The National Register. — London, England, 1812-08-16 00:00:00

CI rather hard that it should be swelled, and that too by a por tion of the people to the enormous sum of 1,625,0001. of which 650,0001. goes to the private emolument of one class of persons, and 650,001. more to another, leaving but one fifth of the Tax paid by the people applicable to the public service. The mischief, however, does not end even here. We have, as yet, only got the leather through the hands of the tanner and the currier. We .must not forget that it has to pass through those of the shoemaker. Now, though the shoemakers may be a very honest set of nien, (with good looking after,) we really cannot give them credit for being more honest than all the persons besides, who have any thing to do with leather. We apprehend it would ra ther hurt the feelings of a shoemaker, if we were to insi nuate that he must necessarily he so squeamishly con scientious, as not to be able to reconcile it to his honour, to adopt that line of conduct which had been previously sancti fied by the example of the tanner and the currier. If the excuse of the tanner and currier is to be admitted at all, the shoemaker has abetter than either, as he, in proportion to his business, advances more money in consequence of the im position of the Tax than both. He, therefore, must be a very honest man indeed who would not feel himself justified in making an additional charge to pay him for the extra sum he must employ on account of the charges of the tanner and currier. If, happily, the shoemaker should be mode rate enough only to add three-pence in his turn, though it is not improbable that he may discover that, if the tanner was justified in putting on three-pence, he ought to charge 'an additional six-pence ; assuming, however, that he makes no greater advance than that which we have mentioned ; the consequence is, tlitit that Tax, which ought only to be three pence per lb. on the manufactured article, is raised to one shilling. The public will then have to pay as follows : To Government X 325,000 To the Tanner . To the Currier To the Shoemaker • Total 2,275,000 We cannot, help thinking that this case (though it may sot be one, of singular enormity) is one, which of itself is en titled to the most serious consideration. If there is nothing extraordinary in the manner in which the burden necessa rily imposed by Government is doubled, tripled, quadru pled. &c. &c. by those on whom it first falls, the evil of which we complain calls the more loudly for a remedy. We Lope it will not be thought beneath the attention of Minis ters. We hope they will consider if it is not possible to de 'vise some measure drat may have the effect of saving the people from such an enormous system of taxation upon taxa lion. - We•hope those patriots who really wish to lighten the burdens of the people, will endeavour to procure some le gislative enactment that will confine the right, or rather the power, of taxing the country, to the Legislature. To devise a measure that will he effectual, yet, at the same time, not at Varieties 'with the constitutional liberty of the subject, may be difficult, 'we readily -admit, but we hope M- will not be found impossible. dit all events, those who are willing to take upon themselves the •labestr of working a radical reform. (ought not to "brink from those obstacles which may in the first instance present themselves to the eye. If their efforts, directed to this object, should eventually save tit *am alit . axicti.n* . of terse aelf-ep - pOinted tax-makers, they will in :cotintry Thin they will ever , deserve Tor , •. 44 7 _ • ' " Borou gl) • mongeri ng _. • :- 4 • \ " Gereratneat jobs," 40 4/ THE NATIONAL REGISTER. AUG. 16. It would, perhaps, be too much to expect that this will be attempted by Sir FRANCIS BURDETT and his friends, but we nevertheless hope some etlbrts will be made ere long to re move this evil by thefriends of the people, and in the mean time we must beg of those reforming tanners, patriotic cur riers, and public spirited shoemakers, who are sometime s found in the train of the Honourable Baronet, to consider, while they raise their voices against corruption and abuse, if it is not possible for patriotism, like charity, properly le begin at home, and if talents like theirs might not relieve the country from some of its burdens, even without a Rer form in Parliament. MORTALITY BY THE SMALL-PDX. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Sin—As your pages seem open to fair and impartial dis• cussions on topics that atiect the interests, as well as the amusement of the public, allow me to notice the alarming increase of an evil, which would long since have been to. tally eradicated in this country, had not illiberality worked on the credulous ignorance of the lower classes, and induced them to reject, as poisonous, the most powerful antidote against the most terrible disorder that afflicts humanity. You will easily comprehend, that I allude to the revival of the Small-pox in this metropolis, through the obstinacy of a few interested practitioners, who, fearful Jest Vaccina tion should deprive them of a number of their patients, con tinue to perpetrate by inoculation the venom of that plague, which has, at various periods, depopulated whole provinces. When I contrast their conduct with that of the rest of the Faculty at home, and in every surrounding nation : when I see, not only the practice of Vaccination adopted, but its efficiency openly acknowledged by every other people where it has yet penetrated under Heaven, 1 cannot help consider ing those men as traitors to mankind, who wish to keep in this country the spring of universal contamination open. A blessing sprung on our shores, and extended over the world, spreading health and gratitude every where. Rulers and subjects felt, and owned its value; it was embraced with avidity, and all prejudices melted away before it every where, save on its native soil, whence egotism, ignorance, and illiberality, still unite to uproot it, armed with the ima ginary terrors which they excite in the minds of the multi tude. It is time that the Press, lately become the organ of their delusion, should also serve in the great cause of huma nity. This is a period when war sweeps away too many thou sands, not to render population the true strength of States, and every endeavour to increase it politic. Can it, there fore, be seen without alarm by Government, that in conse quence of the revival of the Small-pox by inoculation, the deaths lately occasioned by that malady within the bills of mortality, have been twenty-five a week, and comprising London and its vicinity 150 weekly, a number more than double that which took place when the opponents of Vacci nation were less active, and that practice consequently more general among the lower classes ? When it has been proved, that furlong children inoculated with the Small-pox one died in ten, among those Vaccinated, not one in a hundred, it is astonishing 'tat the misrepresentations of interested practi• tioners should prevail among the people over the evidence of their SWIM. More diligence perhaps may be required from 'the supporters of Vaccination. They may already share the inertness of established and authorised bodies, and this appeal - may not be unnecessary to rouse them. I trust it will have that affect, and when I contemplate the late liberal exer tions, and the donation of one hundred pounds made by the . a~l . . M