478 
P O I 
POL 
POL 
Brought over - £ *9,227,000 
Profits of foreign trade - 11,250,000 
Ditto of manufactures - 13,300,000 
Pay of the army and navy, and 
seamen in the merchants’ ser- 
vice - 5,500,000 
Income of the clergy of all de- 
scriptions - - 2,200,000 
Income of thejudges, and all sub- 
ordinate officers ot the law 1,800,000 
Professors, schoolmasters, tutors, 
&c. - - - C00, 000 
Retail trades not immediately 
connected with foreign trade, 
or any manufacture - 6,000,000 
Various other professions and em- 
ployments - - 2,000,000 
Male and female servants - 2,000,000 
Total - £ 133,877,000 
Of this annual sum, the part drawn from 
other countries by commerce is stated at 
1 1,250,000/. which is founded On a supposi- 
tion that the capital employed cannot be less 
than 75,000,000/. ; and that the profits there- 
on, including those of all persons immediate- 
ly depending on foreign trade, may be taken 
at 15 per cent. It must not, however, be 
supposed that the nation receives an acces- 
sion of wealth to the amount of 11,250,000/. 
annually from this source : whatever pay- 
ments are made to other countries for the 
dividends on the share foreigners hold of the 
public debts, or as subsidies to their govern- 
ments, or spent therein in the maintenance 
of troops, or by British subjects occasionally 
resident there, operates to the diminution of 
this profit in a national view. The actual 
wealth which the country acquires by its in- 
tercourse with other nations, may be very 
different from the profits of the individuals 
concerned in trade; as a sum equal to a great 
part, or even the whole, of such profits, may 
be sent abroad in the various ways just men- 
tioned. The balance of trade in favour of 
the country has usually been estimated by 
the excess of the exports beyond the imports, 
and a comparatively small amount of the lat- 
ter has been considered highly desirable. 
This is a concise mode of determining a very . 
important point. But even if the custom- 
house accounts were much better adapted to 
the purpose than they are, the justness of the 
conclusions thus drawn from them would be 
very doubtful : for it may be easily shewn 
that in many cases, if the imports even ex- 
ceeded the exports, there might notwith- 
standing be a considerable gain. Thus, sup- 
posing the merchants of this country to pur- 
chase British manufactures for exportation 
on their own account, to the value of 
20,000,000/., the net proceeds thereof in the 
countries to which they are exported cannot 
be considered as less than 22,000,000/. ; and 
this sum being invested in foreign produce, 
and imported into this country, will amount, 
after repaying the duties and all expeuees, 
to at least 24,200,000/., returning the mer- 
chants the capital originally advanced, with a 
profit of 21 per cent. In like manner, when- 
ever the merchandize imported in return for 
.any quantity exported is of greater actual 
value in this country, er yields a greater 
price, after allowing for all charges and the 
interest. of the capital employed, the surplus 
must be an addition to the wealth of the 
country; and if the whole of the foreign 
trade was of this description, the excess of 
the imports would shew the profit or the wealth 
acquired by the exchange of commodities 
with other nations. 
It has been shewn, that the total income 
of the country is at present upwards of 
133,000,000/.; and that it cannot be less 
than this sum, may 15e inferred from the ge- 
neral expenditure. Sir W. Petty reckoned 
the average expence of men, women, and 
children, in England and Wales, at 6/. 1 3 .y . 
4 d per annum, for food, housing, clothes, 
and all other necessaries; Dr. Davenant 
took the average expence at 71., which, ac- 
cording to the difference in the value of mo- 
ney, is equal to upwards of 16/. for each per- 
son at present. Mr. Jonas Hanway, about 
35 years ago, estimated the expence of the 
people of England and Wales on an average 
about 9/ each ; but this must be too low at 
present: and the following estimate will pro- 
bably approacli nearer to the truth, with re- 
spect to the mere expence of subsistence, or 
of eating and drinking, particularly as we are 
not to consider what is absolutely necessary 
for support, but what is actually expended in 
this way : 
Persons. 
300,000 at \6d. per day *£7,300,000 
700,000 
12fZ. 
12,775,000 
1,500.000 
9d. 
- 20,531,250 
2,000,000 
6d. 
18,250,000 
2,500,000 
4d. 
15,208,333 
2,000,000 
2d. 
6,083,333 
1,500,000 
Id. 
2,28 1 ,249 
10,500,000 
£ 82,429,165 
r or subsistence - - j 82,400,00# 
],°r house-rent - . y>500 000 
lor clothing - . 26,000,000 
r or miscellaneous expences - 12,500,000 
Total 
£ 130,400,000 
The difference between this expenditure 
and the general income shews the annual 
gam ot the country, or tiie sum applicable to 
the extension of commerce, the reservation 
ot a greater quantity of foreign articles, the 
increase of shipping and buildings, agricul- 
tural or mechanical improvements or other 
augmentations of the general stock. With- 
out such a surplus, few improvements could 
be earned on, nor could there bo any increase 
of wealth; and if this latter circumstance is 
thought essential to national advancement 
it becomes an object of much importance; 
that the expences ot the government should 
be restrained within such bounds, and pro- 
vided for in such manner, as to intrench as 
little as possible on the annual surplus that 
would otherwise be converted into permanent 
capital. 
POLIUM, poley-mountain, in botany, a 
species oi teuenum, with oblong, obtuse cre- 
nated, and sessile leaves. See Teucrium. 
POLL, a word used in antient writings for 
the head: hence to poll is either to vote or 
to enter down the names of those persons 
who give in their votes at an election. 
1 oll-money, a capitation or tax imposed 
by the authority of parliament on the head or 
person either of all indifferently, or according 
to some known mark of distinction. 
When the price of most of the necessaries 
of life is considered, it will not be thought 
that the expence of subsistence is over-rated 
in the lowest classes; and if this is admitted, 
it cannot be too high in the other classes, 
when it includes strong beer, spirits, wine, 
and a variety of luxuries. To the expences 
of living must be added those of house-rent, 
clothing, and superfluous expences, in order 
to arrive at the whole actual expenditure. 
The first of these articles has been stated at 
11,087,500/.; and allowing for the rent of 
shops, warehouses, and other buildings ap- 
propriated wholly to trade, it may be taken 
at 9,500,000/. The expence of clothing, 
including every article of dress, or personal 
decoration, will, on a very moderate compu- 
tation, amount to 26 millions, viz. 
1 50,000 persons at 20/. per 
an. £3, 000,000 
300.000 
12/. 
3,600,000 
750,000 
8/. 
6,000,000 
1,300,000 
41. 
5,200,000 
2,800,000 
30s. 
4,200,000 
4,000,000 
20s. 
4,000,000 
1,500,000 
0 
10,800,000 
.£26,000, fOO 
With respect to superfluous expences, 
when the sums spent by the nobility and 
people of fashion in plays, operas, concerts, 
routs, gambling, horses, carriages, and other 
amusements and luxuries, are considered, it 
will certainly be thought a very moderate 
assumption, that, including what is spent by 
others on objects more rational, though not 
absolutely requisite, there are half a million 
of persons who, one with another, spend 25/. 
per annum in unnecessary expences,. making 
12,500,000/. The total expence will then be : 
^ DLL I A, a genus of the class and order 
hexandria monogynia. The corolla is infe- 
rior, six-petalled; berry many-seeded. There 
is one species, an hetfiaceous plant of Japan. 
POLLICHIA, a genus of the monandria 
monogynia class and order. The calyx is 
one-leafed, five-toothed; corolla, live petals; 
seed solitary ; receptacle succulent, a ore- 
gate scales. There is one species, of the 
Cape. 
POLLUX, in astronomy, a fixed star of 
the second magnitude in the constellation 
Gemini, or the Twins. See Astronomy 
POLYADELPHIA (from 
and cctajHct, brotherhod), many brother- 
hoods; the name of the 18th class of Lin- 
nams’s sexual system, consisting of plants 
with hermaphrodite flowers, in which several 
stamina or male organs are united by their 
filaments into three or more distinct bun- 
dles. 
POLA ANDRIA (from tooXvs, many, and 
a man or husband), many husbands; 
the name of the 13th class in Linnaeus’s sex- 
ual method, consisting of plants with herma- 
phrodite flowers, which are furnished with 
several stamina that are inserted into the 
common receptacle of the flower. 
POLYCARD IA, a genus of the class and 
order pentaudria monogynia. The petals are 
five; stigma lobed ; capsules five-celled; 
seeds arifled. There is one species, a shrub 
of Madagascar. 
LOLA CARPON, a genus of the class and 
order triandria trigynia. The calyx is five- 
leaved ; petals five; capsulq one-celled ; 
seeds many. There is one species. 
POLA CNEMUM, a genus of the mono- 
gynia order, in the triandria class of plants. 
