1829.1] 
eyidlence.9 consumption ;, the ruingusly 
Joywiprice. of sugar.to. the grower, and the 
conyiction, on the, part of the. dealer, 
that the price, of the commodity cannot 
be, dower, may. have, led to an accession 
of stock;.in. the hand, of the dealers, and 
ane mouth’s consumption, only, is more 
,than, sufficient to, account. for, all the 
excess‘ of duty,.in the latter year. The 
jsame; cause, .of, increased stock in the 
-hand of dealers, aided by the renewed 
operation of paper money credit, will 
account, for all;the accession of duty 
which has, taken. place, on all articles, in 
both Customs, and Excise, without any 
increase of consumption, With respect 
to., the. increase_on coals, it is only 
,53,552/.. more than in 1818, and the 
Ancreased consumption for gas, since 
_that.year,-is more than sufficient to ac- 
count,for the increase, without an addi- 
tional spark of fire to comfort the British 
people ; and as. regards the increase of 
duty on timber, it may be remembered 
that, in 1821, the rate of duty on timber 
‘from Europe was, reduced 10s. per load, 
and that from, America charged with 
/10s.,-per; load, which previously | was 
i duty. free :, now., the proportion from 
America is, as 3 to. 1.from Europe, so 
that,.on-a fair investigation, the increase 
of (duty, on. timber, is seen to resolve 
itself into .an increase of rate and in- 
eréased burthen of taxation, and resolv- 
ing itself, as all taxation does, however 
indirect and: insidious its operation, 
ito labour and the products of labour. 
The Most opposite conclusions to those 
which you have laid down, will, on a 
full and fair investigation of the subject 
im question, prove to be just and true; 
that is, as far as the comforts of the 
great body of the people are concerned ; 
that‘partial interests will be promoted, 
aad alternate expansion or advance 
of commercial operations, is. a matter 
of course, being a consequence inse- 
parable from the speculative principle on 
which the financial and commercial 
polity of the,country is founded. An 
attentive examination of the article, 
inserted, at pages. 335-6 of that 
number, will in itself suffice to shew, 
as far as the extensive branch of manu- 
facture, there adyerted to,.is concerned, 
_. that, instead of.an increase of comfort 
Observations on Editorial Responsibility. 
485 
dulge the hope of what I have said suf- 
ficing, to any great extent, to allay the 
mistake and delusion which so univer- 
sally prevails, relating to. the political 
and social condition of. the British 
people. But if I should “succeed in 
bringing back the Monthly Magazine to 
its wonted habitude, in all cases, and ‘on 
all subjects of paramount importance, 
* of thinking for itself?” my object will 
be accomplished, and’ future’ opportu- 
nity may occur for more ample and 
satisfactory elucidation and proof of 
the various positions here, in such 
general terms, advanced. A. L.'L. 
res [We are equally obliged to this 
correspondent for his judicious remarks 
on the arithmetical sophistry of official 
exposés of revenual prosperity, and 
for his merited castigation of an unpre- 
cedented transcription of leading’ arti- 
cles from a newspaper, into those depart- 
ments of a miscellany which ought’ to 
breathe the original sentiments and’ de- 
liberate convictions of the Editor’s 'owu 
mind. We embrace, with promptitude, 
the opportunity thus afforded of as- 
suring our readers, that there is not, 
at present, any likelihood of ‘the recur- 
rence of any such cause of complaint. 
The portion of our Miscellany allotted 
to correspondence, is open, of course, 
to liberal controversy; and may, and 
should present, occasionally, not only 
great diversity, but absolute contrarieties 
of opinion: for we know of no sub- 
ject or question (however settled our 
own opinions concerning it may be) 
upon which “hear both sides” is not 
a good maxim. For opinions and sen- 
timents coming in this epistolary shape, 
we acknowledge no _responsibility—ex- 
cept the responsibility of discretion, in 
the avoidance of topics inconsistent 
with the general plan and object of 
our publication—sueh for example, as 
might give to it either a theological or 
anti-theological —a metaphysically spe- 
culative, rather than a practically useful 
character. Barring such ‘subjects of 
probable offence to public feeling, and 
such as might lead us too far from the 
direct and obyious paths of usefulness, 
thecorrespondence portions of our pages 
are, we repeat, open to the utmost 
freedom of discussion ; and for the sen- 
timents therein, as A.U.L. has liberally 
admitted, we are in no respect answer-" 
able—unless so far as we may render 
ourselyes so, by avowed concession 
or comment. But in the editorial de- 
partments, whether ctitical or political, 
i Swe 
.,to the British people,, their increased. 
, energy resolyes itself into, an increase 
» 0f exertion and. Jabour,, for diminished 
toreward....To. substantiate, to demon- 
, (Station, the yarious positions which I 
Lohave, here advanced, would. ences the 
jodimits, of your miscellany,, nor do 1 in- 
VoT9bTy 
