1800. j 
than any proportion to be levied upon the 
- capital, after it has accumulated. 
Your correfpondent feems to be moft 
anxious, that the operations of finance 
fhall be fo contrived, as not to difturb the 
accumulation of capital—in which he fays, 
*< the individual is to expect his future in. 
dependence, perfonal confideration,and the 
comfortable eftablifhment of his family.” 
And he tells us, ‘* that fo long as the 
money expended by the community is 
drawn from what «would otherwife have 
been confumed by the inbabitants, the pro- 
grefs of national wealth is not even im- 
peded. Individuals may be deprived of 
comforts or Juxuries which they might 
otherwife have enjoyed ; but the national 
cspital augments as quickly, and yields 
its annual produce as fully, as if zo tax 
bad been paid.”” Would not this accumu- 
lating capital, under fuch circumftances, 
_centre moft probably in the hands of com- 
paratively a very few? And while the 
nation collefively might be faid to be 
very rich, might not the bulk of the peo- 
ple, reduced to the bare neceffaries of life, 
be ground down by hard labour ? 
I confefs, Sir, I cannot be a friend to a 
fyftem which, embodying a ftate, can view 
the individua's of which it is made up, 
only as fo many inftruments for raifing 
wealth ;—that can fee in the earnings of 
indufry, not fo much a means of enjoy- 
ment for the ufe of the labourer, as a fund 
that may be made to accumulate into na- 
tional riches. : 
I fain would, that man fhould be enabled 
to catch a few of the moments as they 
pals. For while I wifh well to national 
progrefs, I would not that it fhouid be 
accelerated at the expence of any portion 
of the people’s happinefs. I think it even 
poffible for a nation to grow into greatnefs, 
without its government ever making any 
fenfible encroachment upon the income or 
comforts of individuals. And then it 
could not be important furely, what was 
the medium through which each man was 
made to contribute his fhare of the pubsic 
expence. Upon the other hand I fhould 
apprehend, that when the taxes of a nation 
had become of that magnitude as to re- 
quire being reduced into a regular fyftem, 
that that nation might be faid to have then 
given evidence of its progieis towards 
ruin,or revolution. All! its atter-fchemes 
-of finance I fhould fear would be found 
but cunning devices to lengthen out its 
thread of exiftence. 
I cannot therefore help thinking, Sir, 
that your correfpondent, in his obleryations 
upon Lord Lauderdale’s plan, has unprvft- 
; 2 
Obfervations on Provifion for old Aze. O47 
ably wafted much ingenuity and good abi. 
lity ; and that the amount of either’s fpe- 
culation is but to accommodate to our 
fhoulders what we muft, fooney or later, 
difcover to be an unfupportable load. 
GourNats, 
eR 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
OU will oblice a confant reader; 
and, I think, render an effential 
fervice to the commumity by feconding my 
views in the followirg particulars : 
It is univerfally allowed that the bef 
mode of providing the comforts ofeafe and 
plenty for old aze, is to put each indiyi- 
cual in the proper train to exert himfelf for 
that purpofe, during the period of activity 
and fireneth. Benevolence, however fin- 
cere and pure its intentions, is apt to 
overfhoot its mark, and increafe the evil 
it labours to remove, while indifference 
and felfithnets, viewing the operations of 
mifguided philanthropy, become callous to 
every fentiment of kindnefs. Thus it is, 
that while many intelligent and amiable 
writers recommend a public provifion to 
be made for the neceffities of widowhood 
and age ; others, feeing the evil tendency 
of {uch a mealure, or the little probability _ 
of its ever being attempted, reit fatished 
with the idea that things mu&t remain 
as they are:—fome propofing vifionary 
fchemes, fome contemplating the evil as 
being of too great a magnitude to aford 
any reafonable ground of hope for its re- 
moval, and fome, full of their own infig- 
nificance, totally indifferent as to the hap- 
pinefs or mifery of the woild. 
Toere are few reflecting minds but are 
wel! aware cf the inadequacy of our poor- 
laws to promote the well being of the 
lower clais, their obvious tendency being 
to debale the mind, while they are inca- 
pabie of affording fuitable conveniencies 
for the borly 3. and, perhaps, with the con. 
tinuation of the prefent pian, the middle 
clafs may be impoverifhed and the poor not 
be materially benefited. IT have had the 
opportunity of making conftant obferva- 
tion on the conduct and principles of the 
labouring clafs for nearly five and twenty 
years, and I have [fearcely ever found the — 
defire of providing for age fafficiently 
ftrong to lead to habits of economy. Void 
of reflzétion, the enjoyment or labour of 
the moment engroffes all their attention, 
The pooreli have no idea of the poffibility 
of faving any thing from their miferable 
pittance, while the man, who earns two 
or three guineas per week, at a fancy 
fluétatine 

