———— 
_ dual enterprize. 
-1808.] 
served, any skilful and enterprising indi- 
_vidual were to supply the public witha 
superior article, he would of necessity, 
command a superior consumption, whilst 
the shares of the associated body would 
fall in value, and the body itself be quickly 
annihilated: But, perhaps, I may be 
told that any association which tends to 
destroy competition, must, from the 
number, wealth, and influence, of the as- 
sociators, cramp the exertions of indivi- 
immense wealth and influence of the long- 
established porter-brewerles ; the popula- 
tion of this metropolis; and the smali 
proportion that individuals connected 
with the more recent institutions hears to 
the public at large; and when we consider 
that the consumption of the article can- 
not be forced, but must depend upon the 
excellence of its quality, every man is to 
be regarded as having the same field of 
enterprize which he had before the forma- 
tion of these associations; and no persons 
can reasonably complain, but those whose 
selfish and unprincipled conduct has ren- 
dered such associations indispensable. 
Moreover, there is the same kind of 
competition between one company and 
another, and between a company and an 
individual, as exists among individuals. 
. The general preference given by the com- 
munity is not compulsory but optional, 
and the best article and lowest price will 
invariably (ceteris paribus) constitute the 
solid basis of their encouragement. The 
real principle upon which companies are 
founded, 1s, not to monopolize or take 
away from the people by force their free 
agency, but, by a monopoly of every 
good quality and upright motive that can 
and should entitle them to patronage, to 
conciliate their good will, and to secure a 
fair and an honourableattachment, And, 
when any company ceases to act upon the 
fair and liberal principles which they 
have professed, and Which should charac- 
terise the individual as well as the associa- 
tion, they will nog fail to meet the same 
fate which the individual must, under si- 
milar circumstances, necessarily expe- 
rience—loss of credit, loss of reputation, 
and loss of business. 
It is my intention, Sir, on some future 
occasion, to take a more comprehensive 
view of the Golden Lane, British Ale, and 
other establishments; to investigate their 
principles, and to define their objects; 
in doing which, | hope to be able to shew 
their legality and cxpediency, and to 
prove, that the spirit of competition, 
which they excite, is, m the highest de- 
Montary Mac., No. i65. 
Public Companies. —Commusstoners of Taxes. 
When we consider the | 
“person. 
555 
gree, beneficial to the community, with- 
out being injurious to the honest and 
industrious individual. 
Your’s, &c. 
Nov. 12,1807, Henry Day. 
Cullum-street, Fenchurch-streeé. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
F BEG leave torecommend to the pe- 
rusal of your readers, and especi- 
ally to such of them as are commission- 
ers of the taxes, a bill intended to be 
brought into parliament next session, and 
now in the hands of members of the 
house of commons, to amend and regu-~ 
late the assessment and collection.of the 
assessed taxes, and of the tax upon pro-° 
perty, &c. The duties of the commis- 
sioners, already sufficiently unpleasant, 
are in this bill rendered much more so, 
by the introduction of many oppressive 
clauses, and they will be placed under 
he guidance of the government-sur- 
veyor, who is to act as their clerk, and 
will be continually at their elbow, though 
“it has been always thought that the due 
ties of a surveyor of taxes, and of clerks 
to commissioners were totally incompa- 
tible ; the one being the servant of go- 
vernment, and completely under its con= 
troul, the other the servant of the com- 
missioners, and removable at their plea- 
sure. The odiousness of inspectors and 
surveyors has been long felt, and has 
been submitted to only from a sense of 
absolute necessity. How an extension 
of their powers (especially that of domi- 
ciliary visitation) will be borne, we are 
yet to learn, if (asf can hardly expect) 
the commissioners can be induced to act 
under the provisions of the bill in its pre- 
sent state. They certainly will expect to 
have a clerk over whom they may have 
some kind of controu!, which will not be 
the case if the surveyor is to be that 
Your’s,- &c. 
A COMMISSIONER. 
November 11, 1807. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
I SHALL be much obliged to any of 
your numerous and intelligent read- 
ers who can inform me, through the 
channel of your useful and widely cir- 
culated miscellany, whether it has been 
clearly ascertained at what place, and in 
what year, the first edition of Cicero’s 
book de Offictis ad Marcum filium was 
printed, as I have in my possession a 
copy of this work, containing also his 
4D _ - hooks 
