PRESENT STATE 



could derive no advantage. Confider whether a 

 bleak, narrow country, compoled in general of 

 rock, heath, or land ; whofe commercial balance 

 of late with foreign nations, and at all times with 

 you, hath been unfavourable, can ever produce an 

 efficient permanent revenue, without manifold ha- 

 zards, and lofTes, in the experiment. 



So completely drained is that kingdom of its 

 fpecie by England, that though, at the time of the 

 union, the circulation amounted to nearly i,ooo,oool. 

 'fterlin g, the whole currency of the kingdom hath 

 not for many years exceeded 200,000!. and even 

 that trifling fum is purchafed in England for the 

 purpofe of iupporting the circulation of the Scottifh 

 banks, at an expence of 4000!, per annum j nor 

 can it be otherwife in a country where London bills 

 often fell at a premium of two per cent. 



Upon the re-coinage fome years ago, the fpecie 

 of Great Britain and Ireland was found to be nearly 

 as follows, viz : 

 In England ~ 18,000,000 



Ireland 1,600,000 



Scotland 200,000 



19,800,000 



And fo unproductive is the revenue of that 

 country, that the annual exciies, upon an average of 

 3 years, ending in 1773, raifed only .. 95,229 

 The cuftoms in ditto , 68,369 



Neat amount, (exclufive of the land-tax)^ 

 in the collecting of which, the people I 

 were burdened with the further ex- j 

 pence of 



Thus the country pays above one-fourth more 

 than is received at the exchequer, and it is certain 

 that many of the taxes fcarcely defray the expence 

 in collecting them. The excifes have, however,, 

 jncreafed confiderably fince 17735 and fome writers 



