Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-05-25


trade, and the stagnation Of that,will again |
De felt most deeply by the labouring and
poorer class at home. How then are the
SO millions to be raised when such time
arrivese We may, one day or other, per-
ceive the folly OF mourning such debt for
no rational or justifiable object.
There is one tag in France too ridicu.
iously oppressive to be credible, without
such high authority.
tits the tax on all bankrupt estates.
The author says" The Injustice is more
revolving (literalIy crying) in case of the
duties on bankruptcies. The duty is
charged onthe whole amount of debts due
by the bankrupt, and it sometimes happens
that the duty exceeds the dividend of the
creditors.
Mr.. Walsh and Mons. D'Ivernois have
endesyoured to give us pretty sombre
picture of the Impressions of the French
financial system, but they have said no
thing equal to this that the greater the in
solvency, the greater the loss of the citi-
zens, the large. shall be the gains of the
government.
Some OF this distinguished and judicious
writer's reflections on the effects of indi-
rect taxes, especially on articles consumed
by all classes Of people are as follows -
They are principally supported by the
laborious classes.'
This is strictly true if you compare
their proportion ofthe tax with their whole
income and expenditure.
They invite fraud, informations, ha-
tired and vengeance among neighbours.
They require declarations on oath, domi-
ciliary visits, odious examinations, a daily
superintendent of the affairs of individu-
ais. They require rigorous penal code
in order to deter the fraudulent. They
afford the government the means of in
creasing their taxes at pleasure, without
affording to the individuals affected, a rea-
sOnable mode of redress. In short their
collection is extremely costly, and requires
an army of officers who would be more
probably employed in some laborious cal
ling"
These remarks are certainly just, and
| no country is more likely to feel their JUS
tlce than zoe are. We, who changed our
rulers for no other reason than to get rid
of all indirect taIes! I! This is anus
ing
Ofthe honorable state Of Ministers of reli-
gion in France.
The able author whose writings have
furnished us with these notes is deeply i'm
pressed with the degraded state of religion
and the Clergy in France. He says the
salaries of the clergy are too small, espe-
clally in the great cities and departments.
He recommends that in the towns where
the price OF living is very great, the salary
OF the Curates or officiating clergy should
be raised to 700 francs, or 14O dollars
year ! and in other towns to GOO francs
or 40 dollars a year " This would be
an encouragement he says for greater
number to enter the profession"!
This suggests many Interesting thoughts.
FIRST the low state to which the christian
religion must be reduced I'm France when
a protested friend to the clergy recon-
mends an addition to their allowance so
as to make their wages equal to SO cents
per day. Secondly. The low rate of wa
yes aud the cheapuess of living in France,
where clergyman can clothe and board
himself for ten dollars per month.
1t should however be recOllected that
the clergy in France are forbidden to mar
ry, and OF course their expenses are very
small in comparison with those of clergy
men Ill ouis, orany other protestant coun
try.
Learning seems to be in a lower state &C
cOrding to this well informed, able, French
landholder; there is religion Dotwith-
standing the Lycees, the Prytanees, the
Athenees, the EcOles Polytechniques, with
which we were so astOnished at the COM
mencement of the revolution.
This book written solely for Frenchmen,
with as much of French pride as is desira
BILE, and by friend tn the revolution too,
asserts that :" the smaller schools are not
merely neglected they are forgotten.''
g Formerly there existed a school in, at
least, every village" .No,o more than
half the tOwnsa are deficient in them, and
there Is not more than one child in many
villages who knows how to read or write.n
This Is chargeable not on the Bourbons, but |
on the republicans, or it you please, revo-
iuti0nlsts.
He then proposes that the most efficaci- |
GUS measures should be adopted to remedy |
this crying evil, and recommends an al |
lOwance I'm order to procure schoolmas-
ters)1f $50 to 600 f. ancs per annum, that is
from thirty torty dollars year, for
good schoolmaster, the man to support |
himself /! He says this would be suffi-
Gent " to fix and establish man capable
OF glyi g the n, cessa, y instruction to coun-
try children" :! 1t may be so, in
France, but pauper in the u. States
would feel pretty poorly supported on 60
cents per Ceet!! Such is the difference
between France and us, as to manners,
expenses, aud # you please, ideas of COM
fort. What have selected is not the
language Ui an enemy. but of n renuhlican