of this company, it is neceffary, be the event what it wull, to beg gentlemen would not be prolix, for I hates prolixity: but before I proceed to the business in hand, and to shew what ground we go upon, I hope gelmen will excufe me if I speaks a few words, in the first inftance, to recommend order and unanimity; for, upon my word, gelmen-indeed, gelmen, we shall never get through our business at this rate!-befides, it is really irregular to wander from the point in this manner !”. Here a wag on the right fide begged the honourable knight would not interrupt himself; for that it was truly indecent to fuppofe the court disorderly before any one had uttered a fyllable. "Well, gelmen, refumed Sir Janus, I begs pardon, but, event what it wull, order is fo good a thing, that I generally goes out of my way in order to speak a few words to it; and, if what I have faid prevents the like illconveniency in other gelmen, I fhall think the idear thrown out, and all my tediousness befides, well beftowed on you, had I ten times as much as a friend of mine fays. Howfomdever, having said this, the propofal that I intends making is, to recommend the extraordinary merits and fervices of my Lord Vulture to the gratitude of this court. Having faid this of the ground work we go upon, I declare, event what it wull, that no private views, no finiftral intentions, no selfish expectation conduced me to make it. I fay this, because I have often been fufpected of corrupt dealings in the city; for I war in Guildhall when that idear was thrown out; but, God he knows my heart, nothing is more falfe! I would, therefore, beg leave to move, that as you have as yet only given Lord Vulture about 500,0col. in money, and 30,000l. per annum, you would at laft take shame to you, and give him a reward more genteeler, and that may be adequate to his great fufferings in your behalf, and to his important fervices, which not only, in the first inflance, regulate your affairs abroad, but even extend to the management of those at home. All he afks, is but a continuance of this paltry j-g--re for the reft of his life, event what it wull, or make him a prefent of 300,000l. certain. -Some gelmen may conceive this recompence as too large; but if we confider the pleasure he has left behind on our account; the dangers, the hardships, the dif trefles this worthy gelman has gone through to ferve us, and the great advantages his fervices have produced, we ought to grant it chearfully.—I'll tell bow that matter war presently -Does any gelman fufpect the idear thrown out? does any one doubt these facts? furely not.-Has he not left his dearly beloved wife behind him, and a house (I war in it once) in what d'ye call the fquare, fit for any lord of the land? I fpeaks above board, because many of our proud lords undervalue him you on account of his fammaly, parentage, and education; when God he knows, they have not a twentieth part of his wealthi and that's a thousand times better, in my opinion, than their ancient fainily, which, I can tell them, is of very little value in the city. Befides, has not his lordship risked his life in a stinking pitchy fhip amongst a crew of fea-officers, the low-livedeft moft vulgareft fellows in the world? Did he not arrive in due time to prevent your other farvants from cheating and bamboozling you, indulging themfelves in every luxury, and living a moft fcandalous debauched life, without having the fear of God before their eyes, and being inftigated by the devil ?-Did he not turn out every one of them who behaved themselves crofs or ill-humoured, whereby, as he fuppofed, they might in time defraud you of your effects I fay, Mr. President, for all this and much more, he ought to be amply rewarded--I thall fpeak to this question in order, when I have heard gentlemen's objections to it; in the mean time I will fet down, event what it wull, till I fee whether any body feconds it or not; for as it is entirely my own, I cannot tell whether his lordship's friends, (at this time Sir Janus looked very wifhfully at Skeleton Scarecrow, Efq; who fat behind him, and gave him a smile of gracious confent) well knowing his difinterestedness and generofity, will incline to fupport me in the idear adopted; but the thing is fo reasonable, that I can hardly think any man will be fo bold as to make any objections to it.” The next speech comes from Shylock Buffaloe the Jew, who values himself on being defcended in a direct line from one of the miscreants who crucified Jefus, and exhibits a fpecimen of a different species of dulnefs; but as we profefs an abfolute neutrality with regard to the contending parties, we recommend these Debates to be held up only as a mirror to those whom it may concern, that they may fee and blush in their cooler hours at the noife and nonfenfe which misleads their most weighty des liberations. 29. The Nature of a Quarantine, as it is performed in Italy; to guard against that very alarming and dreadful contagious Distemper, commonly called the Plague. With important Remarks on the Neceffity of laying open the Trade to the Eaft Indies; to enable the Government (by an Increase of Revenue arifing from an Extenfion of Commerce) to take off the Taxes which burthen the Nation. The only true Means of providing a Relief for the general Diftress. 8vo. Pr. Is. 6d. Williams. This pamphlet is well intended, and points out not only the nature but the neceflity of establishing a quarantine accords ing to the strict rules of the Italians. It is introduced by a dedication, as long as itfelf, to the duke of Newcastle upon the fubject expreffed in the title-page, which is now under the deliberation of parliament, and undoubtedly deferves the attention of the public. We are forry that the author, in his postscript," has been mean enough to fall into the practice now fo common with the fons of Grub-ftreet, we mean that of courting a kick from the Reviewers. 30. An Enquiry into the Caufes of the prefent high Price of Provifions, in two Parts: 1. Of the General Caufes of this Evil. 2. Of the Caufes of it in fome particular Inftances. 8vo. Pr. 35. Fletcher. By analyfing the ingredients of the numerous noftrums which have been prescribed to the public as infallible cures for its prefent grievances, whether arifing from natural, commercial, or political caufes, we find the doctors all agree in two data; the firft, that each has the true receipt; the fecond, that all re'ceipts but his own proceed from ignorant quacks, who mistake the patient's disease. When they open their packets, however, and we examine their contents, we find no fuch wide differences as they pretend. The materials are the fame, though the compofition is fometimes in the form of a pill, a bolus, a draught, or any other shape that best suits the fancy or conveniency of the operator. The fyllabus before us is divided into two parts. Part the first treats of riches, luxury, and taxes; the fecond, of corn, exportation and importation, engroffing, inclofure, bread, cattle, and horses. The refult of our author's lucubrations upon riches is to cherish thofe kinds of produce, manufacture, and commerce, which employ the greatest number of hands, and tend to throw out the greatest plenty of the neceffaries of life; and, in this view, to give every poffible encouragement to agriculture, to extensive navigation, and fisheries of all kinds: to check on the contrary all wanton inundation of wealth into the kingdom, whether arifing from exorbitant profits in any particular branch of trade, or from any other caufe that does not bring with it utility fufficient to balance the certain evil which attends it: and particularly to confine, if poffible, within fome limits that delufive fpecies of artificial money, the reprefentation merely of a reprefentation, which in the degree to which it has arifen, is a new phænomenon in the political world.' We cannot think ourfelves greatiy edified by this quotation, because it contains no more than what has appeared in different fhapes, within these ten years, in at leaft five hundred other pamphlets. The author's ob fervations on luxury are equally unimportant, and principally drawn from Montefquieu and certain VOL. XXIII. April, 1767. X flimfy flimfy French writers, who, whatever they may pretend, are ignorant of the British conftitution; and whofe maxims never can be applicable to the English manners and interefts. French quotations from this writer fupply the place of learning, tafte, and obfervation. Montefquieu and Rouffeau are placed at the head of our legislation; and the author forms his ideas upon their dreams; for fuch muft all impracticable schemes of government or taxation be deemed. This writer adopts the hackneyed notion of taxing luxuries. Undoubtedly, if luxury, confidering it as a national vice, could be taxed, fuch a principle would be commendable and patriotic; but we wish he had enumerated how many fpecies of luxury can be taxed without ultimately (we do not say immediately or apparently) affecting the labourer. This author has mentioned a tax in which we agree with him, viz. upon venison and animals kept for pleasure, by making the rich man pay for his parks, inclofures, and gardens. He has likewife mentioned a tax upon horfes (we fuppofe he means thofe kept for sport or parade). We are not fo well acquainted with the fubject as to pronounce whether fuch a tax would not affect the farmer and the labourer. The keeper, it is true, pays the tax but then he abates it, or fome part of it, in the price he pays to the breeder for his commodity. In the fecond part of this pamphlet we find little to commend, and nothing to blame. To conclude with the metaphor used at the beginning of this article the whole is like one of those fimple medicines, which if it does the patient reader no good, will do him no harm. 31. The Farmer's Letters to the People of England: Containing the Sentiments of a Practical Hufbandman, on various Subjects of the utmost Importance. To which is added, Sylvæ: Or Occafional Trails on Hufbandry and Rural OEconomics. 8vo. Pr. 4s. Nicoll. We have frequently obferved, that publications of this kind are not fubje&is for literary criticifin; and when they have great merit, like the Letters before us, they are more proper to be recommended than reviewed. Thefe Letters contain many obfervations which ought to be highly interesting to the government and people of Great Britain; most of them have already been difcuffed in the courfe of our Reviews. We cannot fufficiently applaud our author's fcheme of erecting houses of industry for maintaining and employing the poor of this kingdom. His calculations are made with candour and accuracy. His conclufions are juft and natural, and may be understood and approved of by every reader, though his profeffion be totally unconnected with farming. The propofal for a course of travels through through foreign parts is new and admirable; and the fuccefs of all the writer's plans have our warmest wishes. 32. The Occafion of the Dearness of Provifions, and the Diftreffes of the Poor with Propofals for remedying the Calamity, offered to the Confideration of the Public: wherein the Policy of the Bounty given upon the Exportation of Corn, the Inclofing of Commons, and Enlarging of Farms, are impartially confidered. With fome Remarks on a late Pamphlet, intitled, A Letter to a Member of Parliament, on the prefent Diftreffes of the Poor. By a Manufacturer. 8vo. Pr. Is. Owen. The propofitions laid down by this author are as follow; and we heartily wish that every writer who interests himself for the diftreffes of the poor, would treat his subject with the same precifion and perfpicuity. ift, I propofe that the act granting a bounty upon the exportation of corn, be repealed; as the first and grand spring of this public calamity. 2d, That the claufe in all late acts for inclofures, which inflicts a penalty upon those that put sheep upon the new inclosures, be repealed; and that in all future acts for inclosures of commons, &c. a penal clause be inserted, obliging the occupiers to keep (at least) as many sheep and horned cattle upon the ground as before. Alfo that in the future inclofures of commons, &c. the proprietors be obliged to keep the fame number of tenements and families (at least) upon the premises as before; and that all finall tenements fhall enjoy with them the full proportion of land they were intitled to before. 3d, That an effectual law be provided to bring fheep, lambs, and horned cattle from Ireland, to fupply our prefent wants; and a penalty inflicted on those that flaughter any lambs or calves in Great-Britain, fuppofe for nine months, after the ift of May 1767. 4th, That a premium be given to every farmer that plows with a major part of oxen, if he does not occupy above 150 acres of land; suppose 20s. for each. 5th, That in all plowing farms of above 150 acres, they be obliged, on proper penalties, after the 1ft of March 1769, to draw one third oxen at leaft; and after the 1st of March 1770, to draw more oxen than horfes, without the premium, 6th, That in all grazing farms of above 200 acres, the graziers be obliged to breed half as many fheep and horned cattle yearly, as they feed sheep and beeves for the fhambles. 7th, That also for a limited time, till our exhausted stock of wool is recruited, a bounty be given on the importation of wool from Ireland.' |