On the contrary, we still
think them the most easy and equal way of taxing a nation, and
perhaps it is demonstrable that if we had fallen into this method at
the beginning of the war of raising the year's expense within the
year by excises, England had not been now indebted so many millions,
but what was advisable under such a necessity and danger is not to
be pursued in times of peace, especially in a country depending so
much upon trade and manufactures.
Our study now ought to be how those debts may be speedily cleared
off, for which these new revenues are the funds, that trade may
again move freely as it did heretofore, without such a heavy clog;
but this point we shall more amply handle when we come to speak of
our payments to the public.
Mr. King divides the whole body of the people into two principal
classes, viz.:-
Increasing the wealth of the kingdom 2,675,520 heads.
Decreasing the wealth of the kingdom 2,825,000 heads.
By which he means that the first class of the people from land,
arts, and industry maintain themselves, and add every year something
to the nation's general stock, and besides this, out of their
superfluity, contribute every year so much to the maintenance of
others.
That of the second class some partly maintain themselves by labour
(as the heads of the cottage families), but that the rest, as most
of the wives and children of these, sick and impotent people, idle
beggars and vagrants, are nourished at the cost of others, and are a
yearly burden to the public, consuming annually so much as would be
otherwise added to the nation's general stock.
Pages:
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114