The Land Taxation and the Economists. i6i 



signifies very little to the purpose in hand. Bad times, fancied 

 or real, are the opportunities for the reformer and inventor. 

 Men therefore thinking that they saw in certain events evi- 

 dences of such a condition of affairs set to work to suggest 

 remedies. From agricultural sources numerous petitions to 

 Parliament were emanating, which complained of the decay 

 of the woollen trade, the starving condition of the clothing 

 operatives, and the low price of wool. Loud lamentations had 

 also arisen amongst landlords over heavy losses caused by the 

 non-payment of rents, the amount of farms thrown on their 

 hands, and the large increase in the poor rates. Equally 

 palpable signs were apparent of trade depression in the com- 

 mercial world. The Mint was idle, silver monej'' scarce, the 

 Exchange with foreign countries adverse, shopkeepers were 

 giving too long credit, and bankruptcy was becoming more 

 and more common. Sir Matthew Decker ^ ascribed all this 

 to four evils ; viz., the large national debt, the oppressive 

 nature of the taxation, the prevalence of monopolies, and the 

 ill-judged laws. 



Now the principal sources of State revenue were the land 

 tax, the window tax, the customs, the stamp duties, the coal 

 tax, the salt duty, and the excises on soap, candles, and leather. 

 The three latter were recent additions to the list of commo- 

 dities thus charged, copied from the fiscal tariffs of foreign 

 countries, although they had been suggested by Dr. Chamber- 

 laine as early as 1689, and strongly advocated by Davenant 

 ten years later. The hearth money, the impost on the Stock 

 of India and other public companies, and the duties on glass 

 and earthenware had been by the middle of the eighteenth 

 century abolished. 



In the times of Davenant, King, and Petty, it had been 

 computed that three-fifths of every landlord's income who 

 lived up to his estate, was actually paid in taxes to the sup- 

 port of Government (including the consequences of such 

 taxes in the advanced price of labour and of goods uni- 

 versally) ; wiiile manufacturers and labourers were supposed 



» Id. Ihid., p. 56. 

 II. u 



