Final answer:
Officials were paid a (b) 'commission' for detecting smuggling, which was a method to enforce trade laws. The most lucrative product of the Chesapeake colonies was 'tobacco'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term commission refers to payments made to officials as an incentive or reward for detecting and preventing smuggling. This system played a part in the efforts to enforce trade laws and reduce the rampant smuggling that occurred prior to and during the colonial period in America.
The implementation of new acts such as the Revenue Act, which increased customs powers, included the issuance of writs of assistance and bolstered the capabilities of officials to combat illegal trade.
For the second question, the most lucrative product of the Chesapeake colonies was tobacco, which was extensively cultivated and became a driving economic force in the region.
In the context of historical corruption, it's worth noting that during times such as those of the Southern Dynasties in China, corruption and the exploitation of foreign merchants were common, leading to governments like the Tang Dynasty to take a different approach, presenting themselves as morally superior by not directly profiting from luxury trade to avoid such bad reputations.