‘er 
- 
SKETCHES OF THE STRENGTH AND FORCE OF FRANCE AND RUSSIA. 
from tlic s1me source upwards of 8,000,0001. 
sterling. The feudal and honorary dues paid 
to the nobility, with corvees, militia, &c, 
amounted at least to 5,000,000]. So that 
exclusive of the rents of the land paid to the 
lay-proprietors, and of the duties of excise, 
cansumption, and the like, the produce of 
the soil was charged annually with upwards 
of 21,000,0001. sterling. By the realization 
of the church and crown domains, of the 
tithes, feudal and honorary dues, and, by the 
_ abolition of the religious orders, charitable 
institutions and corvees, the whole of this 
sum may now be appropriated toa part of the 
public revenue. 
«« [In every country in Europe, and espe- 
eially in France, agriculture is susceptible of 
great melioration; the entire abolition of pri- 
vileges, and the almost total subversion of 
property, has laid open an immense field for 
‘speculation, which the vigour of the present 
government seems not ill calculated ta en- 
courage.” 
Supposing that agriculture in France 
is still left to individual enterprise, it ap- 
pears from a calculation, the particulars 
of which seem very fairly estimated, that 
in the space of a few years peace France 
may draw a secure, permanent, and 
growing revenue of thirty millions ster- 
ling, and upwards, from the soil of the 
territory of the republic! and that not 
only without adding to the former bur- 
dens of the cultivation, or creating any 
new inconvenience to the public, but 
even after reducing their taxes by two- 
sevenths of what was paid under the old 
system. hg 
Under the monarchy it has been stated, 
that the rental and raw produce of the 
soil was charged with about twenty-one, 
say twenty millions sterling ; upwards 
_ of 300,000 men were employed in col- 
lecting the revenue. If to the Joss of 
their labour, the expence of their mainte- * 
nance, their extortions, douceurs, &c. 
€stimated at fiiteen millions; if to these 
are added the anticipations upon the re- 
venue, or advances made to government 
by the farmer-generals, &c. gratuities to 
the financiers, and spies and informers, 
estimated at five millions, we have twenty 
millions sterling, four fifths of which, 
or sixteen millions, fellupon the proprie- 
tors, cultivators, and consumers .of the 
produce of agriculture. The excise and 
‘consumption duties on the produce of 
agriculture, raised at the barriers of the 
several divisions of the kingdom, were 
about six millions ;'so that the rental 
and produce of the territories of old 
France were charged with forty-two 
millions sterling ; or with two-fifths more’ 
311 
annually than thirty millions would be 
upon the present extent and population 
of the republic. : 
On this statement we have the follow- 
ing remarks, which are worthy of ate 
tention. 
«* An immense sum: and it proved that 
the natural resources of that country, well 
managed, were inexhaustible. Yet the paltr 
deficit of twenty-two inillions of French 
livres, made the sottish aninistry lose the 
kingdom and their sovereign. 
«Towards the latter period of the monar« 
chy, it was impossible to establish any 1ea- 
sonable system of fiance in France. The 
governinent having dwindled into the hands 
of shean intriguing men of narrow concep- 
tions; independence, candour, and honesty, 
had left the court, The old nobility, and 
men ef property and public spirit, despised 
an administration which, in common de- 
cency, they could not respect ; and as a con- 
sequence they opposed its measures, whether 
good or bad. 
‘¢ When a timid administration arms 4t« 
self with prejudice and calls jealousy to its 
aid, it is remarkable how its leaders can resist 
the powers of common sense. ‘The destruc- 
tion of the Frengh monarchy, and the means 
to prevent its fall, were,, for the space of fifty 
years at least, /iung up in the cabinet of Ver- 
sailles, as clear as noon day. In France the 
whole system of taxation was vexatious, par- 
tial, and oppressive ; and the punishments of 
frauds committed on the revenue were tyrans 
nical. The evading an oppressive tax con- 
veys to the mind no idea of moral guilt; and 
where there is no convictton of guilt, correc- 
tion or punishment is naturally considered 
as the most insupportable tyranny. Thus it 
was the excise laws of the ministry and not 
the harangues of the philosophers thatbrought 
forth in France that terrible doctrine of sas 
cred resistance.” 
Speaking of the prohable improve 
ment of the state of agriculturein France 
we are surprised to find our author so 
decidedly hostile to the exportation of 
corn, than which he says no measure 
can be more detrimental to the improves 
ment and prosperity of a nation. A 
farmer who sells fodder, and a state that 
exportscorn, says he,improve by the same 
negative progression, . This is the revi- 
val of an exploded doctrine; and if any 
new argument had occurred in defence 
of it, it ought to have been mentioned. 
A farmer who grows more fodder than 
he wants for consumption himself, does 
right to sellit to his neighbour who grows 
less: it is a system of reciprocal accom. 
modation, and appears to be advantage. 
ous, whether adopted by individuals or 
communities. Agriculture, it is acknow- 
x 4+ 
