280 TOUR THROUGH HOLLAND. [1804. 



houses, duties, imposts. In an income of XI 20 per 

 annum, perhaps twenty goes to land-tax, income-tax 

 being paid from the rest. 



The surface of the ground, to a depth of seven 

 or eight feet, is cut for peat excellent fuel. This is 

 then flooded, and clay soil remains of excellent quality. 

 It requires a public authority to cut turf, for fear of 

 inundations. 



Legislative body cannot initiate ; Senate must 

 propose ; they only originate. Foreign ministers re- 

 ceived by foreign secretary. No man can hold two 

 appointments. East India Company lost 100 millions 

 of florins by the American war ; on making np their 

 accounts, they lost in last war not less ; no divi- 

 dends for several years before its abolition, nor since. 



All the old nobility, the patrician families, and 

 those not noble, but who have long been in Govern- 

 ment offices, the peasantry, and the proprietors, and 

 especially the rich yeomanry, are for the Stadtholder. 

 The merchants, the army of course, most of the func- 

 tionaries, especially Amsterdam, from old jealousy, 

 are against him. Towns often jealous of each other. 



The schuyt set us down at Delft, and we landed to 

 view the fine old spire, and monuments in the cathe- 

 dral ; a noble one on William the First's tomb, 200 

 years old ; four bronzes of Justice, Eeligion, Prudence, 

 and Liberty ; a fifth of Fame, balanced on one toe, 

 and movable, though 220 cwt.; the rest marble, white 

 and grey. There is a modern one of Grotius. The 

 chime the finest in the world. 



