SKETCH VIII. Finances. PREFACE. IN the following flight effay, intended for novices only, it fatisfies my ambition, to rival certain pains-taking authors, who teach hiflory in the perfpicuous mode of queflion and anfwer. Among novices, it would be unpardonable to rank fuch of my fellow-citizens, as are ambitious of a feat in parliament; many of whom facrifice the inheritance of their anceftors, for an opportunity to exert their patriotifm in that auguft affembly. Can fuch a facrifice permit me to doubt, of their being adepts in the mysteries of government, and of taxes in particular? they ought at least to be initiated in these myfleries. It is of importance, that taxes and their efects be underflood, not only by the members of our parliament, but by their electors: a re prefentative prefentative will not readily vote for a deAtructive tax, when he cannot hope to dif guife his conduct. The intention of the prefent fketch, is to unfold the principles upon which taxes ought to be founded, and to point out what are beneficial, what noxious. I have endeavoured to introduce fome light into a fubject involved in Egyptian darkness; and if that end be attained, I fhall die in the faith that I have not been an unprofitable fervant to my country. Finances. His fubject confifts of many parts, This proper dif not a little intricate. A tribution will tend to perfpicuity; and I think it may be fitly divided into the following fections. ift, General confiderations on taxes. 2d, Power of imposing taxes. 3d, Different forts of taxes, with their advantages and difadvantages. 4th, Manner of levying taxes. 5th, Rules to be obferved in taxing. 6th, Taxes examined with respect to their effects. 7th, Taxes for advancing industry and com merce. SECTION I. General Confiderations on Taxes. S opulence is not friendly to ftudy and knowledge, the men best qualified for being generals, admirals, judges, or ministers tenance. minifters of ftate, are feldom opulent; and to make fuch men ferve without pay, would be in effect to eafe the rich at the expence of the poor. With refpect to the military branch in particular, the bulk of those who compofe an army, if withdrawn from daily labour, muft ftarve, unless the public which they serve afford them mainA republican government, during peace, may indeed be fupported at a very small charge, among a temperate and patriotic people. In a monarchy, a public fund is indispensable, even during peace and in war it is indispensable, whatever be the government. The Spartans carried all before them in Greece, but were forc'd to quit their hold, having no fund for a standing army; and the other Greek states were obliged to confederate with the Athenians, who had a public fund, and who after the Perfian war became mafters at fea. A defect fo obvious in the Spartan government, did affuredly not escape Lycurgus, the moft profound of all legiflators. Foreseeing that conqueft would be deftructive to his countrymen, his fole purpose was to guard them from being conquered; which in Sparta Sparta required no public fund, as all the citizens were equal, and equally bound to defend themselves and their country. A state, it is true, without a public fund, is ill qualified to oppose a standing army, regularly difciplined, and regularly paid. But in political matters, experience is our only fure guide; and the history of nations, at that early period, was too barren to afford instruction. Lycurgus may well be excufed, confidering how little progress political knowledge had made in a much later period. Charles VII. of France, was the firft in modern times who established a fund for a standing army. Against that dangerous innovation, the crown-vaffals had no refource but to imitate their fovereign; and yet, without even dreaming of a refource, they suffered themselves to be undermined, and at laft overturned, by the King their fuperior. Thus, on the one hand, a nation however warlike that has not a public fund, is no match for a standing ariny enured to war: extenfive commerce, On the other hand, enables a nation to fupport a standing army; but by introducing luxury it eradicates manhood, and renders that |