>f #/; the Highlands. Sept. j. 



to enable them to be in as prosperous circumstances as 

 other parts of the country, so as to pay taxes in an equal 

 proportion. 



There are at least 500,000 inhabitants in those counties 

 of Scotland above enumerated, who, instead of paying taxes 

 to the exchequer, actually draw a considerable sum trora 

 it. 



Suppose that in the whole of England, and the re- 

 maining parts of Scotland, there are eight millions of 

 people. 



These eight millions of people yield at present a free 

 revenue of more than sixteen millions to the exchequer. 



Of course, at the same rate, this half million ought, if 

 they were in equally prosperous circumstances, to pay one 

 million of free taxes into the exchequer. 



At this rate it is obvious that government loses an an- 

 nual revenue of about L. 1,030,000 for the sake of obtaining 

 an annual income of lefs than L. 10,000 only. Can any 

 conduct be more irrational, were humanity entirely out of 

 the question ! ! 



Neither is this the whole of the lofs that revenue sus- 

 tains. If the same system be persisted in, emigrations 

 from these countries must continue to increase •, the num- 

 ber of people there must annually diminilh ; and with it, 

 the present strength of the country be impaired, and Its 

 future resources be cut off. 



But fhould this opprefsive system of legislation be aban- 

 doned, and the people put into easy circumstances, their 

 numbers would rapidly increase. In a ihort time, instead 

 of a half, there would be a whole million of inhabitants, 

 yielding a revenue of at least two millions, which might 

 soon increase to a degree that no person can at present 

 fgrm an Idea of. 



Let us not think that these ideas are chimerical. Spain, 

 in the time of Augustus, contained Jifty millions of 



