238 
and actuaries of our public companies. 
Mr. Pitt’s respectful attention to all de- 
putations of merchants and tradesmen, 
does him honor: he always took the 
pains to make himself master of their 
grounds of complaint, and usually ac- 
commodated his measures, in a great 
degree, to their representations. This 
deterence for the will of the commercial 
interest, his somewhat corrupt alliance 
with the great monopoly companies to 
the prejudice of unprivileged trade, and 
the facility with which peerages were 
scattered among the personal chieftains 
of the monied aristocracy, have caused 
that decided popularity upon the Ex- 
change, which still renders the admini- 
stration of Mr. Pitt an object of sin- 
cere regret among the London mer- 
ehants. 
His taxes were numerous. Taxes 
may be (1) useful: as when they are 
imposed on those sources of revenue 
which maintain the idle, and thus com- 
pel an increase of productive exertion ; 
such are taxes on the rent or income of 
houses, lands, fixed and funded property. 
Taxes may be (2) indifferent: as when 
they fall on every one in proportion to 
his ability, and not so sensibly as to in- 
flict privations ; such are in a great de- 
ree the assessments, yet they somewhat 
a the two extreme classes, at the 
expence of the middle class. Taxes 
may be (3) noxious: as when they levy 
on the poor and on the rich an equal 
sum; such are poll-taxes, and excise- 
taxes on objects of universal consump- 
tion, as beer, tea, soap, candles. Now, 
it is remarki:ble, that a very small pro- 
portion of Mr. Pitt’s taxes belong to 
the first class, a larger to the second, 
but the great mass of them to the third 
of these distributions ; so that, as a tax- 
gatherer, the exertion of his skill is un- 
questionably blame-worthy. It has not 
been made out by theorists, whether (4) 
taxes on circulation, such as on stamps, 
legacies, conveyances, freight, &c. are 
useful, indifferent or noxious ; we there- 
fore ayoid noticing them, as objects of 
applause or reproach, We suspect, 
hoveever, that they ought to spare the 
minor, which are the productive, and to 
attack the major, which are the unpro- 
ductive forms of circulation. Ifso; in 
this case again, Mr. Pitt has egregious- 
ly erred. 
As an orator, he ranks im the higher, 
but not in the highest forms of excel- 
lence. If one has a foreign guest, who. 
HISTORY, POLITICS, AND STATISTICS. 
wishes to hear the debates in parliament, 
one picks preferably the evening when 
Mr. Pitt is expected to speak. ‘There is 
in his delivery an imposing majesty, in 
his verbiage an vnrelenting fluency, 
which is sure to satisfy the spectator and 
hearer : he will return to his own coun- 
try with an idea that the minister is 
worthy to represent the nation. Yet if 
the foreigner happens to be a critic, and 
to think over and analyze what he has 
heard, he will probably discover that he 
was more delighted by the form than 
by the matter of the harangue. The 
phrases were turned with the roundness 
of an author, and accumulated with al- 
luring volubility. Repetition, which is 
a vice in a writer, is a virtue in a speak- 
er, who can seldom, like Mirabeau, im- 
press at a blow his opinion. The ora- 
tor, therefore, ought to restate his in- 
ferences in altered words, that the sen- 
timent may have time to make its way. 
Mr. Pitt has eminently this power of , 
amplification ; but he accomplishes it 
rather by a change of phrase than of 
illustration, rather by multiplying: his 
words than by varying his tropes, ra- 
ther by dint of memory than of imagi- 
nation; in the long list of his speeches, 
there is scarcely a figure one recollects. 
The argumentative part is never ex- 
haustive, and seldom pointed; but it 
has always the merit of embracing the 
leading topics in just proportion, and of 
pressing those grounds TEE, for 
the comprehension of which blic « 
mind at the time is most prepared. 
This is the great secret of popularity 
and success in public speaking—to ar- 
gue with the very data of the hearers, 
to exact no new efforts of thought or 
reflection from their indolence, and ra- 
ther to lend expression’ than idea to 
them. Itisthe sure road to the appro- 
bation of ordinary minds and common 
capacities; because it flatters a vanity 
which instruction would humiliate.— 
Some persons (the foible is common in 
the speculative world) are too prospec- 
tive, too far-sighted in their views and 
- 
schemes, and consider every question . * 
by universal principles and remote con- 
tingencies, rather than by its specific’ 
pressure and immediate operation. Mr. 
Pitt, on he contrary, is somewhat too 
near-sighted, (if the metaphor may be 
allowed), and is remarkable for the 
locality and momentaneity, and conse- 
quently for the transientness of his 
grounds of advice. Speeches which 
ee 
