HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



211 



hun.lred thousand. Thus the to- 

 tal of the supply, wanted for tlie 

 present year, would be nineteen 

 millions nine hundred and thirty- 

 nine thousand pounds. The ways 

 and means to raise this supply were, 

 the land and malt tax, two millions 

 five hundred thousand ; the grow- 

 ing produce of taxes afier answtr- 

 ina: the charges of the consolidated 

 fimd, two millions Oiie hundred 

 and ninety-seven thousand ; the 

 East India company, live iiundrcd 

 thousand J and the loan, eleven 

 mil ions. The taxes proposed by 

 the minister to pay the interest of 

 the new loan, w*'re two hundred 

 and forty-three thousand pounds 

 on British spirits, and that upon 

 brandy and mm, at the rate of one 

 penny a gallon for spirits ; nine 

 pence for rum, and ten pence for 

 brandy. Seventy thousand pounds 

 on bricks and tiles, at the rate of 

 eighteen pence additional for every 

 thousand'; thirty thousand pounds 

 on slate and stone, carried coast- 

 ways, at the rate of ten shillings a 

 ton for slate, and two shillings and 

 sixpence for stonr^; fifty-two thou- 

 sand pounds additional on crown 

 ajid plate glass ; sixty-three thou- 

 sand pounds additional on paper, 

 tweniv-five thousand pounds addi- 

 tional upon attorneys; together 

 with four hundred and twent}'- 

 eight thouund pounds surplus of 

 (axes in J 791. After produciu'^ 

 this statement, Mr. Pitt noticed, 

 that the public revenue was in a 

 state of prosperity beyond expec- 

 tation. The produce of taxes in 

 179^ ftceeded bv one hundred 

 and f!iii"tj'-4even thousand pounds 

 the average of the tour prccfding 

 j'eam ; and the total amount of the 

 reveni" had been more, by five 

 hundred thotjsand pounds, ^hnn at 



the most flourishing of former 

 periods. 



This general plan of taxation 

 was approved by Mr. Fox, though 

 he considered several parts of it 

 as oppressive. 



On the Tth of February, among 

 a variety of taxes that passed the 

 House, the rule by wliicli the Ro- 

 man Catholics were charged a dou- 

 ble rate to the land-tax, was can- 

 celled, to the great satisfaction of 

 the liberal-minded of all persua- 

 sions. 



The new taxes chiefly objected 

 to on this occasion, were those up- 

 on atlorneys and paper; the first 

 of which had already been adverted 

 to by Mr. Fox. Mr. Adam con- 

 sidered this tax as exposing the 

 profession to unjust reflections. 

 No pejsons were professionally 

 employed in a more confidential 

 transactions than attorneys : they 

 were necessarily entrusted with the 

 secrets of individuals, and of whole 

 families : the character of the pro- 

 fession ought therefore to coin- 

 niand respect. Doubtles?, there 

 were persons exercising it lit.le to 

 their credit; but this was no re- 

 proach to the profession itself, 

 wh'ch contained as excellent indi- 

 vidnals as any class of society. This 

 additional tax was a heavy incum- 

 brance ; as after paying it, together 

 with the foregoing duty for a li- 

 cence, still a man was liable to be 

 struck ofl'the list of attorneys were 

 a court of law to judge him unfit 

 for the profession ; in which case 

 he not only lostbii situation, in 

 lif', but received no indemnifica- 

 tion for the money he had expend- 

 ed in (pialifyiiig himself for it. 

 The heads of the law, and among 

 them were llio.se, the chief justice 

 especially, whoso endeavours to 



i' Z raise 



