (1743; name affixed to 7th edition, 1756), proposed to do away with customs duties and substitute a tax upon houses. he also suggested taking the duty off tea and putting instead a licence duty on households wishing to consume it. the second, an _essay on the causes of the decline of the foreign trade, consequently of the value of the lands in britain, and on the means to restore both_ (1744), has been attributed to w. richardson, but internal evidence is strongly in favour of decker's authorship. he advocates the licence plan in an extended form; urges the repeal of import duties and the abolition of bounties, and, in general, shows himself such a strong supporter of the doctrine of free trade as to rank as one of the most important forerunners of adam smith. decker died on the 18th of march 1749.