An appendix 



TO THE IN(l,OIRY CONCERNING THE 



PRINCIPLES OF TAXATION, 



CONTAINING SUf r L EM E N T A R Y 



NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, 



Note (A) page 5. 



PROPERTY NOT THE MERE CREATURE OF CIVIL SOCIETY. 



Xx. LEARNED friend, of diftlnguilhed rank both in the church 

 and in the republic of letters, to whom I communicated the 

 Inquiry concerning the Principles of Taxation, " regards property 

 •' as very much the creature of civil fociety, and the fupreme 

 " magiftrate as authorized to apply the whole of the property of 

 " every individual, to the ufe of the whole community."* 



Notwithftanding the deference and refpeft I feel for the 

 decifion of one, whom I know to be a very able judge of the 

 fubjeft of legiflation ; yet I am ftrongly inclined to controvert 

 the dodlrine advanced, which by leaving nothing that a man 

 may call his cwn, (to adopt the expreflion of Lord Clarendon), 

 feems to fubvert the intereft we have in Society itfelf. 



I. A defire of poffeflion, and tenacioufnefs of what is attained 

 are manifefted in the earlieft ftages of life. They are modifi- 

 cations of one and the fame principle, which grows with oar 

 growth, is independent of fociety, and fubfifts in as full force 

 among lavages as in the molt cultivated nations. The like 

 principle is common even to the brutes. The beafl of prey 



* A fimilar opinion is advanced by Puffendorf, 



afferts 



