‘§50 Lalandé’s Hiftory of Afiroriomy, 17640 
shave the direétion of it, and a virtuous 
adminiftration will be able to apply 2 
pretty large fum annually to the reduc- 
tion of the debr. 
Writers on political economy, fome 
years ago, have eftimated the property 
of the nation at one thoufand millions ; 
in the lat feffions of parliament, the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer valued the 
landed property as high as feven hun- 
dred millions, and the perfonal property 
as high-as fix hundred millions, making 
together, a capital-of thirteen hundred 
miilicns. It cannot be fuppofed, that he 
would Gate the loweft eftimate ; but ad- 
‘micting that the former ones of one thou- 
{and millions were not over-rated, the in- 
creafe of manufaétures and commerce, as 
wvell as the rife in the rent of land, have 
peen fo great, during the laft peace, that 
the prefent capital of the nation cannot 
be lefs than twelve hundred millions, 
upon which there is charged a debt of 
about four hundred millions. 
The income arifing from this capital 
ef twelve hundred millions; may be 
eftimated at about five per cent.; the land 
produces: fomething lefs, and the per- 
fonalty, on the whole, fomething more; 
taking them together at that rate, the 
income would amount to fixty millions, 
arifing from capital. 
There is alfo a large income tobe ad- 
ded, which does not arife out of capital; 
fuch as annuitants under government, 
placemen, penfioners, Xc. the army 
and navy ; in fhort, all thofe who receive 
the iwenty millions of taxes annually 
aimong{t them, and expend it in the king- 
dom.—There are, befides thefe, the pro- 
feffions of the church, law, and phyfic, 
as well as all the labourers, manufac- 
tdrers, andartizans, every one of whom, 
according to the income they expend, 
mmuft pay the taxes on confumption, and 
thereby contribute, according to their 
abilities, towards the fupport of the ftate. 
Perhaps, it would not be too high a 
calculation of all the income of thefe 
claifes, if it were eftimated at fixty mil- 
lions, confidering the produce of the 
taxes fupply one third of that fum; but 
taking ic at fifty millions, it makes one 
hundred and ten millions of income, 
added to the fixty millions arifing 
from capital. .Ifa conjecture may be al- 
iowed, where my limits wil! not admit 
of proofs, I fhould fay, that out of that 
funi there is faved, by the accu- 
mulation of individuals, during every 
year of peace, at leeX ten millions, 
~ 
which is added to the productive capital 
employed in commerce, until a war 
reaks out; whea it is withdrawn from 
cominerce to be fupplied to the expences 
of war, from whence it returns no more. 
The remaining income of one hundred 
millions, I confider to be expended an- 
nually, for the fupport of individuals, 
out of which expenditure, there is col- 
leéted, by taxes on confumption (swith 
the addition of the land-tax) twenty mil- 
lions, or exaétly four fhillings in the 
pound, which, though a heavy burthen 
on all claffes of people, is far from 
making the profpect fo ruinous as Mr. 
Paine woyld with to eftablith. » 
Although my fentiments differ fo much 
from thofe of the author of the ‘ De- 
cline, &c.” yet no man can condemn the 
war more than I do. It appears trom 
the correfpondence of. Lord Grenviile 
with the French minifter, in the begin- - 
ning of the year 1793, that it might have 
been avoided with honour, and therefore 
fhould have been avoided. At the end cf 
every campaign, the objeét of it appears 
nicre*diffeult to attain, and the firuation 
of the allies more difaftrous, though we 
have fuffered the leaft; therefere, the 
fooner it is ended, the better it will be 
ended. 
Its confequences refpe€ting ourfelves 
are fhortly thefe:--While it continues, the 
produétive capital of the nation will 
every year be diminifhed at the rate of 
twenty millions, and the debt encreafed 
as much; to pay the intereft of the 
additional debt, new taxes muft be added 
to the prefent ones, to the amount of on 
million per annum ; while our ability to 
pay them is diminiihing, by twenty inil= 
lions per annum being withdrawn from 
the productive employment of commerce, 
to the deftruétive game of war, at which 
all that we can win is a barren traét, in 
an unhealthy climate, which may ferve 
for a Gazette Extraordinary, and for a 
burying place, to filence the complaints 
of our brave defenders. 
Liverpool, Fuly 28. T.B. 
sar 
To ibe Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
ERMIT me, fir, to prefent you with 
an abridged tranflation of a moft in- 
terefting and valuable Hiftory of Aftro- 
nomy for the year 1794, drawn up in 
1795) by an able and learned man, whole 
reputation is not confined to his native 
country. 
Although . 
[Aag.  @ 
