The National Register.
London, England, 1818-06-22 00:00:00

Miami It toitittr+

Our wing, Comititution ant 1t a 5334.

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1818.

but not by taking him into my counting house." But
why, in the name of common sense, should not a simi-
lar answer be made respecting the member who has
been tried at St. Stephen's, and who has there voted
against the approbation of the elector, or who has, for
the sake of good contracts or for his own rivatebenefit,
its some way or other, given his unquelified support to
measures which the elector did nut approve of? If the
national concerns are of any importance to the public,
such private motives, however pardonable on an indif-
ferent subject, arc unpardonable is this case.
•
But there are some, again, who entertain and pro- 1
mulpue an opinion the most erronenus ;tad the most 1
baneful in its effects—namely, that as Ling as their
private concerns go on, they reed nut trouble them- '
selves about public affairs. Corsider:ng how obviensly
false this notion is, it appears truly aetonishing treat it
should be so prevalent. Helm collector of the poor
rates of a parish absconds with the money which he
has collected, in consequence of' the neglect of the
parish officers who did not exercise a due controul over
him, is not a new rate imposed to make good the de-
ficiency i—and is not every householder a sufferer in his
pocket thereby ? If the Minister of the country is ex-
travagant, enters into unnecessary wars, or 11-manages
those that arc necessary, whereby a vast debt is incur-
red, whict. have been avoided; and if the repre-
soma has of the people, who ought to cheek and pre-
vent the Minister from acting so, neglect their duty—is
it not the necessary consequence, that heavier taxes are
I impose. ? Is not every individual obliged to pay more
fur his house, or his horse, or the goal: which he con-
sumes, in consecocnce of the increased testifier) ? How
then can it be said that a nien's private interests are not
affected by public measures—when the Government,
With the cencurrence of a majority of the House of
COMr.IO:IS, put their hands into every man's pocket ?
It seems unnecessary to prove truths so obvious ; but
let us carry this consideration a little farther. We
now arc obliged to pay annually 41 millions sterling
interest of the national debt, besides supporting all the
unavoidable expencea of Government, civil, military,
and naval. To do this we are obliged to pay taxes on
every article we touch, and sometimes two or three
times over—first on the raw material, and afterwards
on the manufactured article. For inatance, gentle rea-
der, on the very newspaper in which these considera-
tions are urged to your notice, you pay xverel taxes.
The metal of which the type is made wherewith these
words are printed, istaxed—the ink is taxed—the pa-
per is taxed—the advertisements are lased—and
Lefore the newapaper, having paid all these taxes,
can be circulated, it pays un additional tax—the stamp
duty. Now, reader, all this must necessarily come
out ef your idaepcnee-halfrany. If so much debt
had no: been incurred, that is, if ao mach money had
not been seeet en sinecuriste, on wars, on personal
eetievaereice at Brighton, and elsewhere, there would
no: ke so many millions to pep for the interest of
our debt---so many taxes need not' be imposed, and
the paper you read, as well as the porter you drink
while re elln; it, and time candle which you have
just straffel, becaese it gave so bad a light, might
all be bad at a cheaper rate, and of a ratter
—How then can yen pereunde yourself that the
manner in which public ailitirs arc conducted, does
nut affect your private interests—in fact, dive snore or
less into your poskets t—But these measures of
ters cannot be coned into execution without the con-
cerrence of the iionse of Cemmone ; it is, therefore,
to. ;teat importance to you: private interests, that you
slice? I give your vote, if you have one to give, to a
Candidate who win oppose, to the utmost of his power,
• Ministerial extravagance ; and if you have not a vote,
that you should exert your influence with those who
feece: of such a Canltlate—fcr :7=Gt