216 
about thirty years fince, eftimated the ex- 
pence of the fubfiftence of the people of 
England and Wales as follows : 
Num. of People. Per Annum. 
£- Se d. Ye 
150,000 at 30 0 9 each 4,500,000 
350,000 at 20 0 0 each 7,000,000 
600,000 at 15 5 0 each 9g 150,000 
2,400,000 at 8 o 0 each 19,200,000 
3,500,000 at 6 12 6 each 23,187,500 


Ur. Grellier on the National Wealth. 
[OGober 1, | 
This account, which in the whole, is 
lefs than fixpence a day for each perfon, 
muft"be too low at prefent, and the fol- 
lowing eftimate will probably approach 
nearer to the truth, with refpeét to the 
mere expence of fubfiftence, or of eating 
and drinking, particularly as we are not 
to confider what is abfolutely neceflary for 
the fupport of feven millions of perlons, 
but what is actually expended by them in 
this way. 
7,000,000). £-6330373500 
Num. of People. Per Annum. 
500,000 at 8d.perday 27/.75.6d. - 13,687, 500/, 
759,000 at 312 perday- 138 5 QO = 13,687,500 
1,000,000 at go perday- 1313 9 = 13,637,500 
3,000,000 at 6 perday- 9 2 6 = -27,375,000 
3,750,000 Children, at 2 perday-~ 3 010 - 5,322,916 
eo 
7,000,000 
(Cmcsrenmerrremscu -- cee 
When the prefent high price of bread, 
meat, and moft of the neceflaries of life, is 
confidered, it will not be thought that the 
expence of fubfiftence is over-rated in the 
. loweft claffes; and if this is admitted, it 
cannot be too high in the other clafles, 
when it includes ftrong beer, f{pirits, 
wine, and a variety of luxuries. To the 
expences of living muft be added thofe of 
houfe rent, cloathing, and fuperfluous ex- 
pences, in order to arrive at the whole ac- 
tual expenditure. The firft of thefe arti- 
cles has been ftated at $,500,000l.; and, 
allowing for the rent of fhops, warehoufes, 
and other buildings appropriated wholly 
to trade, it may be taken at 7,900,000l. 
The expence of cloathing, including every 
article of drefs, or perfonal decoration, 
will, on a very moderate computation, 
amount to at leaft 25 millions, viz. 
Num. of Perfons. Per Ann. 

200,000 at 304 - 6,000,000/. 
300,000 at 1I§ - 4,500,000 
700,000 at 8 = 5,600,c00 
1,000,000 af 4 = 4,000,000 
1,500,000 at 2 - 3,000,000 
2,000,000 aft I = 2,060,000 
¥,300;,;000 at ro) Ses 
bles De BER 
7,000,000 £..25,100,000 

— 

With refpec&t to fuperfluous expences, 
when the fums fpent by the nobility and 
’ fathionable people in plays, operas, con- 
-certs, routes, gambling, horfes, carriages, 
andother amufements and luxuries, is con- 
fidered, it certainly will not be thought im- 
probable, that, including what is {pent by 
ethers on objecte more rational, though 
£:73:760,416 
(= aees - eer et 
not abfolutely requifite, there are half a 
million of perfons who, one with another, 
fpend gol. per annum in unneceflary ex- 
pences, making 20,000,000]. The total 
expence will thus be: 
For fubfiftence - _ £-73)760,000 
— houfe-rent - 7,000,000 
— cloathing - 25,100,000 
— mifcellaneous expences 20,000,000 
Total - £.125,860,000 

The difference between this expendi- 
ture and the general inceme fhews the 
annual gain of the country, or the fum ap- 
plicable to the extenfion of commerce, the 
refervation ofa greater quantity of foreign 
articles, the increafe of fhipping and build- 
ings, agricultural or mechanical improve- 
ments, or other augmentations of the ge- 
neral ftock. Without fuch a furplus, few 
improvements can be carried on, nor can 
there be any increafe of wealth; and if 
this latter circumftance is thought effen- 
tial to national advancement, it becomes 
an objeét of much importance, that the 
expences of government fhould be reftrain- 
ed within fuch bounds, and provided for in 
fuch manner, as to intrench as little as 
poffible on the annual furplus that would 
otherwife be converted into ftock. If this 
furplus amounted to 10,000,000l. per an- 
num, an additional tax to this amount 
would apparently deftroy the means of 
further advancement in wealth, unlefs it 
was fucceeded by a retrenchment of indi- 
vidual expence, or an increafe of income 
from a greater profit on the foreign trade, 
carried cn by means of the exilting capi- 
tal, 
