Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-04-02
iFor the Herald OF the Times.
Facts for the LabOring Man
BYA LADORINa MAN.


mem II II nv - COMHueU, WH
some remarks on The Treasury indePen
dent .9f The people.
\ M-TUscANY is n Grand dutcby Of Italy
whose sovereign is Of the house of Austria
II is about J20 miles in length, and eO u
breath, and contains g, l25 square miles, All,
l.i62 900 inhabitants. Florence is its Capi
tai, aud is situated on both sides of the rive
Arno, with u population Of S0, ,OOO.-Lrghorl
(or Livorno.) is the principal seaport IN TuU
cany, and is situated on the Mediterranean
Sea, and contains about 70, 900 nhabltsnts.
Mr.. Thomus Appleton, United Stutss Con
sui at Leghorn, writes MIR. Woodbury. that
II "As ia Tuscany there exists no Nationa
debt, there exists no National paper currency
of course the revenues OF the government II
soLcllj an specie.-The single article Of pernla
nent taxation is real estate every habltatIoI
or warehouse IN the city Is estimated at 1t
annual value 10 the owner, and on this rent
and which certainly Is neutr less than It's rea
product, the tax is affixed, which III LeghorI
rs IL per cent on the annual amount Of TN
rent OF each habiluble building or warehouse
this if nomtnaity producing SlOO rent, Sl'
are due to the Government. The Collector
o The Customs is the general receiver %: al
taxes. The taxed are compelled to carry
and pay eptry three months, u greater part o
the total annual sum to the collector, ant
this under the penalty of - per cent. io
ertry day delayed, and THIS exactliude o
payment Is vigorously required. Asall SUM
arc very speedily wltbdruwn by the govern
ment OF Florence, any misuse of the money
by tho Collector would be- attended with dis
u,issal from office, and whatever other pun
lshment the Grand Duke might Judge proper
TO lnfct, for HIS WILL IS ABSOLUTE
thus there Is no expense To the government
for collection. There is, however, another
revenue To the Grand Duke, which is a tax
OH every article consumed IN the city, even
to vegetables, which Is paid at the gates OF The
city, aud daily carried to the receiver OF The
Customs. All merchandise which enters by
sea is free from taxation to the inhabitants oi
the city, being flee port; but when carried
into the interior, the tax ID paid at The gates
of the town, 10 the substitutes Of the receiver
of The Customs, aud paid into the hands ot
the latter. l know of no checks Oh these
subordinates, but daily responsibility renders
fraud dlfiicult Of continuation. The revenue
OF The Grand Duke by taxation OF Tuscany
Is about six millions oi dollars, the population
being little over a million OF subjects"
The present Grand Duke Of Tuscany is
considered liberal minded nan-and does
not seem disposed TO use his unlimited pow
ers TO wantonly Cypress llis subJecls-0n'
still there is q vast deal Of suffering IN hls
domlnlons. In the year 1885, many thou
sands OF people died IL the mountainous DIS
ltricts OF Tuscany from famine, occasloned
iby the failure OF the usuui crop Of chesnuts
The whole people were SO poor that theY
had nothing to spure to send ABROAD, ana I'M
port FROM other countries food to sustain life
and being unacqualnted with the princl
pies or meaning Of credit, they had-no otheI
resource of rcllef from their suifernss bul
dcaM.-liad these poor people been su6]ec-
ted la the "LWdens imposed" by a RAISE
system" of i" Credit, Banks, aud Rags" they
would probably have been able to have sup
pIicd themselves with food from Sicily or
some other grain growing country. La ior,
mcr times, before commerce ana crcuit liau
made much progress IN the world, short.
ness Of iood IN amy particular neighoorhood
was universally attended with the most dis
astrous consequences. In most civilized
countries, the worst evils arising from any
accide ntal or provldenlal failure ol crops, are
now mostly done away with as there Is gene.
rally a surplus raised IN some quarter winch
Is readily transported 10 the point or points
where II is most necdcd.-The writer well
remembers, that in about tho year lolG, near
Ily the whole corn crop In New En-, land was
cut off 5y an cnrly frost, winch was followed
by much suffering among the people. Al
Il that time but lltc manufacturing business
was done, and the people had but little sur
plus to expend towards supplying the conlIn-
gent wunt of bread Stuff. Indian corn was
sold ut two dollars pur bushc, aud potatoes
at fifty cents per bushel. Potatoes aud bar
ley were the principal iood used by gred
many families. .,
\, Ia about the years 1886 and 1887, still
greater shortnrss of the corn crop occurred
aud extended over the whole British provin
ccs in North America; over all New Eng
land, and great part oi the State OF Ne"
York. The loss OF the crop IN New Engian,
alone, probably amounted ~ ut least ten mil
lions OF bushels.
I There are about 10000 square miles IL
the six New England States, or about 10
400 900 acrcs-allOwIng one hall of which tt
be improved, and we have l9,2OOOOO acres
enclosed.-Agaln, allowing each farmer WI,
Improves 100 acres To plant hive acres WIN
corn, and we have 100000 acres which, a
twelve bushels To the acre, (probaDly aDou
the avcfage) produces over lO,UoO,Ooo oush
els Of com y.arly--~hlch is probably les'
than the annual aggregate oI the ordinary
/, crop of Iniian corn raised ~ New England
! This crop with the exception oi what gre"
on few sea coast aud island ihrnls, was en-
! tuvly cut of'--so that the people were obii
! ged To be supplied from abroad with bree'
| stutls, aud vet such was the spur thnt ha6
I been given io commerc~ by our False sys
',tcm," that corn was freely brought III iron
abroad aud sold for one dollar hlty cents pc
! bushcl, aud that too at a time when the pcO
/ pie were able To purchase II freely, not"l'll
! standing the "L,udws imposed upon them
iIby tho False system" OF Mr. Van Buren,
and pothiug was ncard OF their being reduced
To living on barley and potatoes ms ~ the pre-
/, yious famine. IN 1887 The writer remember
eating bread IN Worcester county, in Massn
cbusctts. which was made OF corn import
cd from Alexandra IN Egypt and nliord
cd 10 the consumer IN New England ot ON
dollar aud iny cents per bushcL TINS wa
probably less price than II cost 'he p"'f'
arch Jacob 10 have II brought from The sam
country, only n few days journey ~ Inc ear
hcr days of commerce., when credit, rall roou'
s,eamboats, and benks were unknown, "h
when the people enjoyed all the blessings
q spccic currency.
In the war that has been wag"d Tor W
lasl 10 or ~ years, both by the present oil