':.mimmMm^Ei ^m Cleeve Scheme for preventing a further increase of the national debt THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES 1 SCHEME, For preventing a further Increafe O F T H E NATIONAL DEBT, And for Reducing the fame. Infcribed to the RIGHT HONOURABLE PHILIP DORMER STANHOPE, Earl of C H E S T E R F I E L D, ^r. By BOURCHIER CLEEVE, Efq; The Third Edition, with an Anfwer to a Letter to Bourchier Cleeve, Efq; by the Author of the Calculations of the prejejit I'axes, paid by a Family of each Rank, Degree or Clafs. As Cujlom camtot privilege an Error ^ So Novelty cannot prejudice Truth. LONDON: Printed for R. and J. Dodsley, in Pall-mall. MDCCLVIL [ Price One Shilling. ] T O T H E RIGHT HONOURABLE PHILIP DORMER STANHOPE, Earl of CHESTERFIELD, ^c. My Lord, SUSHE Regard your Lordlliip has for the Trade WA ^ M)^ of this Nation, your great Defire of a fur- kX)e()^)^jt^ ther Increafe thereof, and of our Naviga- tion, as the chief Support and Bulwark of Great Britain^ and the Knowledge your Lordfhip hath of the Trade and Commerce of our dangerous and vigi- lant Rivals therein, together with your accuftomed A 2 Affability i^'^Onj f O (iv) Affability and Candour in receiving any Scheme pro- pofed for the Good of your Country ^ are fufficienf Motives for my laying before your Lordihip the fol- lowing Eflay, which however imperfect, may find it's Excufe, as proceeding from an honeft and laudable Intention in. » My Lord, Your Lordihip' s Moft faithful and obedient humble Servant^ Bourchier Cleeve. SCHEME For preventing a further Increase O F T H E NATIONAL E B T, And far P^educlng trie fame. J^^^LTHOUGK u_. Confideration o£ a Su^jea of this ^'!iH A^'h^ Nature, falls more immeriiately within tlie Province of ^^xs^C^ thofe who iit at the Helm of Slate ; yet it may not be ^lik^'^'^ji inconfiftent with the Du<:y of €\'ery wood Subjed:, though but private Men, to make Obfervation-, and deliver their Senti- ments to their Superiors upon any thing which they conceive may affect their common Safety, and the Profperity of the Nation. The Propofer of this Scheme, therefore, humble hopes his Endeavours will be taken as a Teftimony of his loyal and honeft Zeal, to pro- mote the Glory and Profperity of the moil excellent Prince now reigning over us, and the Eftablifhment of his Royal Progeny to future Generations, and hereby fecureand perpetuate the public Safety and Happinefs. Towards which End, I muft obferve, as the taking away of an Evil is, in fome Degree, acquiring or doing good. [6] good, the Reduvflion of the [a) National Debt (which when it ex- ceeds one hundred Millions may prove a very dangerous Evil, and is dreadful in Profped) will remoi^e many Difficulties and Mor- tifications, which not only the Miniftry, but alfo their Royal Maf- ter himfelf meets with in fupporting the Government, and pro- tecting the Realm againfl: foreign Powers. Our heavy Burden, of Taxes demands the ferious Attention of ei'ery Subjedl who re- gards his King and the Good of his Country, efpecially of thofc whofe Time Avill permit them to give their Thoughts on this Sub- jed, and from many Plans and Schemes fure one might be formed to anfwer this noble End. It cannot indeed be imagined that a perfect Scheme of this Sort can be ftruck out by one Perfon, but from a number of Schemes, it is prefumed, a perfedl one may be found ; which is the fole Motive of my taking Pen in Hand on this Occafion, and I wiih my Capacity was equal to my Zeal. It muft be confeffed that Oeconomy in public AfFairs is infi- nitely more necefTary than in private Life ; and of this that worthy Patriot Sir jfo/vi Bar^iard feems to have been fenfible, by his well intended Scheme of Savings by Redu<£lion of Interefi: : But ftill a further Improvement is abfolutely necefTary for the Security of the Nation ; for our Taxes are fo multiplied by the Increafe of our National Debt, that they are now become a Burthen almofl in- lupportable. The flow Progrefs of this Evil renders it the more dangerous, as being fcarce liable to Detection until the fevere EfJed: is felt, when perhaps too late for a Remedy : And as the mofl fatal Dif- orders, and moft difficult to cure in the human Conftitution, arife (a) ' I know we are a rich and wealthy Nation, and have great Rcfources ; but confider what * the Sacred Hiftory reports of Solomon : His Treafures were immenfe, fuch as enabled him to ' build a Temple at Jerufalem of almoft incredible Value. Yet his Riches have long fince va- ' niflied, the Place where the Temple ftood, and even Jerufalan itfelf that contained it, is fcarcely ' now to be found. God forbid that this fliould CTer be our Cafe, by going beyond our Strength." from ' _ [ 7] from a long, flow, aiid imperceptible bad Habit ; fo likevvife do thofe in our political Conftitution. The Redudion of the National Debt, to, at leaf!:, 40,000,000, is very effential towards making us a happy People, (which flire is not fo difficult to effed: as fome may imagine), for hereby the great Increafe of our Commerce will render this Nation the Grand Mart of the World ; and by the great Increafe of our Navigation we fhall be able to navigate our Ships as cheap as (if not cheaper than) the French^ Dutch, or any other Nation ; likevvife to fell our Manufa6lures on as good Terms as any other People whatfoever : An Affair of fo great Confequence merits the ferious Thoughts of the Legiflature. I SHALL take the Liberty to introduce an Obfervation on the French Trade made by an elderly Merchant of great Veracity in the Year 1 745 ; that he remembered when all the Ports in France together did not fend yearly fifty Sail of Ships to the WeJl-IndieSy and he lived to fee the Number increafe gradually to upwards of two himdred Sail fitted out from one Port only to the Wejl-Ijidies. [h] Tnis [h) * The great Attention to Commerce in the French, was chiefly countenanced by Lnvii the XlVth, aflifted by theVigilance of Monfieurd.WZ'i-;/, " who greatly augmented theTrade oi Fionct, ' by caufmg it to flourifti in all the four Quarters of the World. That the grand Syllem of Policy, ' in France, is ftill to increafe her Commerce, and raife her maritime Powers to a Superiority over ' thofe of England and Holland, appears from the concurring Sentiments of all their ableft Writers ' upon thofe Topics. Monfieur Dcjlandcr, in his Addrefs to the late Count de Maiirepas, Secretary ' of State and of the Marine in France, fays, I cannot help telling you. Sir, that maritime power is ' the Pillar, the Support of the State ; and that when it fliall be numerous, and under a proper Re- ' gulation, it will be able to give Laws to all the mai-itime Powers in Europe ; the State itielf w,ill ' be fecure, having nothing to fear. And in another Place he fays : All tlie Nations of Antiquity, ' that were defirous of railmsj an univerfal Reputation, and to diftinguifh themfelves above others, ' have cultivated a maritime Force ; and the more they have cultivated it, the greater Power and ' Authority they acquired. Amongft the Greeks, Themijloclcs, and Pompey amono- the Romans, ' iiiid loudly, that whoever would command the Continent mult begin the Command at Sea. The * great CoWert, in order to eft'e^il thia, carefully informed himfelf of the feveral Soits of Brliij'h Manu- ' faiSares * See PoJlki]j--xayt'% ftiort State of the Progrefs of the Tnnch Trade And Navigatioiiv [8] This great Increafe of the French Navigation and Trade, was cliiefly owing to their underfelling us in mofl Weft-India Com- modities, efpecially Sugars, Cotton, Indigo, and all JVeJl-lndia Goods, by which Fra7ice is become now the greateO: Market in the World ; which is not to be wondered at, as their outward bound Cargoes coil: them twenty per Cent, lefs upon an Average, than our outward bound Cargoes do us ; confcquently they can afford to underiell us in ail their Returns. Should it be faid, that Trade in general is increafed in Europe., I wifh we could fay our Trade and Navigation is increafed in the iame Degree as the French Trade ic,, but this no one can prefume to fay. As Reflexions on this Topic feem to me to have been quite negle(fted, the Coniequence thereof, (if not taken timely into Con- iideration) will be, that the French^ in a few Years Commerce, will leave us litde enough to look attc. Therefore, after deliberating upon many Schemes, and turn- ing my Thoughts upon many V/ays, to bring about fo deferable a Thing as the Increafe of our Trade and Nu. igation ; I could not fix upon any Plan fo eafy as that of Si'; Matthew Decker^ Bart, which is, a total Aiterai ion of the prefent Syftem of raifmg the Supplies, by aboUfhing all Duties, Excifes, and Taxes, and raif- * failures fold in every foreign Market, whereof he had Pieces and Patterns brought him. Having * hy this Means, made himfclf acquainted with the different Kind of Goods wanted in the feveral * Markets of Europe, Afta and Africa, he ereftcd particular Works for making thofe very Goods, * and what was another Mafter-ftroke in Politics, he vvii'ely encouraged the Merchants to export * them, by caufmg Credit to be given them out of the public Stock, that is, by the King, even till * the Return of thefe Goods came home. This was particularly done with regard to the Turkey ' Merchants of Marjdllei, who had Credit out of the Royal TreafurVj till the Return of their Ships * from Smyrna and Scayideroon ; by which politic Encouragement, the Merchants of AlarfeUles firft * fupplanted the Eiiglijh in the Levant Trade, wherein, we are too fenfible, they have furprifingly * increafed ever fince. They have alfo greatly fupplanted the Englijh in the Woollen ManufatSures ' at the Markets of Spain, Portugal, and Italy. ' Cardinal Fleury daily finding the Benefit accruing to the French Nation by Commerce, formed ' his grand Scteme of augmenting it even to buy Tobacco at the firft Hand. (9) ing the Supplies by one general Tax. This would make the Na- tion a Kind of Free Port, which would render it in a few Yeais the Grand Magazine of the World, fcj Many Objections have been made to Sir Matthew Deckers Scheme, and fome of them very frivolous, not worth mentioning ; the three rnofl material I will mention, in order to obviate, viz. the Firft, That the Minifliry will lofe their Power ; the Second, That the Miniflry, and thofe in great Places, will not then have fo many Ways of ferving their Friends ; and the Third, That fuch a Scheme will hurt thofe who now enjoy Places, Salaries, or have reverftonary Grants under the Government, as moft Places will then be rendered ufelefs. To remove thefe Difficulties, I reply to the Firft, The Miniftry would gain Efteem, and have much lefs Trouble, as they would not every Year be taxing their Fellow-SubjeCls, which is one chief Caufc of the Diflike the independent Part of the Nation have to them ; they will thereby have much lefs Buftnefs at Home, more Leifure to purfue the good and true Intereft of the Nation, by making foreign Affairs their chief Study, and would prevent many Families from ruining their Fortunes at Elections. To the Second, I make the general Anfwer now given upon any Complaint to the public Offices ; " The Good of the Nation muft be firft con- " fidered." To the Laft, my Anfwer is, I fhould be forry to prejudice any one ; therefore all thofe who now enjoy Places, Penfions, or Salaries of any kind, fl^iould receive the fame during (c) Sir Afaithew fays, " Obferve the pofitive a>5lua] Advantage it will bring; to the Eaji-India <' Company, to the Merchant, to the Confunier of Goods of all Sorts, to the public Funds, and in " fliort to the Nation in general, as well as to the mofl ufeful (though at prcfent moft unhappy and " moft burthened part of it) the Poor. Add to this, that it would be a Means of making Great Bri- ♦' tain, wnat is called in the Merchantile Stile, a Free Port (a Circumftancc very defirable by every ♦' Well-wifher to his Country) and then fee whether it does not deferve the Care of svery worthy Pa- •* .triot, to make fuch a Scheme pradicablc. B their ( 10 ) their Lives, to be paid out of the Monies raifed for the Service of the current Year ; and thofe who have Reverlions of Places on the Deceafe of the Perfons in PoffefHon, fhould be paid a Sum equal to the full Value of their Grants. Further, as the French now declare they are fo well fkilled in the State of our Finances (I fear more fo than many among us are) that if they can carry on their Trade by neutral Bottoms to keep it alive, and by Threats, or Attempts of Invafions, keep us at the prefent Expence and annual Increafe of our National Debt ; they will fully effedl their Purpofe. To fruftrate this Scheme of the French^ I fhall begin with the firft Part of my Scheme, and recommend that the Legiilature raife three Millions at Lady-day next, by Annuities on Lives by Lot- tery not exceeding fix and a half /j^r Cent. (Foreigners excluded), the Management of this to be condu6led by feven Truftees, to be yearly named by his Majefty ; three Lords, two Commoners, and two Perfons converfant in Trade, who fhould a£t without an)^ Salaries, the whole Expence for the Management of this not to exceed looo/. per Anmwi^ viz. for Clerks, 400/. per Annutn \ for Advertifements, Paper, Books and incident Expences, 100/. per Atnum ; for the Broker's Salary, 200/. per Annum ; for ten Shillings Chair-hire for each Truftee when he attends, 300/. Total 1000/. The faid three Millions to be immediately imployed to the paying off the National Debt, not in lefsSums than 200,000/. at any one Payment ; and when it happens that Stocks are under Par^ the Truftees fhall be impowered to buy in Stocks in the Names of the Lord High Chancellor, the Prefident of the Coun- cil, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the Time being, in Truft, for the Nation. On the Death of any Annuitant the Truftees to take in fuch as feem moft to their Advantage, but not v^ to exceed fix and a ha.Kper Cent. Iiiteren:, and all Monies arlilng by new Annuitants, to be appropriated for the further Payment of the National Debt, as foon as the fame fliall aniount to 200,000/. and the Truftee.) to receive the future Dividends, or an adequate Sum, out of the Sum raifed for the Service of the current Year, on all Debts they fhall pay off, as if the fame ftiil exifted, to ac- cumulate in order to the further leffening of the National Debt. This would immediately ftrike our ambitious Adverfary with Terror, and in the Courfe of ten or twelve Years pay off an im- menfe Sum. I PROCEED next to the other Part of my Scheme, which Is for raifing annually a large Supply by one (ingle Tax on Houfes, to prevent any further Increafe of the National Debt ; and, accord- ing to Sir Matthew Deckers Plan, abolifh all Duties and Taxes, except fuch Duties as affedl our Manufadiures by Exports or Im- ports, or Frefich Commodities, which Duties fhould be farmed out. (d). Mr. King computes the Number of Houfes to be 1,240,000, and only 100,000 of them uninhabited. Sir Matthew Decker cal- culates the Number in his Time to be 1,200,000, and uninha- bited houfes to be 100,000 ; fince his Tim^e a very conliderable Number of Houfes have been built j to prevent an Over-charge I fhall make my calculation from. 1,10.0,000 Houfes. (d) Such on Importation as Addlces, Ale, Anvils, old Armour, Arrack (to promote the Rum Trade) Awl Blades, Axes or Hatchets, Backs for Chimneys, Bark of Oak, Bays of Florence, BcHs, Books bound and unbound. Bottles, Brufiies, Butter, Cabinets, Corn to be limited, Earthen Ware, all French Goods in War Tirr.e or in Time of Peace, the Duty on French Wine .to promote ths Portugal Trade, CalHcoes, Mu.dins, Nails, Paper, Plate wrought. Sail Cloth, wrought Silks, Stockings, Tin, Whalebone cut. Whale Fins, On Exportation, Coals, Lead, Lead Oic, Tin, B 2 All ( 12 ) Q N* I AH Peers Seats and Town Houfes, Arch- bifhops and Bifliops Houfes — — S All Houfes inhabited by Sccfcb or IriJ/j'] Peers, General Officers in the Army, Ba- I ronets, or any other Perfons whofe Fortunes ; are 1 00,000 /. in freehold and perfonal ; Eftate, including all Furniture, Plate, and | Jewels • J Admirals, Generals, and Field Officers Houfes — ■ — — \ lip/ 1 «< p X £■ 6501150 4000 2000 500 Colleges, Inns of Court, Halls. Meeting Houfes, and all Places of Divine Worlbi (the Churches of England and Ambaf- fadors excepted.) All Gentlemen and Ladies Town and Country Houfes, who keep their Coach, or any other Carriage, all Clergymen for every Living of upwards of 200 /. per Annum Houfes belonging to Farms upwards of) 220 /• per Annnm • — • — — — ~ """ J All City and Town Houfes with morel than two Rooms on a Floor, or only two I Rooms, if either of them are a Shop or | Warehoufe, and Clergymen's Livings from >250000 100/. to 200/. per Annum, or thole who have a fixed Sum in Lieu of Tythes from | 150/. to 200/. • • J All Houfes belonging to Farms, or Farms / ^ooo from 1 20 /. to 2 20 /. per Annum ■ 3 8000 1200 Carried over 268350 80 60 100 25 20 16 15 £■ s. d. 97,500 o o 320,000 o o 120,000 O O 50,000 o o 200,000 O o 24,000 o o 4,000,000 o o 30,000 o o 4,841,500 o o ( n ) Brought over 268,350 o Town Houfes without Shops, two Rooms ) on a Floor - _ "^ - -J ^50,000 10 Country Houfes, three Rooms on a-j Floor, and Farm Houfes of Farms above/ to I. per Aftnum to 120/. per Annimi, andy ' Livings from 80 /. to 1 50 /. per Annum — J X I Country Houfes, the Rents 10 /. to 20 /. per Annu7n — — \ 140,000 12 Small Country Houfes with two Rooms-j on a Floor, and Farms above 30 /. and un-/ der 60 /. and all Livings from 50 /. to 80 /. ^ ' per Annum — — - — — J 000 10 10 13 All fmall Houfes and Cottages from 2 /. to 10/, per Annian-t and Farm Ho Farms from 10/. to 30/. per Annum rom 2 /.") /• ufes for[ ^^^'^5° n 3 1,100,000 s. 30 4,841,500 o o 2,500,000 o o 2,000,000 o a 700,000 o o 360,000 o o 182,475 ° o 10583975 o o The Land-Tax in Time of War at 1^. in the Pound, (in 7 Time of Peace 6 d. in the Pound; _ —J 500,000 o o Savings on the Materials in the building; and equippins: of? the King's Ships - _ - ^ _1^ _ J 200,000 o o A further annual Saving, will be by Deaths of thofe who 7 now enjoy Places, Penfions, or Salaries — -J 50,000 o o ii.333>975 o o Deductions, Pepuctiqns, For coUefting; eleven Millions at id. in? the Pound _ —^ ^\ 1373500 For Bounty on Corn, IriJJj Linen, and fun- 1 J T? » > 200,000 dry Exports ' -— — j ' 337,500 c o 10,996,475 O o To be applied in Time of War. To his Majefty's Civil Lift ■ — £. 800,000 To Payment of the three and half ^^r Ceiit,'\ Extra Interell: on the three Millions cf Lifet 105,000 Annuities — — — — J To Payment of the Truftee? Expences — 1,000 To pay the Lntereft of the National Debt") and Supplies for the current Service of the > 9,090,475 Year — — -- —J To pay off the National Debt yearly — 1,000,000 ; 10,996,475 In Time of Peace. It is propofed that all the faid Taxes fhall continue, ex-"i cept the Land-Tax, which, being reduced to 6 d. in the! , Pound, as the landed Intereft pay on their Houfes, will f '74 >^7b caufe a Dedudion of 250,000 /. then will remain the Sum of J To be applied, vi^. The King's Civil Lift - - -£. 800,000 Extra Intereft on the Life Annuitants and 7 106000 o o For keeping 24^000 able Seamen, exclufivei 100,000 Charges For k of the Officers in Part pay To pay off the Intereft of the National/ ^ ^^^ ^^^ Debt, and for the Supplies for the current Year J •^' ' The Remainder to pay off the National Debt 6,740,475 10,746,475 ( '5) My next Bufinefs is to convince the feveral Perfons of the difFe- rentClaffes, how beneficial a Scheme of this Sort would be to them, as the Land-Tax will be reduced three Fourths, and all the other Taxes (excepting fome few) are to be taken off. I SHALL beo-in with the Noblemen, &'c. of the four firfl: Clafles, to whom I fhall name only three Taxes, by which, if they will duly confiider them, they will find themfelves great Gainers, viz. by re- duing three Quarters of the Land-Tax, the Malt-Duty, and Duty on all Wines (except French Wines.) To the fix next Clafles, if they confider the many Taxes, Du- ties, and Excifes on all the Neceflaries of Life (too numerous to mention) being taken off, how greatly all the Traders and Mecha- nics of this Nation will be benefited, by the great Increafe of Commerce and Manufadories fuch a Scheme will produce, when this Nation is a Kind of Free Port : Efpecially when they confider the heavy Load of all the prefent Taxes lying on them at prefent ; and that every Tax and Duty laid on by Parliament is increafed by the Vender to the Confumer a fourth Part more, they will have Reafon to rejoice . And efpecially the fair Trader, who is fo great a Sufferer under the prefent Lead of high Duties, which are the Caufe of all Smuggling, and much Perjury : For he will be re- lieved of this Burthen, and get rid of his diflioneft and perjured Rivals in Trade, who inrich themfelves by thofe Means which im- poverifh the fiiir Trader. As to the three laft Clafles, they will be much eafed, efpecially thofe who have Families, if they confider only how cheap all the Neceflaries of Life will be. Widows, and Ladies of flender and fmall Fortunes, will be able to live much better than they now do. The ( i6) The Utility and Benefit each Perfon will receive from this" Scheme, will plainly appear in ftating the following Cafe, for about ten Years part, of Mr. B, who then declined Bufinefs with a For- tune of io,coo/. which he laid out in the Purchafe of New Sa/fh- Sea Annuities, at the then Price of about 95 (but I will fay pari and he became poffefled of 10,000/. of thofe Annuities, which brought him in for Intereft, at ^per Cent, per Ann. Upon a Calculation he then made of the many Duties, Taxes, and Excifes, (all which now exift) his Income was affeded there by upwards of, per Ann. — — — s. d. 400 o o es,-j 100 o o He had then to live upon — — — '— £• 300 o o Since then, the following Taxes have been laid on, which afFed him in the following Manner. 1746 The Glafs-Duty on all forts of Glafs Bottles 7 Drinking-GlafTes, Crown and Plate-Glafs 5 1747 The Adl for repealing the feveral Rates and"! Duties onHoufes, and for granting other Rates I and Duties upon Houfes, Windows or Lights, ! each Houfe 2 s. each Window 6 J. for fourteen 1 Windows gd. for nineteen Windows, and up- \ wards u. each — — — J (e) The Coach Duty 1748 PafTed that grievous Duty on Trade of") 1 2d. in the Pound on all Goods imported, > which affefts every middling Family — J 1748 Duty on Windows and Lights contiguous Buildings, Sky-Lights in Dwelling-Houfes — • o o 2 i6 o !- 22 60 - 8 o o o o nay —J ; extended to | 5, and Lights r I 10 o 277 14 o (e) Some People too haftily have concluded that Mr. B. ought r,ot to ha\e kept two Carriages, according to his Circumftances : To which Imuftriply, that before the Year 1746, very tew People thought of this Tax ; and, as he kept a Pair of Horfes, the Difference between one and two Carriages was only in the Coft of them; and whether he continued the keeping of both Carriages or not, this A(S affected him the fame, as it obliged him either to pay the Duty for them, or not to ufe them. 1750 The ('7) Brought over — — — /^. 277 14 o 1750 The A(ft for reducing the feveral Annuities") 1 of four per Cent., to three and ahalf /)rr C'«/. J. 50 o o| until the 25th of D^'CfWil^d'r, 1757 — j > 52 12 o 1756 The Tax on Plate — — 200! 1756 The additional Tax on Cards and Dice o 12 cj 225 2 o From which dedudt his Parifli Taxes, as Poor and Church ? Rates, and Ward Rates — — — j" '7 H o 207 8 o At Chriflmas 1757, a further Dedu6lion of his Interefl:, one7 hilf per Cent. ~ — _ J 5° o o 157 8 o Reflefting upon the above Cafe of Mr. B. it plainly appears his Incoine, which was ^oo l. per Ann. in 1746, by the Incrcafe of Taxes is or will be in 1757 reduced to lefs than 160/. and in fo ftiort a fpace of Time as ten Years, whereof two only of them were in War, fix Years Peace, and two Years neither War nor Peace ; what will the Confequences be, if we engage in this abfolutely neceflary War, which may continue fome Years, if a Stop is not put to this growing Evil ? I fear the fmall Remains of Mr. B's Income will be in Effe(ft wholly deftroyed by the Confequence of the neccffary Increafc of our Taxes. And here I cannot forbear reflefting, that in the laft ten Years, Peace hath hurt us as much as War : Peace, inftcad of bringing Plenty, hath brought Poverty, by lowering of Intereft ; and War, by accumulating our Taxes, will reduce us to a mofl deplorable State. The following Cafe may fhew how grievoufly the Load of our prefent Taxes affedt the Country Gentlemen and Landed Intereft, efpecially thofe of Eftates from 100 to 2000/. per Ann. and may convince thofe who have Children, how impoffible it is to provide Fortunes for their younger ones, and how happy a Scheme of this fort would make them. I fhall therefore ftate the Cafe of (a midling Gentleman) Mr. L. who now pofTefles a clear landed Eftate of 600 /. per Ann. confifling of only 5 Farms, exclufive of his Seat. C How ( i8 ) How he is affected by the prefent Duties and Exclfes. Firft, how the Cuftom-houfe Duties afFecl him. The Duty on Cotton-wool (as his Children, &c. wear Cotton"] Gowns, and yearly fome is wanting for Furniture) afFedis i. 050 hinti per u4?ifi. at leaft — — — — J On Deals, Fir-baulks, and many other forts of Norway Tim-"j ber, which come cheaper, and is more eafily worked than (, o 18 o Oak, which is ufed in Repairs of his Farms and Houfe J On Drugs, about 350 forts, many of which are ufed inT dying of Apparel, for his own and Servants Wear, and L 5 10 o many forts add to the Amount of his Apothecary's Bill j On Fifh, as L-ing, £cc. 6cc. ■ — — 030 On Furrs and i:;kins above 20 forts, fome of which are ufed"! in making Hats for his own and Servants Wear, and other v i 15 o forts in many Family Articles — """ J On Groceries, including Almonds, Annifeed, Cinnamon, Cloves,-> Currants, Dates, Figs, Ginger, Liquorice, Mace, Nutmegs, / Pepper, Pimento, dryed Plumbs, Prunes, Sugars, andf many other Articles — — — J ^ On Hair, fome of which are ufed in Wigs, Sieves, &c. 080 On Iron, ufed in Carriages and Repairs of his Farms and? Houfe, about half a Ton Weight a Year, the Duty thereon y ^ 5 ° On Laces of many forts - -- - - 080 On Leather, 7 forts - - - - 080 On Linen Cloth, Holland, Long-lawns, Barras, Canvas of iot forts, Damafk, Diaper for Tabling and Toweling, Sheet- / , ing. Dowlas, Drillings, Necklcoths, Ticking, all continu-f ally wearing out _-___-_-----j On Oils, as Sallad Oil, and other forts ufed in Soap and many? other Family Articles ______--- -^ •5° On many forts of Paper ----------- 050 On Pipe and Hogfliead Staves --------- 030 On Pitch, Tar, Turpentine and Rofin ------ 0^0 On Silks, many forts wrought and raw ------ 400 Carried over 33 180 o o ( 19 ) Brought over - - - - - - Z'. 33180 On Spirits, p.s Rum, Brandy, Arrack, and other foris, together 7 , about 28 Gallons, at 45. 8^. per Gallon - j On Tallow, (as it keeps up the Price of our own) and ufed in 1 many other Articles _ _ _ _ \ On Thread, many forts - - - - 060 On Tobacco - - - - - 0100 On Yarn, many forts - - - 080 On Wine, of which he ufes one Pipe of Port per Year 12 10 o On fundry forts of Wine, as Madeira, RheniOi, Florence,- Mountain and Lifbon, which upon a Medium of Seven 1 Years, of the feveral forts together, he confumes only ' I Hogfliead \ o o On Claret, cannot afford any On Coals - - - - - 215 On China, Muilins, Dimities, Callicoes, and many other forts | of India Goods - - - - 3 On Pot-aflies, Weed and Wood-aflies, Toys, Saphora, Beads of 10 forts. Berries for Dyers Ufe, Lamp-black, Books, Bugles, Latten Plates, Carpets, Cafes, Cocoa Nuts, Cork, ^500 Hemp, Flax, Inkle, Ivory, Mahogany and other Woods for Cabinet-makers Ufe, raw Hides, &c. 72 10 o I proceed next to the Excifes. Excife, On Candles affeft him yearly, at leafi: - - 2100 On Wax ditto, he cannot afford any On Coffee, 13 lb. per Year - _ - - _ 60 On Chocolate, i j. 6 ^. per lb. - - - - - 0160 On Tea, for his own and Servants Ufe - - - -400 On Hops - - - - -- 060 On Leather of many forts, ufed for his own Shoes, Gloves. ? Carriages, Harnefs, Servants Breeches, Sec. - -\ On Malt, for 10 Hogfheads of flrong Beer, 120 Bulhels 16 Ditto fmall Beer - 48 7 Ditto of Ale - - 42 2ioBufhels,at6J. 3 5 Carried over 89180 12 ( 20) Brought over --- - - - ^T. 89180 Oh Paper, many forts - - - - - oioo On Stamps, for Leafes, Bonds, &c. - - - 0180 On Salt - - - - - - iioo On Soap, one penny half penny per lb. of which he ufes 8 lb. per Week _______ On Spirits - ___ ____o8o On Starch and Powder _ - - __ 180 On Vinegar - - -----080 On Glafs of all forts -- - - - - - 2100 On Carriages - - - - - - - _ 800 On Windows - - - - - - - -5100 On Plate - - - - - - - - 2100^ On Cards - - - - - - - - 0100 That Duty on Trade, of Twelve Pence in the Pound on all- Goods imported, impofed 1748, as I have computed thej Cuftom-houfe fo much under what they really are, thisi Duty affedls him at leaft _ _ - _ _ ^1 o o 124 12 o To which I add one fifth Part more, being the leaft Proportion"! on the faid Duties and Excifes, the Confumer pays Extra tof o the Importer and Venders for Intereft of Stock lying dead in T ^ ^ the fame, and chance of bad Debts _ _ _ J Befides other Duties on numberlefs Articles, which may feem trifling in each Particular, tho', in the whole, they amount to a conliderable Sum, which I omit, to obviate any Thought of Overcharge on any of the foregoing Articles ; nor is any Charge made for the Cuftom-houfe Fees 150 10 4 I now proceed to his other neceffary Taxes and Expences. His Land-Tax to which his Eftate is rated at 500/. which now"j is four Shillings in the Pound, but upon an Average of 17 Years, C 87 100 from 1740 to 1756 both inclufive, is about 3 J. 61J. in thePoundj His Church and Poors Rate - - - - 300 Carried over 241 04 ( 21 ) Brought over - - - - - £. 24.1 o 4. Repairs of his Farms, the Chance of bad Tenants, InfuranceT from Fire, which amount to at leafl: zs. 6d. in the Pound on i, 75 00 the whole Income of his Rents - - - J His Servants Wages. His Coachman's Wages, Wafliing included - - 1200 One Footman, ditto, ditto - - - 800 One Boy to drive his Foft Chaife - - - 700 One Gardener - - - - - - - 1800 Two Maid Servants, and 1 Girl, Wages - - - 13 o o Liveries for his 3 Men Servants - - - - 1500 Doctor's Fees paid for himfelf and Family on a Medium of feven" Years _ _ _ _ _ _ His Apothecary's Bill, upon an Average - - - 1 1 1 5 7 7 £. 408 24 The Balance to provide for all the Neceflaries for his Family, 1 as Provifions of all Kinds, his Wife's and Children's Apparel, > 1 9 1 178 Linen, &cc. his Children's Education, &c. is only - - J For the Provifion to raife Fortunes for his younger Children. - 000 600 o o The following Cafe is to iliew Mr. L. how much he will be benefited if a Scheme of this Sort is carried into Execution. His Land-Tax in Time of Wai- one Shilling in the Pound, "J in time of Peace fix Pence only, therefore I charge it at a Me- J. 12 100 dium of one Shilling in the Pound J His Poor and Church Rate — — < — 3 00 As Materials and Labour for the Pvcpairs of his Houfe and") Farms will then be one fourth Part lefs than they now are j i 56 00 therefore that Article of 75/. will be reduced to J His Servants Wages and Liveries, which amounted to 84/."! ought and will be (confidering all the Neceflaries of Life being > 42 00 fo greatly reduced, efpeclally Tea) reduced to a half Part j Carried over 113 10 o ( 22 ) Brought over - - - - - - - -113100 His Doctor's Fees, as he paid before — • — ■ 770 His Apothecary's Bill, as he paid before — — 11 15 o His rioufe Duty according to this Schcn^.e, is in the fifth ] Clafs. Vide Page 12. __ _ __ _ ^ 2j His Balance to provide for all the Necellaries for his Family, ■> as Provi lions of all Kinds, his own, his Wife's and Children's i Apparel, Linen, &c. his Children's Education, which was only f^"*" iQi/. 17^. Sd. now is — — — — J o o 8 o 191/. 1/ 600 o o How happy v/ould Mr. L. then be ? and not obliged to go abroad to fave Fortunes for his younger Children. As Trade and Commerce are the true Support of this Nation, how greatly would they be increafed hereby, if this Nation was a kind of Free Port, and the prefent Clog of Taxes taken off. Every Gentleman, or Lady of fmali Fortunes, would be able to live four times better than they now can do, and almod as cheap as in Po/cJ77ciy Germany^ Prujfta^ the Southern Part of France^ or elfewhere ? I confefs it a Hardfhip tliat Foreigners who re- ceive our Intereft can, and do live on, and for one fourth Part of the Expence that any one can do here ; cfpecially when we confider the many Advantages this Nation is blefled with, by its i ertility, almoft capable of fupplying the Inhabitants with all Necefiaries of Life \ the great Abundance of Provifions, as Corn, Fiih, &c. that many foreign Countries take from us : And as in thofe Countries which we fo largely fupply. People live fo much cheaper than here, it is a convincing Proof of the great Grievance of our prefent Taxes ; which, if they can be remedied, and ample Supplies raifed for the Service of the cur- rent Year, I hope it deferves the Attention of the Miniftry. Numberlefs ( n ) Numberlefs other Blellings this Nation ' will enjoy by a Scheme of this fort being carried into Execution. Amonorft others, what a Comfort it will be to us to live as cheap here as in any other Country, and under fo good a King, and cur pre- fent Eftablifhment in Church and State, and His Majefty's Royal Progeny fo firmly fettled to future Generations ; and the Trade and Commerce of thefe Kingdoms incrcafed fourfold ; to the total Subverfion of Cardinal Fleiirys Scheme, and the ambitious Views of our implacable Enemy ? Our Colonies would then flourifli more than the Fj-ejich Colonies now do ; our Eafi- India Commerce would be increafed ; and in a few Years de- prive the Frcnco of the greateft Part of their Trade. By the Cheapnefs of Provifions here, Handycraft-men from moft Nations would come and fettle amongfl: us, Seamen to man our Fleers would never be wanting. And in Time of War an Overplus raifed of more than one Million, and in Time of Peace upwards of lix Millions, towards paying off the National Debt, in about lo Years, would reduce it to fifty Millions, and in about 3 or 4 Years time, fhould the War continue, the Land Tax may be reduced to Six-pence in the Pound. It is prefumed this Scheme may be brought about with great Eafe, as the Syftem of the following principal Offices of State are not interfered with thereby, viz. The Houfes of Lords and Commons, His Majefty's Houfhold, the Admirdltj , the Navy Office, the Treafury, the OfHce ol Ordnance, tlie Courts of Chancery or Common Law, the Pofc Office, and particularly the Adl of Navigation. Having fliewn the Poffibility of raffing ample Supplies by one general Tax on Houfes, whereby the Subjeds of all Denomi- natloni ( =+) nations will be greatly cafed of their prefent Burthen of Taxes, and a Stop put to that growing Evil the Increafe of the Na- tional Debt. I beg leave to mention, the proper Time for fo material an Alteration in our Conftitution ought not to be ne- gle(51:cd ; happy had it been for the landed Intereft and com- mercial Part ot this Nation, if a Scheme of this fort had been carried into Excution fome Years pafl: ; it would have prevented the Increafe of our National Debt in the lafl ten Years many Millions (which we now pay Intereft for.) Should the prefent War continue, according to the prefent Method of raifing the Sup- plies, three Adiliions yearly Vv'ill be wanted (exclufive of feven Millions raifed by the Land-Tax, Malt, Mum, &'c. Salt, Sink- ing Fund, &'c.) which with the Intereft will increafe the Debt to upwards of one hundred and twenty-one Millions in ten Years, the Intereft whereof, together with the other neceflary Supplies, will then render all Schemes of this kind impradlicab'e. And fhould a Deficiency happen in the Sinking Fund by the Decay of Trade, the Gentlemen of the landed Intereft well know on wliom fuch Deficiency muft fall : Therefore it behoves them greatly to take fo weighty an Affair into Conftdera- tion ; their Regard for the Welfare of their King and Country, the future Happinefs of their own Families, the Good of Trade and Commerce, and the Succefs of our Colonies, Juftice and Honefty to Widows, Orphans, and others, who have lent us their Money for the Support of the Nation, demands their At- tention at this critical Conjundure ; which if they negled: or refufe now to afford, will not Pofterity with Juftice reproach them with bad Management, by leaving fuch a heavy Debt, the Inte- reft of which will become fo burthen fome as may raife fo great a Difguft as to alienate them from our prefent happy Eftablifh- ment in Church and State, whereby their whole Properties may be loft in Confufton ? IN ( 23) IN perufing a Pamphlet, intitled, * An Effay on Vv^ays and * Means for railing Money for the Support of the Prefent * V/ar, without increafing the PubUc Debt, by Francis Fau- ' quier, Efq; he in his 2 2d and 23d Pages, has not done proper ' Juftice to the Name of the Gentleman he there mentions, viz. " The Method which occurs to me on this Occafion, and which " has met with the Approbation of all fober-mijided conjiderable " Mejij whom I have confulted upon this Head, is no Scheme *' of my own ; but has been fome 7'inie publijhed under the Title *' of Cojifiderattons on the feveral high Duties which the Natiofi " in general (as v/ell as its Trade in particular) labours under : " with a Propofal to raife the Whole by one fingle Tax." " This Pamphlet (fays he) is now univerfally acknowledged " to have been written by Sir Matthew Decker^ Baronet, a Man " long verfed in Bufmefs, intimately acquainted with, and fre- " quently confulted by, Minifiers on the Subjed: of pubHc Re- " venues, and confequently Mafter of the Subjedl of which he *' treated. Sir Matthew goes further than I propofe." I cannot help obferving with Concern, that Mr. Fauquier fhould mention fuch a chimerical Idea of Sir Matthew Decker Baronet's Thoughts, in propofing the moft difHcult Part of his Scheme to anfwer no Part of Sir Matthew\ Intention ; as muft appear to every thinking Perfon, by his propofing a Capitation- D ' Ta.\v ( 26 ) Tax, without a Thought of reducing the P?'efent Debt of the Nation^ which is now become fo grievous to the PubHc, and fo well known abroad. I am forry he fhould fully Sir Matthew Decker s Name in the Manner he has done, as Sir Matthew's great Aim was for reducing, and not keeping up the National Debt to the Sum it amounted to in his Time, not above half what it now is, well knowing the bad Confequences thereof. His further effential Point was to promote the Trade of this Na- tion, by taking off all our Taxes, and raifing a proper Supply by one fingle Tax on Houfes, in the Method now treated of, and making the Nation a kind of Free Port, to both which ef- fential Points Mr. Fauquier has b'jen filent. And I cannot help informing him, his Scheme, although fo well intended, will be cicatricing a foul Wound, and infallibly produce a Mortilica- tion. A REPLY REPLY T O T H E Author of a Letter ADDRESSED TO BouRCHiER Cleeve, Efq\ CONCERNING His Calculations of TAXES. R E A P L Y, &c. S I R, 1A M as ignorant of the Author of the Paragraph in The Citizen, which occafioned your Letter to me, as I am of you, whofe Candour or Knowledge is thereby queftioned : But another Edition of my Scheme being now in the Prefs, induces me to make a fhort Reply to your Objedtions, which after having read with Attention and Care, I obferve to arife from a miftaken Plan of your own laying down in your other Pamphlet, intitled. Calculations of Taxes, &c. and therefore no Wonder that fo great a Difference fhould happen between your Calculation and mine. You endeavour to make it appear in your firft Rank, Num- ber I. of your faid Calculations, that the Taxes of a Nobleman or Gentleman of 20,000 /. a Year in Land, including his Land- Tax, amount to 6,378 /. 18 x. near one third Part ; and, upon that very Plan, down to a Perfon of 50 /. a Year, you calculate all your feveral fubfequent Claffes, at about one third Part of the Income of each ; as, in your fourteenth Clafs, you fay, a Perfon of 50 /. a Year pays in Land-Tax 10 /. fo, you lay, all his other Taxes are only 5 /. 12 s. amounting together to 15/, 12 s. Now, Sir, I think no one can agree with your Calcula- tions, who rightly confiders the Nature of Duties and Excifes, which ( 3° ) which affeft almoft all the Neceffaries of Life, and confequently muft fall moft heavy on the middling and lower fort of People : Therefore can it be prefumed, that a Gentleman of Fortune pays about one third Part of his Income in Taxes, and the poor Manufadlurer, as you fay in Clafs Number 28. (whofe Wages are nine Shilling per Week, or 23 /. S s. per Year, and who muft fpend his whole Income in the Neceffaries of Life for him- felf and Family, which Neceffaries pay Duties and Excifes, and confequently additional Expences on thofe Duties and Excifes) pays no more, as you fay, than i /. 11s. 11 d. about one fifteenth Part only ? This is fo apparently wrong, that it needs no further Confutation. I proceed now to remark on your Letter addreffed to me. Your Calculations in this Pamphlet are as vifibly erroneous as in your other : For you. Page 32, form a Cofl: of Commodities to the Amount of 425 /. 9J. 11 d. from my Calculation of Du- ties and Excifes, with additional Charges in Confequence there- of, beins loc /. 2 s. which exceeds the real Duties and Excifes impofed by Parliament. Now, can it be fuppofed [a) that a ^Merchant, who pays high Duties on fundry Commodities, and of courfe has great Part of his Capital lying dead in fuch Duties, and who runs the Rifque of bad Debts for the Goods when fold, befdes great Wafte fuffered in the keeping till then ; can it be fuppofed, i fay, that fuch Merchant can vend his Merchandize, and make no Charge for fuch Rifque and Interefl: of his Money } And muft not the Shopkeeper, or Retailer, do the fame in Juf- tice to himfelf ? {a) Sir Matthew Decker fays, «' The Duty upon Merchandife imported from Abroad, as well " as upon our own excifeable Goods, amounts, in an Average, to above 50 per Cent, it would " enable the Merchant, as well as the Shop and Warehoufe keeper, to trade with half the Stock, " and make his Profit the fan.e, or rather increafe it, in Proportion to the lefl'er Sum for which " he can purchafe the fame Commodity." ( 31 ) As the Excifes more particularly affe^l the poor and middling People, I iliall ftate a few Cafes in order to convince you there- of, and at the fame time make it clear to you, that your Cal- culation in the Coil of Commodities is ill grounded. Suppofe a Tax is laid on Leather to the Amount of Six Pence in a Pair of Shoes, and from that Tax, and Excifes on Necef- faries of Life, and what the poor Journeyman Shoemaker raifes his Mafler in his Price of Workmanfliip, &c. his Mafter charges me 2 s. 6 d. j^er Pair extra on two Pair of Shoes, which ferve me a Year ; if, I fay, tliat Tax affedls me yearly 5 s. is it a Reafon for you to calculate that I mufl: buy ten Pair of Shoes a Year, or pay yearly 3 /. 1 5 j. for Shoes ? If an Excife be laid on Glafs, which may affed me i /. 10 j. yearly in Crown Glafs, to the Value of one Penny per Foot fquare, and a Pane of that Size, which before this Tax ufed to coft me I J. I now muft pay \ s. ^d. for (which includes four Times as much as the Tax is laid for) do you imagine I muft therefore ufe three Times as much Glafs as I formerly did ? or that I now pay my Glazier three Times as much as I did before ? I lay no : I pay him only i /. 10 j-. more than before ? In Regard to Candles, I fay, the Excife on this Commodity, though only i d. per lb. and affeds me 2 /. 10 5-. yearly, is no Reafon why I iLould expend 15 /. for Candles ; if I expend 10 /. for Candles, I am affedled thereby 2 /. 10/. As to Soap, the Excife, which is fo great as one Penny half Penny per lb. do not you imagine that, if that Incumbrance were taken off, it would be more than one Penny half Penny per lb. cheaper than it now is ? For if bad Debts to the Amount of { 30 of 20O /. or 300 /. happen to the Soapmaker In a Year, the Go- vernment will not repay the Money received for Excife, and confequently the Soapmaker not only lofes his Commodity, but alfo the Duty thereon. In my Eftimate of Taxes I have made a Charge of 8 /. for the Duty impofed 1748. of 1 s. in the lb. on all Goods imported : Is. that a Reafon I muft expend, as in your Calculation of Taxes, 40 /. a Year more than before ? You with equal Juftice might have afferted, that new Duties will increafe the Confumption of all Commodities. Thus, Sir, I hope I have clearly proved to you, that the Foundation on v/hich you raifed both your Schemes is bad 1 ErgOy debik Fimclame?itu7}t fallit Opus^ I am. SIR, Foots- Cray Place^ the 15th cfFZBRUARY, 1757. Your very humble Servant, BOURCHIER CLEEVE. Syracuse. N. Y, Stockton, Calif. ,,,y,^ SOUnjERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FfiOLfTY llll(liiii;iii|,||.,|..n,|,..| --L'lr