The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 05 (of 12)

32

"This state of things cannot exist in France, without involving all the surrounding powers in one common danger,—without giving them the right, without imposing it upon them as a duty, to stop the progress of an evil which … attacks the fundamental principles by which mankind is united in the bonds of civil society."—Declaration 29th Oct., 1793.

33

Declaration, Whitehall, Oct. 29, 1793.

34

See Declaration, Whitehall, Oct. 29, 1793.

35

It may be right to do justice to Louis the Sixteenth. He did what he could to destroy the double diplomacy of France. He had all the secret correspondence burnt, except one piece, which was called Conjectures raisonnées sur la Situation actuelle de la France dans le Système Politique de l'Europe: a work executed by M. Favier, under the direction of Count Broglie. A single copy of this was said to have been found in the cabinet of Louis the Sixteenth. It was published with some subsequent state-papers of Vergennes, Turgot, and others, as "a new benefit of the Revolution," and the advertisement to the publication ends with the following words: "Il sera facile de se convaincre, QU'Y COMPRIS MÊME LA RÉVOLUTION, en grande partie, ON TROUVE DANS CES MEMOIRES ET CES CONJECTURES LE GERME DE TOUT CE QUI ARRIVE AUJOURD'HUI, et qu'on ne peut, sans les avoir lus, être bien au fait des intérêts, et même des vues actuelles des diverses puissances de l'Europe." The book is entitled Politique de tous les Cabinets de l'Europe pendant la Règnes de Louis XV. et de Louis XVI. It is altogether very curious, and worth reading.

36

See our Declaration.

37

The Archduke Charles of Austria.

38

Dec 27, 1790.

39

Observations on a Late State of the Nation.

40

This and the following tables on the same construction are compiled from the Reports of the Finance Committee in 1791 and 1797, with the addition of the separate paper laid before the House of Commons, and ordered to be printed, on the 7th of February, 1792.

BRICKS AND TILES.

PLATE.

GLASS PLATES.

41

GROCERIES.

TEA.

The additional duty imposed in 1795 produced in that year 137,656l., and in 1796, 200,107l.

COFFEE AND COCOA-NUTS.

The additional duty of 1795 in that year gave 16,775l., and in 1796, 15,319l.

42

SUGAR.

There was a new duty on sugar in 1791, which produced in 1794 234,292l., in 1795, 206,932l., and in 1796, 245,024l. It is not clear from the report of the committee, whether the additional duty is included in the account given above.

43

BEER, &c.

WINE.

QUANTITY IMPORTED.

The additional duty of 1795 produced that year 736,871l., and in 1796, 432,689l. A second additional duty, which produced 98,165l. was laid in 1796.

SWEETS.

In 1795 an additional duty was laid on this article, which produced that year 5,679l., and in 1796, 9,443l.; and in 1796 a second, to commence on the 20th of June: its produce in that year was 2,325l.

44

MUSLINS AND CALICOES.

This table begins with 1788. The net produce of the preceding year is not in the report whence the table is taken.

45

PRINTED GOODS.

These duties for 1787 are blended with several others. The proportion of printed goods to the other articles for four years was found to be one fourth. That proportion is here taken.

46

SILK.

47

FURS.

The skins here selected from the Custom-House accounts are, Black Bear, Ordinary Fox, Marten, Mink, Musquash, Otter, Raccoon, and Wolf.

48

INCLOSURE BILLS.

49

NAVIGATION AND CANAL BILLS.

50

POST-HORSE DUTY.

51

The above account is taken from a paper which was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 8th December, 1796. From the gross produce of the year ending 5th April, 1796, there has been deducted in that statement the sum of 36,666l., in consequence of the regulation on franking, which took place on the 5th May, 1795, and was computed at 40,000l. per ann. To show an equal number of years, both of peace and war, the accounts of two preceding years are given in the following table, from a report made since Mr. Burke's death by a committee of the House of Commons appointed to consider the claims of Mr. Palmer, the late Comptroller-General; and for still greater satisfaction, the number of letters, inwards and outwards, have been added, except for the year 1790-1791. The letter-book for that year is not to be found.

POST-OFFICE.

From the last-mentioned report it appears that the accounts have not been completely and authentically made up for the years ending 5th April, 1796 and 1797; but on the Receiver-General's books there is an increase of the latter year over the former, equal to something more than 5 per cent.

52

In a debate, 30th December, 1796, on the return of Lord Malmesbury.—See Woodfall's Parliamentary Debates, Vol. XIII. p. 591.

53

GENERAL LICENSES.

54

DEALERS IN TEA.

SELLERS OF PLATE.

55

AUCTIONS AND AUCTIONEERS.

56

Since Mr. Burke's death a Fourth Report of the Committee of Finance has made its appearance. An account is there given from the Stamp-Office of the gross produce of duties on Hawkers and Peddlers for four years of peace and four of war. It is therefore added in the manner of the other tables.

HAWKERS AND PEDDLERS.

Increase in 4 Years of War £1,493

57

This account is extracted from different parts of Mr. Chalmers's estimate. It is but just to mention, that in Mr. Chalmers's estimate the sums are uniformly lower than those of the same year in Mr Irving's account.