Colston’s Tour through France, Switzerland, and Italy. 
ina definitive sense, was null, our debt 
being augmented in a far greater ratio by 
our annual loans. After all that we have 
been told of the operation.of the sinking 
fund ; after the pompous statements of 
hundreds of millions redeemed by it; after 
all the eloquent effusions in its praise by 
both sides of the House, the public will 
learn with some surprise, that since 1786, 
this fund has had a real operation during 
twelve years only, and that the actual re- 
duction effected by it, has not averaged a 
single million a year! Jn this we are to 
be understood, as leaving the twenty- 
three years of war wholly out of the ques- 
tion, and confining our calculation to the 
six years preceding 1793, and the six years 
subsequent to 1815. 
‘The surprising results ascribed in our 
time to compound interest will be cited 
by the future historian, as affording a 
striking example of the power of enthu- 
siasm in the original calculator, and of 
the extent of credulity on the part of the 
public.. In war, the sinking fund is sup- 
ported by loans, and is it not apparent, 
that whatever may be the beneficial result 
of accumulation in the hands of the 
commissioners of the sinking fund, the 
loss to the public from the additional 
loans required. by it must be in the same 
compound ratio? We might even add, 
that in all cases of taxation, where the im- 
post has not (and it very rarely has) the 
effect.of inducing economy in the indi- 
vidual, the Joss is to be reckoned by com- 
pound, interest, since had the money been 
left in the hands of the subject, the in- 
crease would have been in the compound 
form. 
Comparative Taxation of Great Britain 
and France. 
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 
Computed for 1823, after deducting the taxes 
on salt, leather, and malt, lately reduced. 
. Gross amount, inclusive of the expence 
of collection, 
Assessed. taxes, - - £6,500,000 
Customs. - * .  » 11,000,000 
Excise |. = - - 27,000,000 
Stamps... - - 6,800,000 
Land-tax - - - 1,200,000 
Post-office (nett amount) - — 1,400,000 
Crown. lands : 4 200,000 
All other government receipts 1,900,000 
d 56,000,000 
Tithe - - 4,000,000 
Poor-rate after deducting the 
portion paid in liew of 
wages. ~ . - 5,000,000 
ee 
Total 65,000,000 
631 
’ FRANCE. 
Gross. Amount, inclusive of Expence of 
Collection. 
Sterling. 
Foncier, or land and house- 
Ware D8 - - £9;000,000 
Mobilier, afarther house-tax; . 
also the window-tax, and 
the patentes or tax on pro- 
fessions - - ~ 3,000,000 
Customs - - - 2,300,000 
Excise; viz. duties on ‘salt, 
tobacco, snuff, wine, 
spirits, beer, and some 
lesser articles, the whole 
comprised under the name 
of droits reunis < =» 9,000,000 
Stamps; viz. enregistrement, 
domaine et timbre = 6,000,000 
Post-office (nett receipt) = 600,000 
Sale of wood from the pub- 
lic forests 2 of 7 800,000 
All other receipts and con- 
tingencies, including a 
large municipal revenue 
collected from  octrois, 
and other charges borne 
by the inhabitants of 
towns - = = 6,800,000 
£37,000,000 
Equal, after adding, twenty 
_ per cent. for the greater 
value of money to - 45,000,000 
— 
JOURNAL 
OFA 
TOUR 
8a ae 
FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, anv ITALY, 
DURING THE YEARS 1819, 20, anv 2h. 
eee Ss ILLUSTRATED BY BES 
Fifty Lithographic Prints, ‘ 
From Original Drawings, taken in Italy, the Alps, 
; ‘ and the Pyrenees, 
——_———= ; } 
ag BY a a 
MARIANNE COLSTON. 
IN TWO VOLUMES. 
————— 
[This is one of the pleasantest books of re- 
cent Travels which we have lately perused. 
The Authoress writes with the ease and 
vivacity peculiar to her sex, and at the 
same time, makes her observations in the 
spirit of philosophy :—we regret that the 
important 
