An Inquiry Into the Principles of Political Economy; Being an Essay on the Science of Domestic Policy in Free Nations: ... Population, Agriculture, ... Circulation, Banks, Exchange, Public Volume 5

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1796 edition. Excerpt: ...such duties, but at the gates oftowns and villages, which in this light appear to be political inclosures. At those gates every produce of the lands, and every manufactiire not made in the town, might pay a tax upon coming in; every manufacture made in the town, might pay a tax on going out: all fruits con-i sumed in the country might be free; all manulactures made and consumed in the towns might be free also. lf we consider the quantity of exchange between the inhabitants of towns and those of the country, and between town and town; that fund, I believe, would be found sufficient to raise more by proportional taxes than what is raised in any country in Europe. A second method of diminishing the expense, and also the burden of proportional taxes, is to exact nothing of the manufacturers, but to prohibit the delivery of the manufacture to any one who does not that the tax has been paid. This is the method observed in the Aufirian low countries, where excises are carried to a very great height. There the transporters or carriers of exciseable goods, are formed into a corporation, and none else dare to transport them. a Whoever has seen the execution of those regulations i will not be very fond of them; but the inconveniences which occur proceed from the political situation of all those towns, the public debts of which are so enormous, that to pay the interest of them excises have been carried so high as to banish manufacturers into the country, where few excises are levied, It is from the country and many considerable villages, which have not the privilege of running in debt,that the manufactures ofthat country are carried on. No industrious man can afford to live in the towns ofthe Ausirian Netherhands, except he who supplies their...