BroiiL;lit forward 36,000,000 



Income Tax restored, 

 siipposins; that to 

 be possible . . 9,000,000 



Sinkiii-j Fund appro- 

 priated to annual 



- txijeuce . . . 12,000,000 



57,000,000 



Total means 

 Expenditure. 

 Iiitrrrstof debt fund- 

 ed and unfunded 33,000,000 

 Annual expenditure, 

 estimate(J at i!9 mil- 

 lions, reduced to 24,000,000 



r37,000,00O 



The seizure of the Sinking I''ui)d 

 v."0!il<i itself be the worst act of breach 

 of fuilh jiossible towards trie iiuidhdlder, 

 and even witli that we come but to a ie- 

 Tcl, supposing tliat the taxes sliould coii- 

 linuc productive to (lie immense amount 

 Jicrc .stated, which I do not believe they 

 would. 



I said in my first letter on this sub- 

 ject, that after a reduction the fund- 

 holders would find themselves in a bet- 

 ter situation than before; to prove tliis 

 is scarcely necessary, because, security 

 for their capital, and, a reduction of 

 prices of the articles of life, would both 

 operate in their favour : but let us see 

 liow in former times reduction ope- 

 rated. 



In 1717, the interest of the then debt, 

 amounliiig to about fifty millions, was 

 reduced from 6 to 5 per cent. Ten 

 years after, that is, at Midsummer 1727, 

 the interest was fart!;er rediu-ed from .5 

 to 4 per cent, and the funds rose very 

 coiisiderabiy on the occasion. 



In 1749 Ihtrc was a farther reduction 

 Mill, Ihe capital being at that time 

 .'J7,703,475/. ; and, though it w as op- 

 tional, very few resistcfl, and they were 

 paid oil b^ the Sinking Fund, v\hich 

 only amounted to GOO,Ot)OZ. 'J'iiis last 

 reduction was from 4 to .3 per cenl. ; so 

 that, on the whole, from 17 to 49, the 

 interest was reduced one-half; yet there 

 was n<'ither the necessity to do it that 

 there is now, nor did any other ])os.scs.sors 

 of real pioperfy contribute an e(|ual 

 ])ro])ortiou lo« ards diminisliing the bur- 

 tliens (A' the slate. 



I |)roposed all men of real jnopcrly 

 being subjected fo a |>a\ incut by instal- 

 ments, to reduce lh(! debt; and all this 

 to j)revent bankrnpley and a revolution, 

 the event of which will depend on ini- 

 known circumstances, and therefore 

 ought to be deprecated by all lovers of 

 their country'. 

 Li liie former cases of the reductiou 



Units relative to Domestic Economy. 2<)J 



of interest, the conviction of the wisdoin 

 and expediency of the measure led to 

 it ; now a conviction, not of the wisdom, 

 but the necessity, ought to operate with 

 still greater force ; and the stockholders 

 tlieniselves would do wisely to propo.se 

 the measure, for, if it is net adopted, they 

 rmi the risque of losing all. 



W1LLIA.M Playfair. 



To the Editm- of the Monthhj Magazine. 



SIR, 



THL. following hints have been sug- 

 gested from the perusal of th« 

 small w 01 k (the liotanists' Companion,) 

 mentioned in your last number ; and 

 Wi.icli having been suiiuiitted to the 

 consideration of some of oiu- most cmi- 

 iiciit characters, ni)lcd not less for their 

 scientilic researelies tliau for promoting 

 the gencial welfare of society, and it 

 iiaving so far met tlieir apjirobation as 

 to merit the patronage 01 jiart of tlic 

 iH^yal family, w ho have not only oilcred 

 it that honour, but who are endeavour- 

 ing to establish an institution to further 

 the object it presented; 1 am indnoed to 

 olJ'cr it for a place in your Magazine, 

 considering it an object highly worthy 

 tiie public consideration in the present 

 season ; an<l, as soon as the plan is ma- 

 tured for its completion, I sliall also do 

 mjsclf the pleasure of comnuuiicatin<; 

 it to you. 



A Friend to the Pook. 



Hints relative to Domestic Economy, 

 intended for the Purpose of drauing 

 the Attention of our Votlagers, ^c. to 

 the Advanlage of converting to Use 

 manij of our Wild PlauU, nut at pre- 

 sent generally nuderstoud. 

 The variety of plants indigenous to 

 this country are aljout 1300, one-third 

 part of «lnc!i are of considerable use in 

 the arts, agriculture, &,c. anil, if the ai- 

 tention of tiie poor were directed to this 

 purpose, it would gi' ethemeonsideraliltj 

 ojifiorl unities of turning to good account 

 their Inne, wlien belter employment is 

 not to be had. 



'Jhc grasses of which our best mea- 

 dows and pastures are composed, are, in 

 many places, the spontaneous produce of 

 our waste lands; and the seeds of whieit, 

 if collected and j)roperly pieparcd, would 

 all'ord, for several inontlis every season, ,1 

 great source of gain, not to (he collector 

 only, but to our agriculture in g(uieral. 



Also the seeds of many Icgnmiuous 

 plants, as vetches, trefoil, bird.s-lbo(, 

 ladies-linger, ice. which arc very <om- 

 ijiou iu our hedijes, aud other places ; 



and 



