TT 
© wey Literary Fund. 
revolution. But the moft alarming cir- 
cumftances attending this depopulation, 
is its having taken place principally 
among the Laragte clafs, which has al- 
ways ‘been jufily reckoned the ftrength 
of a country. 
In fs year 1680, the cottages amount- 
ed to 554.631. ia the year 1777, their 
eee was reduced to 251, SEE ; fo that 
between thofe two periods the diminution 
ee aor eee and, confequently, the 
number of their inhabitants was leffened 
above ane million and a balf. Various 
caufes have been afligned for this dread- 
ful evil; but there cannot be a doubt 
that the principal caufe is the zatiozal 
@ét; forthe immenfe fums which it is 
nece(lary to raife every year by taxation, 
in order to pay the intereft of this debt, 
inevitably enhance the price of every 
article of fre; and as the wages of the 
poor are by no means raifed in propor- 
trom to #he increate of their expenditure, 
it becomes impothble for them to main- 
tain a family; the younger part are, 
confequ ently, either deterred from mar- 
Flage, or induced to emigrate into a 
cheaper country; and hence a depopu- 
lation fucceeds, which, if the national 
debt continues te increafe as it has jately 
done, muft reduce this country into a 
efert. 
At Be beginning of this century 
when the number of inhabitants, as ap- 
pears above, was two millions greater 
than it is at prefent) the national debt 
amounted only to 17 millions, and the 
wetes which were raifed to ee) the in- 
eft of this debt amounted to about one 
ellie At this prefent time, the na- 
tional debt exceeds 360 millions, and the 
taxes neceflary to pay the intereft muf 
produce at leat 13 eal ions. When the 
ordinary expences of government, even 
on a peace- eftablifhment, are added to 
this fum, it will appear that taxes to the 
amount of 22 millicns, muft be yearly 
raifed from the people of Great Britain, 
fuppofing that the prefent war, which 
has with jaftice been reprefented as the 
moft expentive that has ever afili€ted this 
country, were immediately terminated. 
It has been already obferved, that the 
number of houfes in England and Wales, 
in the: year 177.7, was 952,734. Let 
them be ftated even at a million, and the 
number of inhabitants, allowing five toa 
houfe (which is an ample allotted) 
will be five millions. The number of 
inhabitants in Scotland has been ge- 
neraliy ftuppofed not to exceed one~ mil- 
lim and a quarter: let them be taken 
reir 
at one million and a half, and then the 
whole number of inhabitants in Great 
Britain will be fix millions and a half, 
and the number of families (on the above 
fuppofition of five to 2 houfe) will be 
1,300,000: from whence it follows, that 
each family in the kingdom muff, en an 
average, pay about 171. per aun. in dived? 
taxation. If to this be added the in- 
creafed price that is paid upoh every 
article on account of the tax, over and 
above the fum which it is charged by 
government, [ think that the whole 
amount of the taxes paid by each family 
may be very fairly ftated at asl. per ann. 
Is it any wonder, then, that, in fuch a 
country, the number of its inhabitants 
fhould be leffened ? With a population 
continually diminithing, and with a debt 
continually increafing, it is obvious that 
no country can long “Support itfelf ; and 
therefore it requires no extraordinary 
fagacity to forefée the confequence of 
obitinately perfifting in that fyftem of 
profufion which has, for fome years paft, 
diftin guithed the adminiftration of this 
country, 
London, Feb. 
2, 1796. M. N. 
‘ 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
A‘. the obje& of your new Magazine 
the promotion of innocent amufe- 
nent and ufeful information, I beg 
leave to communicate to you a few cur- 
fory hints ae ne a modern inftitu- 
tion, which, though but young in its 
eftabiifhment, and at prefent but narrow 
in its finances,. promifes to acquire In- 
creafing ftrength, and, it is hoped, will 
at leneth become permanent in its du- 
ration ands ext enfive in its influence. If 
allude to the Liter rary Fund. 
Jt has fallen in my way to obtain a 
pretty accurate knowledge of the na- 
ture of this inftitution, and of the ap- 
plication of its bounties; but I fhall lay 
before you fuch particulars only as may 
onvey hints fomeway interefting to 
your readers. 
. The fociety originated in the misfor- 
tunes of Floyer Sy denham, the worth 
cs induftrions tranflator of Plato, who 
ted in confequence of an arreft for a 
aa to a victualler, who ufed to furnifh 
his frugal table. 
This event gave birth to the benevo- 
lent exertions of Mr. Scott and Mr. 
Wilhams, the latter of whom produced 
a plan of relief ta difireiiid authors: 
4 this 
