Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-09-19

rec; tendency To retard the improvement
IN husban,.ry. Adam Smith says, thai
upon the rent OF rich lands, the tithes
may sometimes be a tax OF mol more than
one-hlili part, whereas upon the poorer
lands II may sometimes be tax of one
hall. = II could lay my hand on HE sum
total of the rental of England, and know
There Is such an estimate 10 be found
| somewhere, we might from those data
form tolerab!y correct opinion of The
| annual amount of this yeXatious and dis
couraglng species of land tax, the tithes
But IN addition 10 the iithes, il is cstimat-
| ed that from The exclusive property of the
Church an annual rent of between eight
and nine millions is paid, which is applied
solely towards the support of TIE CLERGY
Of the established church.
The poor-laws have existed 800 wears.
or thereabouts. They were never regard
ed as AN epit till after cur revolutionary
war, by which the English nation was
deeply plunged into debts and taxes. In
the reign OF Charles III. they amounted 10
onlo ESQ, 900 a year--beiore the late am
ti-iacobin war against France, tor the res
| toraiion of iaV, order aud religion, thew
amountedto "a, 200, 600 a year-at The end
OF the FIRST period of that anii-jacobin war.
lii 1901, they amounted 10 E5,300 COO a
year al tie end of the year 1915 they "a
mounted to 4 100000 year--and now
they may probably amount to II, COO, 900
pounds year. But indeed, there Is
nowno rule 10 go by. Subscription gifts,
grants oi money, applications of other
funds, all these have now been added, and
still starvation raves throughout the land.
| The debt, which is commonly called
the national debt. or the pubdc dcLt of Eng-
iaud, demanded, before tie commence
ment ofthe anti-Iacobin war for the resto-
ration OF fa,0, order and religion, nine mil
mons to pay the interest ef it; il now, in
the year 1917, demands forty -four millions
twenty-nlne thousand five hundred and
thirty pounds, 10 pay the interest OF this
same debt. As TO the expenses exclusive
OF the de6t, they are not exactly known
nor, as 1t would seem, can they be very
| particularly stated; for, as the Chancellor
| OF tie Exchcquer said, he could botcali
II peace eSiablisliment-io the period
nad not yetarrIVcd when the nation could
| De SAID 10 enlOy7edi peace" But he tells
us thai they wliamount in all TO %, I37, S0S
| pounds for tie present year 1917. Before
The anlI-Iacobin war, for the restoration
ot faw, order cad religion, they amounted
To sts millions year. Some of The war
taxes, such as ibe income tax, &c. have
been repealed, as being altogether insup-
| portable; and there has been also a very
| great diminuiIon in the productivcness OF
those taxes which have been continued
as, Tor example, on comparing the product
OF the same taxes for The first quarter of
tie year 1916, it will be seen that thew
Melted tl0,27l, l54; and that in the FIRST
! quarter OF the year immediately follow
ing, Q0l7) they produced only Is, 49i,3s4.
HE net product of the whole English re-
venue, therefore, cannot be estimated
curing Inc present yearat more than filtv-
four millions, which is all that can be ex-
torted from the people, to meet an exuen-
diture OF about siXty-seven millions for
we perceive that i'll July last, the Chancel-
Tor ct the EXchcquer acknowledged a de-
hciency OF more than twelve millions =
and, what Isa!so ineXpicable, at the same
Time that he makes this aeknOwiede ement
and talks otreducmg the national debt by
| paying oil thIrty-two millions OF The capi-
tai stock IN tie market, he tells the House
OF Commons that he has, or hopes TO be
| able before the end of the wear, TO add fif-
| iy-one million to the debt. His words
are, " From the 9th of February he had
| disposed OF tpeaiy-Sepen million pounds
Sterling OF the exchequer bills, and more
'hdn elSht months remained Tor the dis
| Posai OF the other twenty}our miifon."
This is a very clear, condensed, but
substantially faithful statement Of the pre-
Srni distracted and desperate condition
OF tile English finances. If we cast an
| eye over The preceding table. shewin the
| growth OF fbe English national debt. il
VIII be seen that the first war which The
| corrupt Boroughmongcrs of England. un
| der lie reign of that good king, no is
now confined i'll mad house, Wagsd a.
| SaInSt the cause of freedom, cost that ma
| non more than one hundred and ten mil
lions OF pounds sterling Notwithstanding
which enormous expense, the Borough.
monsers wholly failed and the war e.
ventilated IN tlle establishment ofAmeri-
can liberty and independence. Ii will be
also seen, that III The next war against
iFeedom-or, as the Boroughmongers cal
led IT, the Anti-JacObn war, for The res
f0ratlon OF law, order and rclirion-and
which, with a short interval. and various
fortunes, lasted thirty wears, the national
debt OF England, during lis first ten wears.
increased on an average of more than
Two millions annually that during Tie
next iliteen years of tie same war. lis ay-
era8e increase annually exceeded thirty
I'VE millions and that for the last five
years II accumulated at the rate Of more
IMAM forty millions per annum-aud that.
upon tie whole, this second war against
freedom cost England 742, 7S6 ,957i. -
And now, III this year, 1917, after Bona
parte has been snugly secured in st. He
lena, The isle OF desOIation, and England
has not a single open enemy in arms, IN all
the whole civilized world, This same natl.
onal debt is increasing annually, lesser
sum, but still III compound ratio for in
July last, we read the acknowledgement
OF the Minister, that he is obliged TO Jo,.-
too aud att TO the debt, the sam of about
thirteen millions, for The purpose Of paw