The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-28
The British Debt and Cost of Army and
Navy How the John Bulls are Bled.

/ York tEnR1 Letter to tho PHILADELPHIA Press
The estimate of appropriations asked ro
tho army Tor this year by tho GOngervate ad
minisfratipn was over $75,O0D, 600. This sun
has already been exceeded, IL Is believed hS
about thirty-three per cent, making the cos
OF the army this year 100000. 900 or over
And this Ia cheap for Europe for the English
army is . small one when compared with The
Continental masses OF legions. In France
| tho military burden is worse, and In Germany
! 1t is appalling.
| The amount asked for the English navy roi
the current year is I10, $780, 30 nearly S55,.
i 0oO000. This one sum of naval cost ls more
than our entire civil service and mlseellane-
| Gus expenditure for 1878 more than the
whole actunl expenses OF our entire govern.
ment, less the war. navy, Indian, pension and
| public debt Interest accounts. Or. can con
| trnst tho figures In another way. tho cost OF
the army and navy TO England for this year
| II equal 70 al our current expenses Of all
| kinds last year, saving tho item oi Interest on
! the public debt
The final proof, however, In tho compare
tive burden Of government will be found In
tho pubic debts OF the two countries. 1t II
they which represent the sum of costs and
the weight. Hero the contrast Is sharp
national ieht Is Diminishing and England's
national debt Ia G777,7st, 500, the enormous
sum Of almost fonr billions of dollars, and In
oreasing. As 9 matter OF fact. they count it
now only by the interest, which III 1879. at
their low rates. amounted to S,l12. 100 The
country has lost all hope OF paying off the
principal, but that Is not the worst-they
arc not keeping 1t down. and In that Is seen
the weight 81 the burden Of the cost OF gov
ernment. which Is greater than the people can
or Will bear Since 1862. when the interest on
tho debt was r2G 100000 there has been a
steady and gradual rise, sometimes hating
Tor year or experiencing an appreCiabIe
dimfnution, 1t Is true. but never holding the
gain, until now i stands ut over G2sVO0, 900
And how Is all this met This Is the indi-
yldual question for our grunblers to con-
front. The Engltstlman staggers under taxes
Of which we happily know nothing Mt all or
very little d searching income tax to begin
with. stamp acts and excise, probate and Gus us
tom ievies. Many of these are Of heavy
weight when contrasted with ours even I'M
der the pressure OF war. The probate OF
poor mans will costs 2 per cent on the sum
proved. tax answering us our collateral
Inheritance statute lays levy OF per cont
on direct or lneal SUGGESTIONS, l. g. the past
sage Of property from father to son. When
the leRatee Is further out than n grand-uncle
or aunt this tax rises to 10 per cent. Patents
for inventions cost S25 at#cvery step, the final
Issuing Of tho patent costing from $3.50 to
$500 in addition There are pro rata taxes on
Insurance policies, on every lease. on mort
cages, On conveyances, on settlements. on
bond- on covenants and bills OF exchange and
bank notes Then there are stamp taxes tax
on every receipt given for u sum over $40; on
licenses, on houses, on liquors. An attorney
must pay down $3.50 to the State on his AL
mission as a barrister. a notary public $3.50
on receiving his commission. You pay 81 50
for The privilege Of carrying gun and So Is
for the right to call yourself a servant and
hire out rs ono; o marriage license costs
SO %, and II you want to marry without pre-
yious residence In the parish or district tho
special license costs $50.
Tie list might be extended almost indeh-
nite'y. | only cite a few instances at hand to
Illustrate the weight of taxation in u we'll
governed European State, and how 1t presses
in on the individual, annoying, hampering
and embarrassing him at every point and
turn