The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-15 00:00:00

onnoi 'IIIV

LONDON, WEDNESD Y. OCTOBER 15, 184%

In the last number of the Edinburgh Reriew there is an ar-
ticle on a work by Mr. M`Cuntocir, called "A Treatise on
the Principles and Practical Influence of Taxation and the
Funding System." This is a comprehensive title for a book
published in a country that surpasses all others in taxation
and in the amount of its public debt, and from the introduc-
tory remarks of the reviewer we anticipated much informa-
tion on these important subjects, and entertained hopes that
political economy at last had discovered some means by which
otapxparetsits)ens and
us Wright beligdhitnelnineeils,hed. Theexordium enormous debtwould which
a
the
to such an inference. The author is extolled to the skies by
the writer. "This work," he says," embraces one of the
most extensive and pre-eminet.tly the most prac-
tical department of the all. important science to
which it belongs; arid it comes to us recommended
by the authorship of one of the most distinguished culti-
vators of that science." And further on—" It need hardly
be said that a writer at once so deeply versed in scientific
deductions, and so thoroughly conversant with statistical de-
tails, is peculiarly qualified to meet such a subject as taxa-
tion, in which conclusions drawn from abstract premises and
general principles continual), demand the correction of prac-
tical knowledge." We had looked at the work and tried to
derive some advantage from it, but in vain. This mishap we
attributed to our ignorance cf political economy, and the
peculiar phrases which Mr. 3l*Connocit Uses in conveying
highh s
praise in
s enti e tao public,journal
eraal
socelebrated for its ability and and we, therefore, after this
especially for its numerous articles on the princi-
ples which regulate the economy of trade, com-
merce, and manufactures, expected to find some light
thrown on the chaos of confusion, and to behold at a
glance the discoveries made by one " so deeply versed in
scientific deductions and so thoroughly conversant with
statistical details." But miserable was our disappointment,
for the reviewer seems as much bewildered as ourselves.
He, in fact, can make nothing of the work, and when he
begins to analyse its parts he only points out faults, or de-
fects, or contradictions. In the very first page we find that
the work contains no great amount of absolute novelty, and
that so much deep study and careful observation have sug-
g-eated but little in the way of practical amendment i and in
tll4 second page the writer boldly speaks out, and as-
serts that " it would not be easy altogether to mon-
oils in Mr. M‘Cunnocx the theorist with the statisti-
dam,' He gives a good reason, too, fur this
/left-handed blow at "a 0 able and experienced a writer."
~..M‘Cunnoctr, in alluding to the condition of the working
classes, states that during the last twenty or thirty yeas,
notsaltitstanding a considerable reduction of taxation, " their
condition has certainly not in any degree been improved, but
has rather, we incline to think, been sensibly deteriorated."
To which his eulogist sarcastically replies :—" In some of Mr.
DePCtsnisassit's previous statistical inquiries he seems, if we
recollect rightly, to have proved that during a period in
which the population t f England has doubled, its agricul-
tural produce, chiefly for the use of man, has quadruped;
and this although, in the interval, England has become an
importing instead of an exporting country; from which it
follows that an Englishman at this day eats twice as much as
his ancestor eighty years ago—a fact difficult to digest in
itself! mere difficult still when we are informed that for thirty
years the condition of the great bulk of the people Ilea been
falling off." This shows that political economists, as well as
liars, ought to have good memories. Throughout the whole
review of the work similar criticism prevails. We do not
find one principle laid down which bears the test of examina-
tion; and though the writer, to keep up the appearance
with which he commenced, throws in now and then a little
" soft sawdur," be is evidently highly dissatisfied with a pro-
duction which comes forth with such high pretensions. We
are not surprised at this, for really it contains nothing new
except staggering dogmas, without any attempt at elucida-
tion or the slightest proof. It abounds with all the stock
phrases cf political economists, and expresses a common
idea or the plainest proposition in such a complication
of high-sounding words and peculiar phraseology, that ordi-
nary readers cannot arrive at the meaning without trans-
lating the paragraph, and cometnnes the whole chapter, into
plain English, and after sifting it are astonished to find no-
thing but chaff—not even one grain of wheat. Such phrases
as these meet you at every turn—" incidence of taxes." " the
natural or necessary price of labour," "
population increas-
ing with appalling rapidity," " the irremediable helotism of
the great majority," " the horoscope of the system," " net or
taxable incomes," " funds, mortgages,
capital, industry," and
fifty other terms of the same stamp, to which however we
should not object, if they were used in such a way as to pro-
duce any good effect, or afford the least consolation
for the enormous taxes under which the population. and
especially the working population, labours. But they all
come to nothing. Population is increasing at a fearful rate ;
WATT and ARKIVRICIIT, and others so celebrated for their
wondrous inventions and discoveries, are the great culprits;
even the poor Irish are blamed for coming over to this coun-
try, and reducing the comforts of the EngliSh population.
The command of the CREATOR " to increase and multiply "
is to be disobeyed, though the world is not yet half-peopled ;
the condition of the hitionripg_elapes iseverY duy becoming