The Sun.
London, England, 1821-06-13 00:00:00

PRINTS AND BOOKS OF PRINTS.
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION,
By Mr. SOTHEBY, at his Honse, No. 3, WELLINGTON.
STREET, WATERLOO BRIDGE, STRAND, on FRI-
DAY, the 15th day of JUNE, 1821, and following Day, at
Twelve o'Clock,
rinnlE GenOine COLLECTION of PRINTS,
A. of the late EDMUND FLEMING AKERS, Esq. of
'Berrymead Priory, Acton' 'con'sisting- principally of BRITISH
PORTRAITS mid TOPOGRAPHY, to illustrate Pennant's
London, and Lyson's Environs.; several Valuable BOOKS of
PRINTS, COLOURED PRINTS, from the British Gallery of
Pictures, &c. &c.
To he viewed, and Catalogues had, at the place of Sale.

FOR THE SUN.

ON. THE PAST AND PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES
OF THIS COUNTRY,

WITH A VIEW TO THE RELIEF OF AGRICULTURE,

MANUFACTURES, AND COMMERCD,

(Concluded from our Paper of Yesterday.) -
Without increasing the restrictions on the i

portation of foreign corn, the taxes, which at
present constitute so large a part of the growing
price of corn, being in such case de,creased, the
existing Corn Laws would be a more ample pro-
tt,ction. To change at present the system of those
laws into simply a duty upon importation, unless
the duty were such as might alarm the public,
would be no adequate protection, on account of
the accumulated stores of grain in possession of
the Polish nobility, who would be glad to sell at
any price, and the cheapness of wheat at Odessa,
a new source of supply. But on this very ac-
count, to annex to the present law a consiTerable
duty on importation, could only be a legitimate
object of revenue, if the corn imported under
faith of the existing laws be excluded from its
operation. If the average price should, on ac-
count of the failure of crops, rise above 80s., so
immense would be the quantity from Poland and
Odessa, that a considerable duty would not de-
prive us of ample supplies ; because such a mar-
ket-price would be more than double the prime
cost and charges of transit; consequently the
duty would not be paid by the English con-
sumer, but by the importer. Hitherto we have
abstained from availing ourselves of this revenue,
while foreign States, when England has wanted
corn, have, on account of the 'wide difference be-
tween the prime cost and our high prices, levied
duties upon exportation for the sake of revenue,
and without checking exportation. If the Public,
on account of scarcity, is to pay dear for foreign
corny it will be some satisfaction that the Exche-
quer will receive revenue to diminish internal
taxes.

Foreign commerce, navigation, and all trade,
would derive relief and advantage from the diihi-
nation of taxes to be accomplished by an opera-
tion on the National Debt, not only on more im-
portant grounds, but even in the reduction of all
charges on merchandize, which would be one of
the immediate consequences.
Another object of material relief to agricul-
ture, and, indeed, all branches of national indus-
try, would certainly be found in substituting a
direct tax on real property, if only to the amount
of the taxes on the necessaries of life. These ac-
cumulate in their progress in a ratio beyond cal-
culation, and fall on The consumers with a pro-
gressive overcharge, who pay abundantly more
than the Exchequer receives. The possessors of
property would pay no more than the Exchequer
would receive, while they would save more than
the amount of the tax in the permanent, and, in
such case, equitable cheapness of all the necessa-
ries of life, which would be the inevitable conse-
quence of taking off the taxes now directly and
indirectly combined with prices. They would
save also by the greater ,degree of- cheapness,
which would be the natural effect of the increased
competition among the producers; and which at
present is much circumscribed •by the additional
capital required for advancing the taxes, and by
the regulations accompanying their collection,
which fetter industry and check improvements.
The employment of the people would be acce-
lerated by such a change, and the pressure of the
Poor-rates upon agriculture would be relieved.

Their employment would be encouraged by re-
ducing the growing price of corn, which would
result from annihilating the taxes upon the ne-
cessaries of life. This new tax might also corn-
mute the tax upon agricultural horses, as being a
direct tax upon the growth of corn. Et might
commute also, any other tax upon the farmer
tending to raise the price, of corn, and, conse-
quently, of bread. The employment of the poor
may be encouraged by promoting the diffusion of
useful knowledge, as to the means by ‘vhich ern-

ployment may be provided from time to time.
Already in many country parishes considerable
improvements have been induced by the exer-
tions of a few patriotic individual, through the
channel of only a sixpenny Macr'azipe, called
The Labourer's Friend, published monthly ; in
which are detailed the means by which many
happy consequences have practically been pro-
duced, having a:ready,in some places,materially
reduced Poor-rates.

After succeeding in reducing upon solid prin-
ciples the prices of the necessaries of life, the
evils of the residence of so many British subjects
abroad, on account of the cheapness of living;
might be mitigated. Their expellees would ap-
preach also nearer to a level with Britain on ac-
count of the substituted tax 911 property, which

they could not altogether escape. And it is no
small aggravation of the present diminished sup-
port of domestic industry ,and even of decreased
public revenue, if it be true, that from ten to
fifteen millions of income drawn from property in

these kingdoms are expended annually in foreign
countries—from property protected by the state,
but escaping the expences of protection. Those
who return home'from time to time with sup-
plies of clothes and dresses to last for years,
made of foreign manufactures, would have fewer
inducements to do so if the- substituted tax on
property were also to commute duties upon cer-
tain raw materials of manufacture, especially of
silk; which alone deprives our manufacturers of
the power of making better and cheaper goods
than are thus imported, to the injury of domestic
industry.

Again. In Portugal all persons enjoying pen-
sions from Government, have always, during the

KING'S pleasure, been obliged to reside in l'ortu-'