I -J 5 2, eu/ogium on the minister. 1 53. 



battened upon the spoils of the public, that an oppositior 

 .may be expected, too powerful even for the minister him- 

 self to withstand, unleis the public ihall warmly counte- 

 nance the measure. 



No longer to keep the reader in suspence, I have the 

 satisfaction of saying, upon good authority, that the mini- 

 ster has it at present in contemplation, to take off the 

 .whole of the internal duties payable by the public on salt 

 and coals. Whether he will be able to effect this great 

 object, in the present state of our knowledge of political 

 •oeconomy, is to me extremely doubtful. But if he (hall 

 succeed in it, I have no hesitation in saying, that he will 

 add more to the prosperity of the kingdom than any ac- 

 quisition of territory could ever confer, and will better 

 deserve the praises of posterity, than all the generals, and 

 all the admirals (he ever pofsefsed ; and ftiould he even 

 fail in this attempt, the very memory of his having inten- 

 ded it, if it fliall be clearly proven that he did so, will 

 mark him more strongly in the eyes of posterity, as an 

 able minister, than any other transaction in which he has 

 hitherto had a (hare. 



Such of my readers as have never adverted to this im- 

 portant question, will think that I greatly exaggerate } 

 nor will it, I fear, be pofsible for me, in the ftiort limits 

 to which I am here confined, to convince them of the 

 contrary j but I (hall venture to mention a few facts, 

 from the infinite number that might easily be stated, to 

 prove that I speak even within the bounds of moderation 



Every person is sensible of the Ihocking iniquity of 

 the coasting coal duty, which, by adding to the price of 

 coals, that must at any rate be loaded with freight and 

 charges of carriage, tends to raise the price of that impor- 

 tant neccfsary of life extravagantly high in one place, in 

 comparison of another 5 but few are acquainted with the 

 great sums that this trifling dity obliges the purchasers 



VOL. vjii. u j. 



