Page images
PDF
EPUB

and it is the same

falls and ends in

with a nation.

"

The land tax, which is imposed, to pay the interest of the war loans, raises the price of bread; for all taxes fall ultimately on the consumer. The importation of foreign grain, except it be bonded for exportation, is prohibited, unless the domestic corn rises to a certain price, and then it must pay a duty until the latter reaches a still higher price.Should this law be repealed, corn would flow into Britain, from the European nations, and America, in exchange for her manufactures. This would, at the same time, give cheaper living and more employment to the labouring classes, who, buying bread cheap, could afford to work still cheaper-and the cheaper the manufactured articles, the greater the foreign demand, until Great Britain would be covered with manufactories, villages and gardens the population increased to an indefinite extent, and mendicity and pauperism banished from the empire.

What prevents this? War. The price of grain must be kept up to enable the farmer to pay his taxes. The high price of bread

[ocr errors]

increases the price of labour; for men, as well as horses, must eat or they cannot work. The high price of labour increases the price of manufactures, and, of course, lessens the demand for exportation: for other nations, though less favourably situated for manufacturing, will manufacture for themselves, when they can do it cheaper than they can import from Britain; and, we, in this country, with our scant and scattered population, that in the nature of things, ought to be employed in clearing our forests, at the plough and the helm, are manufacturing for ourselves cheaper than we can import from England. This non-importation of ours, throws thousands out of employment in England, and they must starve or apply for relief to the parish, where the poor rates often amount to half the income, and a population is supported, or, at least, kept from actual starvation-in idleness,-who, but for war, might have supported themselves, and afforded a revenue to the state.

To resort to loans in time of peace, is impossible, for no one will lend; and every new loan must make a new tax, the avails of

which are mortgaged to pay the interest of the loan; and people, though they are willing to be taxed in war, are unwilling to be taxed in peace, and to resort to loans would only give temporary relief, like stimulants in a fever, but would accelerate the catastrophe, and lay the heavier burthen on the next gen

eration.

Thus Great Britain is pining away, with an internal consumption, which, unless speedily remedied by lessening her military and naval establishments, which are still enormous, will ere long prove fatal. And what has England got in exchange for her sufferings? Why, glory. She has the glory of beating the French at Waterloo-of giving a princely estate to the hero of Waterloo, who thereby is enabled to gamble by thousands and tens of thousands, and whose pampered footmen, in their gold-laced livery, riot in luxury while the industrious mechanic is starving, and if he cannot get a potatoe for his children's supper, may sing them to sleep with "The Battle of the Nile," and "Rule Britania." This may satisfy a poor man, while he is treated with processions and tri

umphs; but in time of peace, must be dull music-and at any time strikes my ear like the piper's tune to his cow, when he had no hay for her.

In the Edinburgh Review of Dr. Sebert's "Statistical Annals of the United States," there is an admonition to the Americans to abstain from martial glory. We can inform them," says the reviewer, "what are the inevitable consequences of being too fond of glory. Taxes upon every article which enters the mouth, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot-taxes upon every thing that is pleasant to see, hear, feel, smell, or taste-taxes upon warmth, light, and locomotion-taxes upon every thing on earth, and the waters under the earth-on every thing that comes from abroad, or is grown at home-taxes on the raw material-taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of men-taxes on the sauce which pampers man's appetite, and the drug which restores him to health-on the ermine that decorates the judge, and the rope which hangs the criminal-on the poor man's salt, and the rich man's spice-on the brass nails

of the coffin, and the ribbands of the brideat bed or at board, couchant or levant, we must pay! The school boy whips his taxed top-the beardless youth manages his taxed horse with a taxed bridle, on a taxed roadand the dying Englishman, pouring his medicine, which has paid seven per cent, into a spoon, which has paid fifteen per cent, flings himself back on his chintz bed, which has paid twenty per cent-makes his will on an eight pound [$35 52] stamp-expires, in the arms of an apothecary, who has paid one hundred pounds [$444 44] for the privilege of putting him to death. His whole property is then taxed, from two to ten per cent. beside the probate. Large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel; his virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble; and he is gathered to his fathers to be taxed no more."

Now if my countrymen are willing to pay this price for the whistling of a name," let them double their trainings, elect a “military chieftain" to the Presidency, erect monuments to military glory, mix military parade with all their public celebrations-fune

« PreviousContinue »