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, •. 447 _ • ' " Borou gl)•mongeri ng
_. • :- 4 • \
" Gereratneat jobs,"

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