DIRECT TAXATION. Estimate of Taxation paid by a Farmer renting 400 Acres-Himself, his Wife, one Woman Servant, and three Men Servants in Family. Articles. Quantity consumed. Total Cost. Rate of Duty. Total Tax. consumed Cost £. S. d. New Rate. £. s. d. d wife & child..Leather 10lb. 4 pair do. 1 . 30lb. 3d. per lb. 0 76 100 per cent. 1 15 0 6 100 per cent. 0 13 0 13lb.-8d. 2 8 34d. per lb. 0 19 6 5 1504 ld. per lb. 0 60 0128. 74d. per gall. 0 12 74 10s. 44d. per ditto 0 10 44 4 0 18. 4 d. per ditto 0 10 6 2 20 at 3 4 34d. per lb. Farmer's Taxes. .£33 20 Add the amount of No. 1...33 PROPORTION ON THE QUARTER OF WHEAT. Estimated Produce of Wheat grown on a Farm of 400 Acres, half Grass, half Arable. Grass Beans, Spring Corn, Fallows, &c. Wheat 200 Acres. 134 ditto. 66 ditto.-400 Acres. Produce of 66 Acres at 3 Quarters per Acre, 198 Quarters Value of ditto By these calculations it will appear, that the farmer upon the establishment, and with the labourers therein mentioned, pays annually to Government, direct and indirect taxes to the amount of thirty-nine pounds six shillings and six-pence three farthings. That (without fractions) the whole of the farmer's taxes bear the proportion of one shilling and four-pence in the pound on the value of his wheat; or four shillings in each quarter of wheat. In other words, that the value of the quarter of wheat, instead of being three pounds, would be three pounds four shillings, supposing every tax repealed, to which the farmer and his labourers pay either directly or indirectly to the Crown; and, consequently, that the farmer could only be by possibility the gainer of four shillings per quarter on his wheat, supposing the faith of the country were broken to the public creditor, and the country thereby placed in the situation of national bankruptcy; the taxes affecting his farm being about one fifteenth part of the wheat produced, or nine pounds sixteen shillings and six-pence per cent. on the rent of his farm, at twenty-shillings per acre. Our practical conclusion from the above statement is, that the Duke has certainly established his position,that the best mode of relieving the farmers, and indeed the kingdom in general, must be sought in some other mode than in the removal of the indirect taxes; in a word, the effect of the Duke's Statement is to confirm our previous conviction, that the real relief to the kingdom would be in the removal of the assessed house and window tax; the window tax producing to Government very little more than the salt tax, whilst the pressure is one hundred fold. For example, the ordinary family consumption of salt is one pound weight per week, the tax upon which is three pence half-penny, and, of course, no family is affected by the salt tax in a higher degree. But the assessed house and window tax, upon the same family would exceed twenty-five pounds sterling per annum; in other words, more than the total annual consumption of the family in bread. How egregious, therefore, is the folly of those, who, in this comparative burthen of the two taxes, can clamour for the repeal of the salt tax, and remain patient under the greater burthen to themselves, and only the equal sacri fice by Government! CRIMES AND OFFENCES, FROM PARLIAMENTARY DOCUMENTS. The following is an Analysis of the Increase and Decrease of Crime in the different Counties: Males 7,818 9,091 13,932 13,567 7,347 11,758 11,335 12,075 11,595 11,173 71,319 1,254* 1,314* 1,236* and severally to be whipped, fined, pilloried, kept to Years, and above 1 1 Year, and above 6 months 1,648 1,884 2,678 1,287 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. PARLIAMENTARY PAPER. THE SELECT COMMITTEE appointed to inquire into the Allegations of the several Petitions which have been presented to the House in the last and present Sessions of Parliament, complaining of the distressed state of the Agriculture of the United Kingdom, and to report their observations thereupon to the House; CONSIDERING that among all the important objects referred to them, none could be more deserving of their earliest attention than an inquiry into any measures that could be suggested for affording some temporary relief to the distresses of which the numerous Petitioners with so much reason complain, and which appear, from the returns of the average prices of corn during the late weeks, to be progressively increasing rather than diminishing: Your Committee do not venture to determine, whether the present state of the corn market be owing to an excess of production, or to what extent that excess may reach, beyond the usual and requisite supply; or whether the necessities of the occupiers of land cause an unprecedented eagerness to dispose of their produce at almost any price; but it appears from an official Return, that the quantity of British wheat and oats (but not of barley) sold in Mark-lane between the 1st November and 1st March last, has very considerably exceeded the quantity sold in the corresponding months of the twenty preceding years. Such an excess of supply beyond demand can have no other effect than to continue the depression of price, and increase the accumulation of the stock upon hand; while it is evident, from the present very low rate of price on the Continent of Europe, as compared with prices in this country, that there is no chance of resorting to the natural expedient of relieving the market by exporting any portion of our own corn, even with the aid of any bounty which would not be excessive. Two other modes have therefore been under the consideration of your Committee; by the first of which it was proposed, that one million of Exchequer Bills should be applied to purchasing, through the agency of Government, and laying up in store, a certain portion of wheat grown in the United Kingdom; and by the second, that facility and encouragement should be offered to individuals to deposit a part of their stock in warehouses, so that they might not be forced to come into the market simultaneously, and under the disadvantage of excessive competition, but might be enabled to wait until the supply, having approached nearer to the wants of the consumers, might afford, if not a remunerating, at least a price somewhat less ruinous for their produce. With regard to the first of these proposals, the general objections against making the public through the executive Government, a dealer and speculator in corn, the suspicions to which it might give rise, and the uneasiness in the public feeling which it might eventually excite, the danger claims which it might be supposed to of its being drawn into precedent, the give to other important articles of domestic produce, whenever they might be exposed to similar depresing all articles, as much as possible, sion, and the universal rule of allowto find there own natural level, by leaving the supply to adjust itself to mittee from recommending it, even the demand, discourage your Comunder this extraordinary emergency, and with all the guards and qualifications of a temporary expedient. But with regard to the second, although the objection of Government becommuch less efficacious in its operation, ing a purchaser does not apply, as individuals would in this case act for themselves, and according to their fering no otherwise than by making own discretion, the Government interadvances upon the commodity deposited, which would be repaid, with a low rate of interest, as soon as the article should be brought to market. For effecting this object two different modes have been suggested, by one of which it was proposed, that when the weekly average price is under 588. (the import scale remaining as at present) wheat should be stored, sub ject to a monthly allowance of sixpence per quarter, until the average price should exceed 65s. The whole quantity not to exceed 600,000 quarters, and the time for which the allowance should be payable not to reach 12 or 18 months. Not more than a certain number of quarters, nor less than another specified number of quarters, to be stored on the part of any individual or firm. The owner of the corn so deposited to be at liberty to withdraw it at any time, waiving his claim to allowance, or refunding it. The other proposition was, that for the purpose of relieving the glut which at present presses upon the grain market, the Government, whenever the average price of wheat shall be under 60s. should grant advances of money upon such corn of the growth of the United Kingdom, as should be deposited in fit and proper warehouses upon the River Thames, and in the ports to be hereafter specified, to an extent not exceeding twothirds of the market value of such corn; the quality of the corn and the fitness of the warehouses to be approved of by officers to be appointed by the Government. The loan to be at the rate of 3 per cent. and the period of deposit not to exceed 12 months. The corn to be withdrawn at the will of the depositor, upon payment of the interest, warehouse rent, and other charges. The sum of one million, so applied, would probably be fully adequate to give a temporary check to the excess which is continually poured into the already overstocked market. If the House should be inclined to agree with your Committee in countenancing the latter of these propositions, it is evident that it ought to lead to some immediate proceeding; and although no very great effect can be contemplated from adopting it, its operation, as far as it may extend, can hardly fail to afford some temporary relief. There is another measure also to which it is fit to call the early attention of the House. The foreign grain and flour of all sorts in different warehouses under the King's lock, appears to have amounted, on 5th January last, to 897,136 quarters; with regard to which, al though there is little probability that it can soon come into competition with our home produce, yet it still hangs over the market in a formidable mass, ready to be poured in at once, creating no small degree of panic as to its future operation, and invested with a sort of claim (which is of the utmost importance) to be brought out free from duty, whenever the ports shall be opened under the existing law, even supposing any duty should be imposed by Parliament, under an alteration of that law, upon all corn hereafter to be imported from foreign parts. To relieve the market from both these inconveniences, it may be proper to permit the holders of such corn now in warehouses under certain adequate regulations and restrictions, to have the same ground into flour for the purpose of exportation; and also to provide, by legislative enactment, that in future any foreign corn warehoused in this kingdom shall be considered as corn coming from abroad, and subject to all such duties and regulations as are or may from time to time be imposed upon corn coming directly from a foreign port. A proposition, which was submitted to your Committee, for advancing loans to parishes on the credit of the rates, appeared to be attended with so many difficulties, and to be so little applicable to the purpose of alleviating the distresses which are complained of, that they do not deem it necessary to enter into any examination of it, nor to lay it before the House. Much as your Committee lament, that so little prospect of immediate relief can be held out to the urgent distresses which have been submitted to their anxious consideration, they think it material to obviate and counteract any unfounded alarm which may have been, either casually or industriously, circulated, that there was ever the least intention entertained by your Committee of rendering the present condition of the British cultivators worse than it is under the existing law; and they therefore submit, with great confidence, to the House, that the Act of the 55th of the late King, c. 26, which regulates the importation of foreign corn, ought to continue in force until the average price of wheat be 80s. per quarter, and other kinds of grain in proportion. |