1793- ‘> on salt duties. i Bem 
He sees also, that, in this country, the acquisition of a 
fortune wilt tanctify, or at least conceal, every villainy, 
and that it matters not much whether four thousand 
pounds a year are acquired as a reward of the virtues of a 
Chatham, or for starving a million of Gentoos on the o~ 
ther side of the Ganges. 
Letrer From Mr Fraser or Lovar, RESPECTING SALT 
DUTIES. 
Ir gentlemen of family and fortune were totutn their attention 
,. to things of equal importance with that which forms the subject of 
the following letter, we fhould soon feel the beneficial effects which 
would result from it; but idlenefs is not the best school for reflecti- 
on, nor wealth and power the most likely means of increasing wise 
dom or knowledge. It is not therefore surprising that matters of 
- this sort fhould often elude the notice of men of rank; nor is it to 
be wondered at that the effurts of men who move in an inferior 
rank to introduce these to the notice of the public, fhould sometimes 
be overlooked, seeing it often happens that designing men contrive 
to mislead those of higher rank, under specious pretexts of public 
Spirit, the fallacy of whose reasoning they are not able to detect. 
It is very doubtful if more hatm to the people has not originated 
in plans suggested by self interest, thowgh pretending to aim at no- 
thing else than the public good, than from all other sources put to- 
"gether ; and as this has been frequently remarked, it has cooled the 
zeal with which men in power listen to such proposals, From these 
considerations, the editor of this humble miscellany, who has fre- 
quently exérted his feeble efforts to turn the attention of the pub- 
lic to this important subject, is by no means either hurt or surprised 
at the little effect it has produced ; (for small is the number who 
know him so well as to be able to perceive that his personal inte- 
yest can in no respect be affected by it ;) but he is so firmly convin- 
ced of the benefits that would result from an elucidation of this 
subject that he fhall omit no proper opportunity of bringing it into 
view. On this principle he thinks the following letter deserves to 
_be wel! considered. In the follow ng number he proposes to submit 
tojthe publica memorial on the same subject originating in a .espec= 
VOL. XVITs KK t 
