The Sun.
London, England, 1821-10-18 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

THE REVENUE.

:pia. EDITOR—As much has been said on the

subject of the last Quarter's Revenue, I also, as
",n-twere plodding man of business, beg permission to
vbserve, that although one may be at a loss to ac-
count for the increased Revenue arising from Land
Tax, Soap, and several other items, yet that that
o Tea and Beer may be easily accounted for on
the ground that the poverty of the people obliges
them to substitute these low priced articles for the
more costly ones of Spirits and Wine. I long ago
calculated on this : and Ministers were informed
that one of the consequences of the Coronation
otAld be an increased Revenue during the last,
;Nod (perhaps) the present Quarter, arising from
the increased consumption of exciseable article.sl
but that so long as they continued :their.
present imperfect system of Commerce
nance, they ought not to take the present as a

criterion of a future permanent Revenue. Ye

there is a calculation founded on sound princi-
ples of POLITICAL ECONOMY, that seems to have
been overlooked by all parties, namely, that in-
crease of the Revenue which ought to be pro-
duced from an increased population, were the
nation in a sound moral and political state ;
considering the vast extent of fertile land we
have for the profitable employment of our people,
in the best of climates, remaining uncultivated,
and capable of producing nearly every thing we
want, or man can wish for, and which would,
were we to do our own work with our own peo-
ple, give profitable employment to treble our
present population. Under such circumstances,'
were the nation in a sound moral and political
state, our population ought to increase equal (at
least) to 94 per cent. per annum ; and as our
Revenue is produced from our consumption (with
the exception of one or two articles), it should,
from the same taxation, increase in a similar ratio
as our population. Had this been the case,
those taxes, which produced 50 millions sterling
in 1815, ought in 1821 to have produced (adding
compound interest to the increase) about .58
millions; but if I judge rightly, they only pro-
duce this year about 481 millions. Here, then,
is a falling off from the point on which they
ought to have gained, nearly 20 per cent. on the
whole Revenue. From this it is fair to conclude
that not less than about one-fifth or 4 millions of
our population have been either morally, phy-
sically, or politically rendered unproductive
to the State, or prevented even from existing.
This is not only worthy of the consideration
of Statesmen, but of Philanthropists ; and
in order to relieve my own mind on the sub-
ject, I should like very much to see, if pos-
sible, this serious matter some way or other ex-
plained.

If a permanent increasing Revenue, at the rate
of 21 per cent. or more per annum on its amount,
can be supported without a prosperous agricul-
ture, all that has been said on the subject of our
agriculture being the root of and propelling
power to our branches of industry, must be ren-
dered futile; but before this is decided, the per-
manency of an increasing Revenue should be per-
fectly proved, for, in my opinion, it would be
as easy for a tree to support its trunk, and
branches without roots, as for the British nation to
support its manufactories, commerce, and finance,
without its agriculture being in a thriving state.
I also beg permission to state, that after many
years research, I have discovered that the prin-
cipal cause of our present and past distresses is,
and has been, National ignorance of the mighty
resources of the British Empire, of their capabi-
lities, and of that system of commerce and finance
combined, which is necessary to bring those
mighty resources into action, so as to give all
our people profitable employment, the nation an
increase of wealth, power, prosperity, and Re-
venue, without an injury being done to any useful
class of society.

Having stated the cause, the remedy, I pre-
sume, must be obvious to the meanest capacity.
I further contend that if the resources of the
British Empire were properly brought into
action, by a perfect system of commerce and
finance, it would be next to au impossibility for
au able person, or a British ship, to lack profit-
able employment, or the nation to want increased
Revenue, wealth, and power. How different is
our present state, I leave you to explain !
I remain, with great resect,
Your very obedient Servant,
A PATRIOTIC ENGLISHMAN and
London, Oct. 16. PHILANTHROPIST.

The Jews, says a letter from Frankfort, begin
again to express themselves with, much displea-
sure at the refusal of several Governments, and
particularly of the free cities, to grant them full
and entire enjoyment of civic rights. One of the
richest of them said lately, " If, at the Congress
of Vienna, we had foreseen this backwardness
on the part of the free cities, we could have
easily, by the aid of a few minim; prevented
their re-establishment."