132 TRAVELS IN 
circulation, none of which has ever been redeemed by specie,, 
nor, in all human probability, ever will. The balance of the 
paper lent by Government, and of the money borrowed from 
the people, is about 240,000 rixdollars in favor of the latter, 
so that they would gain little by destroying the credit of 
Government. 
13. The duty arising from stalhped paper was early intro- 
duced, but limited to such public writings as were issued 
from the offices of the Secretary of Government and of the 
Court of Justice ; and for acts signed by public notaries,, 
until the arrival of the Commissaries General, when it was 
considerably extended. At present all bills of sale, receipts, 
petitions, and memorials, must be made out on stamped 
paper. The limits of the stamps are sixpence the lowest, and 
one hundred rixdollars, or twenty pounds, the highest. 
The net proceeds of the colonial revenue for four succes- 
sive years will appear from the following table : 
