The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-09-14 00:00:00

la afterwards what we !save to pay yearly in the shape of interest, which is the thing that touches its Ito.ne - s bet, let us first see whit the piineipig 1., and kora it' isas gone on increasing ; bearing its wiind, that as was shown in a foregoing Iciter,, the boitowing, and, of course,. the lleht, began ip the 1692, in the reign of William the Dtird, Ind that the loan made iu that year amounted to one million of pounds. When Qcces ANNE, who succeeded Wil liam, came to the threat, which will in the Ncar S . )1, the debt si , e, Viten ti &anon I. came to the eirtine, in 1711, it was IV leen (I.:onGj 11. came to the throne, in 1727, it via, When aroacts 111. came to the throne, in 1730, it Mai i(teethe AIRCRIeMe WAR. in 17A1, it-was t the latter /CND OrTIOR LAST wail ; that is to say, the first war a*alnst the French Ite vilutionisi% and which, for the &Ate of hav ing a distinctive riepellatiuti, we will call the ANTI-JAMBI.% WAR : at the end of that vrar, in 5801, the Debt w a s At the rsetats suss ; •r, rather in January .last - arie.*.ice 51,145,563 59442.233 1.18.V2.811 231,21%013 579,934114 11114116,0811 That is to say, eight hundred and .eleren Vans, eight hundred and ninety-eight thousand, and eighty-two ; and these in pounds, in English pounds, too ! There are, in the accounts,- Isid before Parliament (from which the last.meetintied sum is taken) some shillings and pence and oven FARTHINGS, in addition ; bit though these ai,rouutasita ha►e been so nice, we will.uot mind a few farthings. Part of this Debt is what is called funded, and a part unfunded; part is called Irish Debt, part Emperor of Germany's Debt, and an other part of the Prince Regent of Portn.gal's. Out, interest upon the whole of it is payable in land; and that is all tbat we have to look after; it being of no consequence to us wbat.the thing is so that we haoc to pay fur it. So that weave taxed to pay the interest of it, what matters it to its what names the several pants of it may go by I I hope, that there is nut, at this day, a man amongst you, who is to be amused with empty sounds:" l hope, that your winds are not now-a-days, after all that you have seen, to be led away from the ob ject before them by any repetition of mere names. So long as we are taxed to pay the interest upon the Debt, that man must be exceedingly weak, who is to be made to believe, that it is of any con seqwence to ivy of us by what name that debt is called.• Such, then, has been the progress of the Na. tiviial Debt ; and, it is well oorthy of our atteu tion, that it has increased in an increasing propor tion. it is now nearly six limes as great as it was when the present King came to the throne; and, which ought to be well -attended to, more than two-thirds of the whole of the Debt has been con. tracted in carryiug on, against the Fcetich, that war, which, at its commencement, was to succeed by means of raining the finance: of France. When the Awn-Yaws', WAR began, is 1793, theDobt 41. was, at the utmost, e 2573,043. It is now 0ff811,898,082. Such has, thus far, been ttw 6112(1- °4l effect; such has been the effect, as to money. matters, of the wars against the Jacobins. Hun many times *ere wu told, that it reqnired hut one more campaign ; one more; only one more rigo rous campaign, to put an end to the war ; to tie. stroy, to annihilate, for ever, tho -resources of France. Alas ! those resources have not been de. )troyed. They have increased in a fearful degree); while we have accumulated hundreds of millions of jpobt in the attempt. igow many writers have fah. Simi us, from time to time, with the hope, nay, the certainty (if we would but persevere) of triumphing over the Frqnch, by the means of oar rhisesi 'To how many of these deceivers have we boon so foolish as to listen! -It is this credulity, which has led to the present state of things; 'sad uuless we shake it off at once, and resolve to look our dangers in the face, we shall, I greatly fear, experience that fate which our deceivers told us would be eaperienced by our enemy. PITT, it is well known, grew into favour with the nation in conaequesce or his promises and his plans to pay •J the National Dobt ; and, this same l'irr; who found that Debt 257 millions, left it upwards of 600 millions, after having, for twenty years, had the full power of managing all the resources of the nation ; after having, for nearly the whole of that time, bad the support of three fourths, if not more l of the Members of the !-louse of Commons; 'after having, of .course, adopted whatever measures lie thought proper, during the whole of 'that time. He. found the Debt treo hundred and fifty odd milliotis and he left it six hundred and fifty odd. This was what was done for England by that PITT, whose own private debts the people had to pay, besides the expeuee of a monument to Ida memory ! This is what every man in England - shoukl bear constantly in his mind. - Having now seen hate the National Debt has in. creased, let us next see how the EXPENUES of the Nation have increased; and, then take a look et the increase of the TAXES; for, in order to be Sble to foriiia correct opinion upon the main points, touched upon by the Bullion Committee, we must have a full view, not only of the Debt, but of the X. :pence: and the Taxer of the nation. When QI/LEN Area Mile to the Tbroue, In 1701, the whole Ex pence' of the year, including the interest ott the llrllonal D. 41, amounted to 5t.5,610,987 Peace. When Gentir.e I. came to the Throne, in 1714, and just utter Queen-Acne had been at isai sigma years . . 6,633,581 PROM When GLattaa 11. mile to the Throne, iu 1737 5,411,218 Peace. Woos George 111. come to the Throne, io 1260 After the END of the AMERIVIN WAR, and at the be in of Pus's Admi ntstrati,,n, in 1704 . • . . 21,657,609 Peaty. At the latter Bad of the last, et Am- JACOPIN WAS, is 1801 . . 61,2711,016 War. for the last year, that is, the year 1809 . . • . . £ dtt,ol7e2lB 5 War. Now, without any thing more than this, let me ask any of you, to whom I address this letter, whether you think it possible for the thing logo en in this may for any great length of time S'—lf the subject did not present so many considerations to make us serious, it would be quite impossible to refrain from laughing at the scrupulousness that could put five shilling: and a penny three farthing:B at the end of a sum of millions that it almost makes one's head swim but el) think of. Leitglsable, how. too 11,4$ .I)taq ; but of 4h:e P e'er, as we may think it, those alio have snob ae.l 1 enuots mail,' out, think it no laughing matter. II (gi the contrary, looked upon by them, per haps, as no very dhitopottant Part of the ystetri. looking at thus aboee.inergiress of the -Expen .dituro, it is impossible to avoid being struck wit% .tht. inctease, during the present reign. Tits year 17t30 was .a time of war as well as the present but, as ,we see, a year of war then, cost only 9.4 mtillions; whereas a year of war now costs 82 mil l:inn,. Weltets, tuo, that a year of war now costs imogli• Shalt a year of war cost only ten years ajo. What, then, will be the cost if this war shetild.,centitiste man l y years longer, and if, as sp . pearandell threaten, Ilse enemy should take such meager-I,- and adopt such a change in his mode of .hostility, as to add greatly to the expensiveness of otiedefence? This is a very material considers tioll; awl, though it will hereafter be taken up, 'sijll.J could not refrain fr om j us t t ouc hin g upon it in this ;Alec. Am I told, that our money is de preciated, or fallen off in value; and that the in. fume in our expenses lit more titoninal thee real ; that the iacredake is in name viliefely in the Agures, and no} is the Wog I -for.that.h-peeed is nut vrostb any thing like what] a. pound was worth when the. king c. , rtle lo the 'throne t Ant I told this ?. It I eon, I sen•that we are het yet b,me to the proper .placo. for discussing -matrers 4pt this tort;• that we shall come to it ell in gobst time; but, that, in the mesawhile, I may hope to hear no more abuse of glee doeirines' front thus,', at least, who, In this way, *O . oche our minds to the enormous increase in Ois ation'a yearly cxpences. • Miming tsow.takeii's •view Of the lecreate i of the bat, - and aiso of thLyearly Expences of the na. lion, let us ISQW Sepil9W . the Aeuenue,, or Income, Or ? ritoreyroperly speaking 9' the, TAGES • that is • • , • I• • tb - say, thliqy receired from the Reople, in the tenrse 'kit the year; by 'efie netts of Tax.; gatherers; het as se* see %OW tittimotiost of these bite gone on increasing. _ When Queen haNe came tea the threw, is nut, the yearly amnion of the limo was X 4411,358 Gsonsis I, mat to the throne. in 1714, it was . . ..... 6,761,643 When (kolas 11. came to the throw., In 1127, it was When (liroitot 111. mule to the thiune, in I'6o;it was ... . . . 8.744,612 After the AmealeAs war, i n 1784, it was . 13000,921 At the Close of lye Alai-Jacobin wAr, iu 1801, it was . . . . . . 36.718,971 For the last year, ten et is 1 . 8119, it Was . . 70, 14 09 22 6 it is quite useless to offer any comments upon this. The figures speak. too pistol: for titemsehres to receive any assistance from words. As to the correctness of these statements, there may, per haps, be found some little inaccuracies in the copy ing of the figures, and in adding some of the sums together; hut, these must be very immaterial ; and, indeed, nose of the questions, which we have to discuss, cart possibly be affected by any little error of this sort, I say this in order to bar any caval That may, possibly, be attempted to be raised out of circumstances, such as I have here mentioned. Thus, then, we have pretty fairly before us, a view of the increase of the Debit„ The Esspences, and the 7'axes, of the tuition ; and .a, view* it is quite sufficient to impress with serious thoughts every man, whose regard fur his country is not ecnifined to mere professions. 'There are persons I know, who laugh at this. TheN mat' have reason to laugh ; but we've's not.- 'The pretence is, that lases return rtgain to those 'tabs pay -them, Re turn again . ! Lt *bat manner do they return ? Can any u l f . you perceive the taxes that .yeu pay coming Welt again to you ? All the interested persons who hire *Mien upon taxation, have endeavoured to persuade; the people, that, to load them with taxes does them so harm at all, ',though this is in direct tippositioOto the faingisage of every speech that the "Krug makes leek( Parliament, during every w ill'; for, in eve, such Speech, lie expresses his deep terrors, that he is Compelled to lay uew burdens upon his people. The writers here alluded to, the greater part of whom live, 'or hare design to live, npon the: taxes, always appear to consider the nation as being: rich and prosperous in proportion to the quantity ; of taxes - that is raised upon It; never seeming to. take into their views of riches and prosperity the ease and eon:fart et the people who pay the taxes. The notion of these persons seem's to be, that, as there 41WIltyll will be more food raised and more gOods made in the' country shell sufficient for those, who own atid who till tholl'and who la_ - -hoer its • other ways, that Abe itir4d 0, or, super. itbunderate, ought 'to - fall to their share; or, it least, that it otrght to be taken:at:4 ;In res*, :which prodilte a lirzutioui way of hiving ; and flattery gi , ei.employntent to the people; 'that hilo :say, that it sets them to work . lo cairn their Dion *stoney back agars: this it a Mighly he cter to be Sterh. The tendency of taxation is, to create a these of 'persons, who do not labour : to take from those who do labour the prodece of that labour, and to give it to those who do not labour. The produce taken away is, in this case, Welty destroyed; but, if it were expended, or consumed, amongst those who labour, it would producesomethirig in its stead. There world be more, or better cloth ; more, or better houses-; and these would be more generally distributed ; while the growth of vice, which idle ness always engeuders and fosters, would be pro. panted. If, by the gripe of taxation, Virtler rein of the surplus produce ef a country be taken from the lowest class of theit who labour ; they will have the means of bare existence left. Of course, their clothing a.. 1 their dwellings will become miserable, their fbod bad, e. ,in stinted (timothy ; that cur. plus produce which Otsuld go to the making of an addition to their meld, and to the creating of things, fur their ale, will be annlitilated by those who do , nothing but eat. Suppole, for instance, a commu., pity to consist of a fantner, four cettegers, a lay. tor, a shoemaker,- a smith,• a carpenter, and a ma. son, and that the lAnd produces enough food foe them all and no more. Suppose this little commo.l nity to be n4O with a design to imitate their bet. tent, anti to kOp -asinecure placeman, giving bias th e tenth 0 7 their produce whish .they formerly gev e 4 4) (NO shoemaker. The consequence would b e , that „poor Cassese would die, and they would go bereJ-footed, with the eurateletien of reflecting that Only had broil& litettrialrei 'hap - Mk wits waty.e.lB STA'rESMA/C._ ,as the silly vanity of keeping an idle man. But, suppose the land to yield enough food for all ten of them, and enough for two persons besides. 'They have this, then, besides what is absolutely necessary to supply their wants. They can spare one of their men/rout the field, and have, besides, food enough to keep him in some other situation. Now, which, is best, to make him a second carpenter, who, in' return for his food, would give them additional and permanent convenience and comfort in their dwell. ings ; or to make ltim a sinecure placernan or a singer, in either of which plates he would be an an nihilator of coen, 'at the same time, that, in rase of emergency, he would not be half so able to lieJ fend the community. Suppose two of the cultiva tors became sinecure placemen, then you kill the carpenter or some ono else, or what is more likely, all the labouring part of the community, that is to say, all but thu sinecure placemen, live more mi.. serably, in dross, in dwellings, and in food. This reasoning applied to tens, applies equally well to millions, the causes and effects being, in the latter cue, only a little more difficult to trace. Such is the way in which Taxes operate ; the distinction between which operation and the opera.. l tion of rents being this, that, in the latter 048, 1 yonreceive something of which you have the par. dealer enjoyment, fur what you give ; and, in the former case you receive nothing. It is by no pious to be understood, that there should be no persons to live without what is generally called labour. Phy. sicians, Parsons, Lawyers, and others of the higher callings in life, de, in fact, labour ; and it is right that there should be persons of groat *stale, and without any profession at all ; but, then, you will find, that these persons do not live upon the earn. ings of ethers: they all of them give something in return for what they receive. Those of the learned professions give the use of their talents and racial; and the landlord gives the use of his land or his. houses. Nor ought we to look upon all taxes as so ruck of the fruit of our labour lost, or taken away - without cause. Taxes are necessary in every corn. munity ; and the man, whether he be 'statesman, soldier, or sailor, who is in the service of the corn. munity, gives his services lareturn for titat'portion of the fates which he receives. We are nut tatting against taxes in general; nor, indeed, will era step here to inquire, whether- our taxes, at their present amount, be necessary ; or, whether, by other counsels, they might, in great part, at lead, have been avoided, These are, questions, which, for the present, we will wholly pass over, our object being to come at a correct opinion with regard to the effect of heavy taxation upon the people who have to support ft, reserving for another opportu nity our remarks and opinions as to the necessitg of such taxation in our particular cave. By national prosperity the writers above alluded to mean, something very different indeed from that ! -which you and I, who have no desire to live *pea, the taxes, should call national prosperity. They -look upon it, or, at least, they would have us look upon it as being demonstrated in the increase of the number of chariots and of fine-dressed peo. pie in and about the purlieus of the court ; where as, reflection will not fail to teach us; that this is a. aemonstratioaof the increase of the taxes, and no. thing more. National prosperity skews itself. in ,very different ways : in the plentiful meal, the corn. Sortable dwelling, the decent furniture and dress, the healthy and happy countenances, and the good morals, of the labouring classes of the people. These are the ways in Whitt' national prosperity shows itself; and, whatever is not attended with these signs, is not national prosperity. , Need I IA you, then, if heavy taxation be calculated to. prieloce these effects ? Have our labourers a plena.' fel meal of food fit for man ? Do they taste meat ouce in a day? Are they decently clothed! Hare: they the means of obtaining firing ? Are they midi their children healthy and h a ppy ? I pu t th ese queso l titans to you, Gentlemen, who have the means ofi knowing the facts, and who-must, I am afraid, au swer them all in the negative. But, why need we here leave any thing to conjec ture, when we have ,the undeniable proof before us, in the aaeourits, laid before Parliament, of the amount of the . Poor Rates, at two different pe riods, anti, of course, at two different stages in our taxation; namely, in the year' . 1784, and in the year 1803 ? At the former period, the taxes of the year, , es we have seen above, amounted to .e 13,300,921; and then the Poor Rates amounted to 42,105028. At the latter period, the taxes of theyear (as will be seen from the Official Statement in. R eg ister, .Vol. IV. page 1471) amounted to £41,931,747; and the Poor Rates had then risen to R 6,248,306. What must they, then, amount to at this day, when the year's taxes amounts to upwards of 70 millions of pounds? Here, then, tee have a pretty good proof, that taxation and pauperism go band in hand. We here see what Was produced by the ANTI-JACOBIN WAR. The taxes continued nearly- the same from 1784 to i 79,3, the.yeer in which Prrr began that war; so that, by the ANTI-JACONIN WAR. alone the poor-rates sAßlNlsuglassisd, in nominal amount, from ae2,406,623 to a65,%46,506 ; at which we shall not be suprizeil, if we apply. to this case the pried pie above illustrated in the supposed community ,of ten men, whore it is shown, that, by taking the produce of labour from the proprietors of it, and giving it to those, who do not Labour and whops not give the proprietors of such produce any thing in return, poverty, or, at least, a less degree of OMB and enjoyment, must be the.consequence. The poor.rates alone now are equal in amount to the whole of the national expenditure, includ ing the interest of the Debt, when the late Ding came to the throne; and, the charges of managing the taxes; that is to say, the wages, salaries, or al- lowances, to' the Tax-gatherers of'various descrip tions ; the bare charge which we pay on this ac count amouute to Nary little short of as much as the whole of the taxes amounted to when the late King was crowned: This charge ;• tluit•is to ley, what we pay to the Dar-gatherers, !none shepe, or aaether, is stated, in the account laid before Parliament for the last year, at 42,884 x 501., a sum equal to a ,year's wages of 91;609 lakourers, at twelve shillings a week, which may, I suppoes, he looked upon as , the average wages of labour e rs, t a l e All the . , ~ _.E.Y ~;_ ~; .1 S.. _ - door through. Is this no evil ? Are w e to hi persuaded, that, to tak e t h e means of supput,in' 04,300 familios,.eonsisting, up on t h e usual tom! imitation (-fi-ve to a family), of 4-61,000 souls ; tk, i to take away the mean s o f supporting all th ese, 14 giving th.ise mean - s to stipport others, who, b ut t. nest it is to tea the rest, instead of adding to tM stodk dritlit4iimrnunity by the4r labour; are ir e to be pieiiikidad,Ahat this is no evil; and that, i nn though lox-gee :the poor rates grown from two lions to fi#A 'millions in the space of ten y ears! Are we to be persuaded to believe this ? Verit y it we are, it is a great shame for us to pretend tolauo at the Mahomedans. . Having now. taken a View of the progrert National Debt together with that of the N.ttiuli,i EXpetnees and Tares; and having (by stepping ati lt , tie aside for a moment) seen something or their eff ec t upon' National prosperity, we will, in the n ext Letter, agreeably to the intention before expressed, inquire into the schemes fur arresting this rea r m progress ; or, as they are generally denominated) plans for paying o ff , or reducing, the Nati onal Debt ; a subject of very great importance, becan se , we mast now be satisfied, the Bank -notes have i n , creased nails the Debt, and, of course, the sedg e . Ing of the Debt would, if it were aecomplistred, tend to the reduction of the quantity of B an k. notes, by the excess of whick it is, as the Boh n* Committee have declared, that, the gold cone bag been driven from circulation. I am, Gentlemen, Your faithful Friend, M. State Prison, Newgate, W COBBETT, Tuesday, 11 September, NM. MARGATE On Saturday last some Gentlemen, desirous of adding to the amusements of this place, subscribril the sum of -So guineas, to match Mr. Burstsm's favourite mule against Mr. Mummerty'S ; the for. wet was the winner. After which, a donkey racy took place between B ENNETT ' S ce l e b rate d ass Light. foot, and LAWRENCE'S Blackbird; which was %vim by Lightfoot with great ease. The :Masquerade at KIDMAN9B, on Friday last, was well attended, as was Miss Davis's and Mr, Tuacrausa.'s Coacert, on Saturday evening, at the same Rooms, when several Gentlemen Amateurs volunteered their services. MissPouotim's and Mr. STEWS Grand Vocal Concert takes place this evetting, at Mr. By spiel Roams, who has very liberally offered them, of them on this occasion. The Stirlingshire Militia left this place on Sater. day, for Ilamsgiste, which has occasioned us to be rather dull, owing to the loss of the excellent band attached to it, which used to delight the visitors with some beautiful Scotch airs, both morning and evening, in Cecil.square. 'The pray this evening is The Clandestine Mar. riage, with Plot aniCounterplui ; to-morrow even. ing, All in Me Wrong, with other entertainteeets. Dandelion was '►ery numerously attended last evening, it Iteitit that is here termed a Vauxhall night, ott, whibir occasion the Gardens are inns/. tutted with earieketed lamps. The ►ocal performer. were Mr. Gitiotes and Miss DAVIS. Dancing commenced , ' at eight, and was kept up with great lopirit till eleven .o'clock, when the company de. ',parted highly delighted with the evening's eater. 'elements. - The Balls at the Assembly Rooms will in futons be-twice a week, instead of once; Monday and VP/tastily eireeings. :EzmieminealmetaT2= • A few-days ago as a man at Stroning, in Berko shire was sleeping on the earner of his mastigN waggon, the horses took fright at the firing of wins by sports Mon in an adjoining held, and he wall thrown under the wheels and tilled on the spot. Last Monday the wind was extremely high in the Humber; during the height of the gale a coal. loaded sloop founditred near Barton, and Francia Rhodes, the master, a woman, and a boy, were an drowned. It is conjectured. that they bad got iota the boat with an intent to save thera.elves, but is their -confusion had omitted cutting the boat's pale. ter, and by that means were drawn down .to the bottom along with the sloop. 11 [RUN. In Harcoart-street,. Dublin, the Lady of W. Ridgeway, Esq• of a eon. In Fitzsvilliarn•street, Dahlia, the Lady of Williams Armit s Esq. of a daughter. On Wednesday List, at his house nt Kentish Towo, the Lady of John Idle, Esq. of a daughter. MA RR. 1 L.l). On Thin-Way last, at St. George's Hanover -square, Sir Deo. oil Cope, Bart. of Brarashill-park , Hants, to Mho Frames of Park-place, St. James's-street. Yesterday, at St. George's, Hanover-square, George Prom tor, Esq. to Miss Hale, daughter of Wm. Hale, Esq. of Xing', Walden, Ilertfo reoohire. Lately, at West Airington), Devon, Capt. Harrison, of the hloalgomery.Militia. to Hiss 8. M. liliert, daughter of the law Wm. Bliert , Esq. of Bawring.sleigh, Heron. At Newington, Kent, the Rev. Wm. .Spooner, of Clotho* to Anna Marin,!daughter of the late Hight Hon. Sir Lucia O'Brien, Bart. DIED. On Woodsy last, at Brighton, aged 72, Jamis Mitchell, Esq. of Limehouse. Ou Tuesday last, at Hastings Barraeirs, Captain aod!ie. tant Edward Trelewpey l ofiltrEedfordshire Militia, in %stuck Regiment he dad • seilrilB ran. 1 Last week, at Edinburgh, Pael.Minchen, Esq. Read-Admi• ral of the White. 'Oh Wednesday last, et fittingness, tsted 76, J(ulah Dorm ford, Esq. one of his Diejesty s Justices of the Peace for 11* Comity of Kent. Oa Tuesday setioight at iliaramtead, it rs. Saunas Tow** end, of Church -street, Spitaltields: Yesterday, at her, house in Aligalburt-tree •Walk, Lambed's Mrs. Elizabeth Houghland, widow of the late Joseph ileac* laud, Esq. aced Atdlelksliam,•agud Sb, Mo. Braces, wife of Mr. Thom. Bruges. Wednesday aftertastes were interred, , in the berial.groned d !he Broadway Chnpel, Westminster, she remains of Mr. Jo seph Itoffey. Ile had heea upwards of .50 years the grass digger of the parish of St. Islargaret, Westminster, in irlitche• teatioq, bred'from his youth, he succeeded his father, and re. Maimed in Ralf Within a few days of his decease, be in ti t. it th Yett , pt his awe; aqjqg also as a bearer ' be bad bon , many a corpse in his time to the Aim tomb ; being likewee an adept bvtleglee, tar heltilsf St. •Sbutgaset's Church mat muffled, and in a dumb peal,.sulemnzied the departed spirit og a musical brother to a better.world. . .1 0 1111;li ITOC Book Stock 3 per Cent. (I . od. Sper Cot; Cotto.rifik tiert Cent:l43l., 19 f99' ceoasoloomogio .lotßi DWI valieledunOtali CS YNSTERV (I'. ()maim NO di.. lefdia /lanai., 24 pr. $11.:2 tl. pr. ,Es. Ltills, lid. par Y pt. • Cans for•Aac. r.` lll ! ° ' ST rsonas Issi rats I; r a PP 3, . ~1 " 1 1 .1 :4; 'I ii