42*i Proposed Property Tax. [.luue-l, 



Tu the Editor q/^^i,c Hlonlhly Magazine, ought (o Ail I, on (Ik- sinwrior classes; 

 SIR, , ,, accojiipauiod wH'i (he (d'iginal corrt;!*- 



TliE clivss'qf your reaclers, and die poudence entered into in order to carry 

 extensive sa!e of j'onr periodical it into effect. Ami by \vhic?i it will be 

 work, induces me to hand yan a plan seen hew little is to he expected under 

 lor the general relief of (lie country: present clrcmnstances. . Jos.. 



so as to th row the chi'.'f weidit where it ; ' ' ' "■"■^■'■^'^ '" 



'liio ■)>;()(( 



ESTIMATE, made for the purposes of a tax on Ti\nv¥.iVT\\rccommeM6d,io 



Government bif Jn?,Ui:X COhLih'.n. > .» 



PROlirCK TWENTV-FIVE MILLIONS. ■..,. 



Property in Great Britain, Ireland and their dependencies. — Sec C'olqulionv, par/e 50. 



Total Amount - - - ■ - .fl,08l,.030,805' 



DEnUCTIONS TO BE MADE. 



For persons possessed of property under tlie 



amount of £1000, and therefore not liable to 



the tax, - . - 



Tor iion-rcsideuts, who employ thou- capitals 



abroad or in the colonies. 

 For amount of what may be public property, as 



naval, military or ordnance stores 

 Leaves a property which may become a fair object 



of taxation amounting- to 



300,000,000 

 348,197,.j02 13 1 



100,000,000 746,1tSy,66|J'l'SI'4 



£.3,333,.333,33'3 6 8 



IIithcri0,s;;f5cient attention has not 

 been jaid to the evident and important 

 dlstiiietiou between a (ax on income, 

 and lliat on propertAr. The one aiTc^ct- 

 ing principally the industrious andeu- 

 ti-rpriziuor class : thus discouraging that 

 very class to wliicli the country is in- 

 debted for all its prosperity. As to tlie 

 other, a tax on property, operates on 

 none but as far as their individual 

 jiower is eiicreased by (heir possessions. 

 And in all cases it is fitting, in a moral 

 as well as a political point of view, that 

 tho.se living most at tiieir ease, should 

 contribute most, in a well regulated 

 proportion, to the exigencies of the state 

 for their security. A principle has 

 been already wisely Introduced into the 

 window and house taxes, as likewise in 

 some others, of a species of accumu- 

 lating ratio. It is this alone which is 

 here recommended upon an extended 

 scale, and more just in its bearings, 

 because founded on mathematical hy- 

 pothesis. 



In order the better to explain my 

 meaning, 1 shall presume, after six 

 years of peace, ana the general obser- 

 vations which have been made on this 

 subject, that the population has en- 

 creased, and (hat that of the British 

 Isles may now be feirly computed at 

 eigliteen millions. 



And, for illustration, we willsuppose 

 that so small a proportion as a thirty- 

 sixth part of this numhsr, until we can 

 speak miTl'e correctly, or one person in 

 about six dwelling-houses through both 

 town and couutry, possesses a species 

 of property which may be assessed at 



£1000 sterling or upwards, chiefly 

 landed or funded interest, houfif*^ eat- 

 tle, farming stock, machineiy, &e. he. 

 These proprietors, as far us (heir pro- 

 perty goes, have clearly (lie means of 

 enjoyment within themselves, for whkh 

 they specially require t!ie protection of 

 government and the laws ; and are 

 more than the rest of the communilv 

 personally interested in a fixed order 

 of things. 



We iiave then no less a number than 

 seventeen millions five hundred thou- 

 sand of His Majesty's subjects, who 

 will be entirely exempt from (he bur- 

 den ; and only five hundred thou- 

 sand comprised in it. But it is diffi- 

 cult to say how many of these last will 

 be comparatively poor and others rich ; 

 nor can we have any data to guide us. 

 However, let us conjecture that the 

 half of this number possess so small a 

 property as from £1000 to £2000, the 

 half of the remainder twice as much, 

 and so on for ten distinct classes, eacli, 

 therefore, including but half the num- 

 ber of the preceding class, and possess- 

 ing double tile amount of individual 

 property. As for the three superior 

 classes to whom \vc are principally in- 

 debted, under many valuable consi- 

 derations, let them receive a recom- 

 pense at our hands, by lessening the 

 sacrifice it would otherwise be both 

 their duty and interest to make, since 

 a system now prevails which threatens 

 all property. We, therefore, have not 

 extended the scale of graduation be- 

 yond what is paid on £128,000 or 

 £1 17s. per cent. 



Another 



