46^ NATURAL AND CIVIL 



Vermont pays for the protection of his person,' 

 property, and the advantages of a free govern- 

 inent. I believe there is not any part of the 

 civilized world, in which the inhabitants enjoy 

 the blessings of government, at so small an ex- 

 pense. 



Public Revenue. The revenue of the 

 state ariseth wholly from the public taxes. For 

 Some time aRer Vermont had assumed the pow- 

 ers of government, very considerable revenues 

 arose from the unappropriated lands : But as 

 fhese lands are almost ail appropriated, no fur- 

 ther incomes can be derived from this sourcco 

 Commerce, in an inland country, can never be 

 attended with any considerable revenue. The 

 only source that can be found is taxation. Iii 

 the year 1791, the whole list of taxable proper- 

 ty of the state, amounted to £'.324,796 IS 10, 

 The prices at v/hich the listers were directed to 

 estimate the improved lands, and cattle, were 

 scarcely one half of the current prices of those 

 articles ; the estimate therefore in the list, could 

 hot amount to one half of the real value of the 

 ratable property, of the state. After making 

 abatement upon this list of £'. 1,1 16 8 Oforthc^ 

 twofolds, a tax was voted of two pence half 

 penny, upon the pound ; amounting' to £'.3,371- 

 i4 0. The expense of collecting this rate, al- 

 lowed by law as fees to the collector, is a fifti- 

 eth part : And a further abatement is made for 

 the benefit of the poor, of a twentieth part.' 

 These abatements being deducted, the sum the 

 government receives is £'. 5, 135 14 0. With 

 the addition of £".83 to this small sum, was 

 the whole expense of governmentj, among eigh- 



