Star.
London, England, 1816-12-17 00:00:00

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THE EVENING STAR.

'I.OI4bON.

TUESDAY, DECti4BER. 17, 1816.
FACE OF tiTOCKi THIS OArY AVIWEI.VE freLOCN
11 02. *—Cone. mo. sbot—Com. for ops. 63“
A per Cent. per Cent. Navy shut
Eadietpser Bond►l Si. I pra

On. Saturday we laid before our Readers some re-
marks on the present state of thenation, introductory
to some suggestions Witch we mean from time to
time to offer for examination, with a view to the
rttahtment of some relief to the distresses of the
comitty, not. in the shape of mere temporary pallia•
tives, but commensurate to the extent of the present
evil, and calculated to restore perfect health, sound-
ness,. Ind vigour to our whole system. We reminded
the Public of the propriety of contrasting our pre-
sent circumstances, distressing as they are, with
the condition in which we should have found our-
selves, had our enemy been permitted, without re-
sistance, to mature and execute the plans he had
formed against our very existence as an ineepen-
dent, a free, and a great people. Our efforts have
been crowned with success. " Away with unavail-
ing regrets at the expense that our deliverance has
cost us.;" but let every one, in his station, exert him-
-14 to repair the injuries occasioned by the struggle,
to property of every description, whether agricultural
or commercial, and to the national resources generally.
We have also reminded our Readers, that men of
all descriptions—the Ministers themselves—intelligent
men in and out of Parliament, had concurred in
stating, that frugality was rendered indispeetsible:
that is, the taxes must be reduced as speedily and ex-
tensively as possible. But, are they not virtually
reduced already ? have they not ceased already to
produce the sum expected to come from them ? If
so, the fact speaks a volume, and spews that, the
people having ceased to be able to pay the revenue
dentaaded. A reduction of taxes, far beyond any thing
'that can be effected by lopping off a few salaries, is
indispensible to the restoration of national prosperity.
0 ie thing is certain, Ministers can expend no more
than they can levy. Will it be said-44 They can
borrow !" What !in a time of peace ! What*Mi-
nister would venture to increase the load of our debt
by borrowing money to pay the interest of what we
have already contracted ? We have nosuch profligate
men. If we had, what. Parliament would suffer it ?
It would be folly to shot our eyes to the fact. The
revenue cannot meet the demands which come against
it. Who is to mar ? The placeman and pensioner
or the National Creditor?—Nothing can be more
equitable than that the enormous salaries of placemen
should be reduced in a time of public calamity as
well as the incomes of landlords, merchants and ma-
nufacturers—as well as the more moderate wages of
the artisan and tI4 labouvor, till, by a return of more
affluence, the nation can again afford to be liberal to
its public. servants. Every useless place ought to be,
abolished— and as many as fouible of our soldiers
should be turned over to employments which may
add something to the common stock.
But where is employment to be found for fresh
'bands, when so many are now out of work ? The
question is foolish. The community could maintain
these mew at less expense in the shape of mechanics
and labourers, than hi the shape of soldiers;. and
though there might not, for a time, be & demand for
their whole labour, they would, nevertheless, contri
bete something to the general income, by even the
partial employment which they might obtain.—But
why are so many out of employment at this time ?
To follow out this question would lead us from our
present object. Suffice it to remark, that whenever
Taxes press too heavily upon a community, want of
employment becomes one of the necessary conse-
quences ; for the rewards of industry—the profits of
the different classes, whicfr shield became capital, and,
furnish the means to pay wages to workmen and
labourers, and to buy superfluities, are not only
wrung from the people before they are well earned,
but even a portion of the capital. already acquired;'
for people never willingly descend in the scale of
their living.—But to return—
Along with retrenchment what else can be effected
for the relief of the people ? Abolish, for a time at
least, as we have often recommended, the operation
of the Sinking Food,:and take off At mice a sum of
taxes equal to its annual amount. This measure will
go far to enable the natio° to retrieve itself. By leav-
hog in the bands of the people' some portion of what
is now drawn froill them, to pay interest on debt
which has been bought trip—thatis, whkl has already
bees paid II the radney. so left will become produc-
tive instantly. Who can calculate the wee* which'
would awne from an addition of one image* iseset
to the Agricultural and Commercial capital of the
eluntry ? Or rather, who can properly appreciate
the sum of the ea that is- inflicted upon the.com.
nullity by abstracting, marcaseeriiy, is a time of pa.
culiar distress, from the earning. of the people, so
enormous a sum as a million a notiltib, 'foe a Wes*
• Abets useless purpose!
But such a measure would depress die pidais'fanda
We say no, but the contrary ; tor the less mosey is
drawn from the people the sooner they obtain a sat-
plus ; and the more that this is encouraged the greater
will, be the number of people who will be necessitated
to seek for some secure means of laying out their
vapory at interest. Ter ergilemet-sebe kr it be 4-

lowed, however, that each a steam! woad have the
immediate effect to depress the public- flah#l. What
then t Why should this species of firoperty be arti-
ficially bolstered up at the expense of evade *the
species of property in the kingdom. It ought • like
every other kind, to be suffered to find its level. To
do otherwise is to be guilty of an act of flagrant in-
justice to the rest of the community—and we leave
it to casuists and sophists to pravei that what is ra•
dically unjust can be truly termed politic.
Having more than once expressed our decided opi-
nion on the impolicy of continuing to le:iy so enor-
mous a sum of taxes as are absorbed by tbr Sinking

Fund system, we shall not enlarge at present on the
subject ; but content ourselves with• pressing its sup-
pression on the attention of all sound economists, as
Ane of the best calculated means, from the magnitude
of its effects, speedily to restore that degree of energy
to our Agslculture and Manufactures, which alone
can prodece an adequate demand. for labour, and
give eahployinent to our numerous artisans and la-
bourers.

Let taxes thee be taken off to the whole amount
of the produce of the Sinking Fund. Your labourers
and mechanics will in that case become the consu.
mers of those articles from which revenue is drawn,
instead of living, as many for a time have been com-
pelled to do, on the bounty of others—at the expense
of their own morals, accompanied too with the de-
struction of the habits of industry.
There is yet one other great nstasure worthy of
much consideration' which ought 4o be investigated
coolly and dispassionately, but our limits d 3 not allow
us to enter on it to-day.

. .

Our Readers are aware that the French Govern
ment has been attempting to negotiate a Loan in this
country. The negociation has provedfruitless. Nine
millions sterling were wanted—they could not be ob-
tained. One million would then have been taken,
but in this also the agent has failed in his object.
Were only one farthing wanted, to be repaid by ont
guinea, at the end of one year, we would mark down
the individual who would furnish it for such a pur-
pose as being any thing but a patriot. Too much of
our national wealth has already gone to other coun-
tries. It is high time that both the nation and indi-
viduals should practically demonstrate their tzonvic-
tion that avoiding the waste of property, fairly se-
quired, is one at the Aunt guards against national'
and individual distress.
As a caution to such fools as may be liable to
be tempted by the offer of high interest, we shall
state to them a fact, of which some of them
may be ignorant During the reigns of Louts the
Fifteenth and Sisteenth, various sums of money were
advanced by individuals in this Country, in the pur-
chase of Realer Viarret, or Life Annuities, secured
by the French Government. These public debts
were reduced by the reigning Powers after the Re-
volution,to a third, which third was again reduce&
byiponavanvz to a third, so that an original Redo
Vivre of a 1,200, became finally reduced to
£133.65. 81 By the Treaty of Paris our public
demand of some millions was given up, on condition
that the British individuals should receive their debts
—and accordingly Commissioners were appointed
on both sides to examine and to liquidate them ; and
our Readers will easily conceive the astonishment of
the British Commissioners, when they found the
Botqusou Courtiers prepared only to take up the
claims at the reduced rate, because they had so found
them in the public documents. A long correspon-
dence took placwo ending at last in a spirited remon-
strance, 'which was delivered in by the Duke of
WarAntoron, just at the period of the re-appearance
of NAPOLEON on the coast, when, of course, bell, book,
and candle, were thrown aside, and the Noble Duke
called away by engagements of a different nature.
This mistake has been now rectified in the late Treaty,
and the Commissioners are again at work; but we
hear of repeated complaints of delays and difficul-
ties; and it is hardly possible to say when the liqui-
dation will be completed.

A most important communication was received
this morning •by letters from Rotterdam of the Bth
instant. They state that the Dutch Government
have finally determined that all stns of Grain may
be exported duty free. The Consequence wag,: that
all the best sons of Wbeat.were iminediately bought,
up at an advanced price; but the probable quantity
from Rotterdam, for einartation, would not exceed
I.lo® lasts. -
The importations of *hese into. this country, 'we'
art; happy to say, are likely to be very great. Our
teeters from Nor •York, Baltimore, and other ports
of America, smote. thee several vessels laden with
noir have sailed from thence, and may be hourly
expected to arrive in some of the ports.

Yesterday a Cabinet Council met at the Foreign
Ofisee, according to summons, which Sat upwards of
hoar hours, from one o'clock till past five. •
Her ble.rarrY, accompanied by the Princess Est`!
ZAPS= and the Dowager Countess of MELVILLI.
lied followed by several other carriages in retinae,
left Brighton yeatardity morning at nine o'clock, to m-
onk 10 Windsor. Her MAJESTY was led from the,
greed eatrance-ball, and banded to her carriage by
the Duke of CLARNSICfs The Duke of Mamma.
Lieutenant General Sir B. BLOOMPIaLD, and the'
neater part of the company, were in attendance.—
The Slit Infantry saluted as her frlAiurrY passed,'
and the lath Hussars formed the escort.
The Quint., and one or more of the Ppistounas,:
,the Princess Cnataunte, and the Prince of taxi Ca-
ammo, ass all expected to return early in Saaoary.