The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-10-28 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

Stn—At a time when so many observations ire made foe
and ageism taxation, it may not be considered Improper to
ende In ascertain the seal q • N of.tax tested on
each individual. As there is hardly any thing whirls is em-
ployed as sustenance by the great human family, hitt what
generally more than doubled in price to the consumer by
taxation, at becomes every man, colonially chose who
have large families, to know what share or the hurden cf
taxation they are compelled to bear, and from which thew
can be no exemption.
Those who are in favour of taxation, may, if they are
able, bring forth propositions in its recommendation,
even niche proselytes by their doctrine among people of pi. -
pert), but how they srlll satisfy Ili.amnt who pays fur ei
article of food out of the money which he tarns by ill •
" sweat of his brow," I am at a loss to conjecture. But
as there are but few who can possibly hive 'the hardi-
hood to presume that taxation is a -seem:try tiibior
of a free people, any overwhelming torrent.against
viduals who not only think, but also say, that taxation..
the greatest 'ANS of ♦wv country," can hardly be expected
When synchronism such as it appears to exist at this cri.o,
—when ambition supported by preperty—wlten•one psi; y
combines to overrule or upset all others-i-wben men's pl'..
sinus and interests are set. afloat by impolitic sycophat ts--
the industrious and honest man might alwost•wiab for tinom
times in which nature reigned absolute, even 11111,11(h hr were
compelled to live a complete troglodyte, with Out the Liana-
mels of art in all its gaudy splendour.
As the vital powers of a patient may suffer so rnsterialry
by his doctor administering a superporgation, or from recess
of phlebotomy, that he will no longer be able -even to re.
crime medicine of the mildest kind, so may the ihdesitrions
matt, with all his labour, tie so overpowered with unnecessery
and unequal taxation, that he will at last became unable to
pay any tax at all. The same may be said of a hat ion, when
once its reatinrces are expended beyond a certain and proper
limitation, the consequence, of course, will be " national
bankruptcy."
Each man's quota of tax could easily be marinated by his
obtainiag torrert information of the dife►tuf venders nf
articles of food with whom hs deals, saw eitto individual
article is charged to him independent of the tax upon it,
then he would perceive at once what be must lay down for the
tax ; and thus by paying for the article itself, and the tax
upon it separately, he might be able not only to know what
be pays daily, bat also to the greatest correctness what his
yearly amount of taxes are.

New by this mode of proceedieg every.lebouring man has
it in his power also to ascertain what qsaetity of labour be
performs to support the national debt avid the different
offices established by Governmeut,.asd•other hissi burden r
which are forced npon him, and which he is obliged to hear
to the very utmost of his ahility. Aecordiatiou this plan
the prupuition of taxation levied gook! be brou;ht to a
Kremer certainty than bas hitherto been the case ; and it
would be readity.alloised by all, that the poor min (I mean
the man who lives by his labour) subscribes more money in
taxes, in proportion to his income, than the gre•tert land-
holder in the British dominions. Were the great Isodbuldere
mul great stockholders to pay dilly in the samegioportion
to their property as the labouring mass dens to be., glut ita-
toonal debt might be completely liquidated its the coarse of
eighties ur twenty years.
I am your very humble nervast,
ANTI-TAX.