Half-yearly Retrofped of Domeflie Literature. 
Tt ‘will not be very dificult to account 
for the zealous loyalty of many of us, 
after being informed, that the expence of 
collecting fome taxes, amounts to almetft © 
4gl. pe “Pr cent. of the taxes themfeives! 
From an erroneous pofition, namely, that 
a progreflive increafe of the precious me- 
tals ina itate is the caufe of pr rogrellive cir- 
culation, progreflive indultry, and progrel- 
five publi c prof{perity, M. Herrentc! nwand, 
ina pamp hlet on “ The true actuating Prin- 
ciple of Political Economy,” Sc. has drawn, 
with alf the pompous parade of the moft 
proiound fyllogittic realoning, a long and 
tirefome chain of economi ‘lacil and finan- 
cial blunders. Mr: Daw‘on’s “ Sub/ii- 
tute for the Affeffment Bill,” is to iffue 
20,000,000]. of Exchequer bills, bearing 
an intereft of one per cent. per annum, un- 
der authority of parliament, and fo make 
them legal tender. ‘The affeflment bill has 
lone fince paffed ; ‘but as every fentence 
for « enriching elie revenue is heard with 
an attentive ear, however partial be its 
principle and operation? but little fur- 
prize would be excited, if this iniquitous 
fubfittute i for the Eeient bill were con- 
verted into an apperdix to it. An ano- 
nymous author has publithed “* 4 few 
Hints towards an improved Syftem of 
Taxation,’ &c.: they have but little no- 
velty to recommend them, though their 
object is undoubtedly laudable, namely, 
to burden all perfons with a taxation pre: 
portionate to, their property, without any 
kind of inveftigation or difclofure of cir- 
cumftances. “hele hints, antecedent to 
their publication, were fent in a private 
letter to Mr. Pirt, but the haughty pre- 
mier condefcended not to notice them. 
‘A ftockholder has fubmitted to the ‘con- . 
fideration of the public “ Péree Plans for 
paying ey the Natienzl Debt, and a Fourth 
for raijing Mone Sy fash Jucieni to bring avout fo 
afirable az Bad: thefe plans demand 
different periods of operation to render 
them efficient, and all a% u poh one com- 
mon principle, namely, the converfion of 
all ftock into fho: ‘tannuities, and the pay- 
ment of the capital by an addition to the 
jntereft., she adoptich ‘of any of thefe 
plans would obvioufly require an enor- 
mous increafe of taxation ; our author 
Pipe fes either a tax upon income, or, 
what is. the fame thing, a continuation 
oF the new affefiments. In pafiing from 
finance to 
POLITICAL ECONOMY 
im general, our attention is direSed 
the fecond, third, fourth, ifth, and fixth 
6 Reports of the Society for bettering the Con- 
‘manner they think proper. 
485 
dition of the Poor ;”” all of which have been 
publithed fince our Jatt retrofpect, and 
will merit the confideration of the public. 
~Thefe reports contain a a variety of plans, 
pea) proved, to imerealet the comforts 
ot our fellow-creatures in diftrefs : among 
other things, the eft hth iment of p: arith 
windmills, the profits of which, after the 
deduftion of neceffary expences, are dif- 
tributed among, the poor ; of village 
fhops, for tup; yi ine them with cecais, 
blankets, candles, foap, and efculent com- 
Modities, at prime colt, are particularly 
recommended. The name of Lord WIN- 
CHELSEA ftands honourably eminent: 
the rates in his three parifhes amount to 
{carcely fixpence in the pound! this Is 
effected by letting to the induftrious 
poor fmall portions of land, on which 
they may keep a cow all the year round, 
or which they may cultivate in’ any 
Were! the 
conduct of Lord WiINE€HELSEA uni- 
verfally imitated by the ‘nobility and 
large land-helders of this kingdom, we 
need feel no anx oe on the fubject of 
foreign invatfion domeftic infurrec- 
tion: our (laters a be difbanded 
and the defence of the nation be ate 
fided, with perfect fecurity, to the mafs 
of a "hardy and a happy people. Dr. 
Gray, (on whom the univerlity of St. 
Andrew’s conferred the honorary degree 
of LL. D. immediately on the puoli- 
cation of his ** Effential Principles of the 
Wealib poe Nations,” 8c.) has given ‘to 
us ** A Flan ‘for fupy plying London ‘with 
Bread af one uniform Price from one Year 
to another.’ Be propotes the eftablifh- 
ment of granaries for corn, and na- 
turally exprefies a ena that tea, to= 
bacco, fugar, &e. &c. fhould be de- 
pofited in large nd commodious ware- 
houfes, ane corn, the mott effential 
article of fubfiftence, is lodged m little, 
unknown barns, and fo f{cattered over 
the country, as to bid calculation def- 
ance as to its quantity, and cofiiesture as 
to the ; ylaces of its. moft abundan b dee 
polit. De Gravis 8 obje é&t is, oe means 
of a temporary premiu m Brat parlia- 
ment, on an extraordinary growth of 
corn, to obtain a furplus adequate to 
the confumption of one whole year. 
This he thinks may be effected in the 
{pace of eight are and wren it is 
effeéted, the frock in* hand oa make 
the abundance of one harveil fupply the 
deficiency of another. We fall then be 
no loners as we are now, at the mercy 
of a capricious feafon for our daily 
3 R 2 bread ; 
