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An Account of the Quantities of WINE taken out for Home Confumption, from the Year 1790 to 1805 inclufive; diftinguishing the French from that not French, and fhewing the Quantities in each Year.

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• This account is exclufive of Wine delivered, duty free, for the ufe of the navy.

NATURALIST'S MONTHLY REPORT.

Reviving ature feems again to breathe,

As loofened from the cold embrace of death.

FROM the 19th of January to the 18th of February, the weather has for the most part continued as before, unusually mild for the feafon. During this time we have had no fnow, and very little froft. In funny days the bees have been feen flying about as if employed in collecting food: in shady places near their hives, however, feveral of them have been perfeatly benumbed with the cold. I tried to recover two or three by takng them into the houfe, and placing them at a little distance from the fire, but I did not fucceed.

On the 31st of January, which was an extremely warm day, two peacock butterflies (papilio ris of Linnæus) left their hiding places and were feen flying abroad. Some of the newspapers have remarked that thefe butterflies, the most beautiful of any that this country produces, have been obferved in other parts of England.

In the early part of the evening of this day, I was furprised by seeing a bat flit paft me in the air.

Several of the boufe flies have in fome degree recovered from their torpid flate, and crawl about the windows. Their limbs however are stiff, and all their motions are performed with difficulty.

February 1ft. China Rofes, are fill in flower in the gardens. The firft leaves of the Commen Feverfew! Matricaria parthenium) begin to appear. Crocuses, Anemones, and Lauruftinus, (Vekur tinus) are in flower.

The red-breaft, fylark, blackbird, and thrush, were all heard to fing on the first of February. In the middle of the fine days, the woods and fields refound with the notes of fong birds, as if the fpring was far advanced.

On the 6th of February, Jonquils (Narciffus Jonquilla) were in flower; and the hyacinths had begun to push up their flowering ftems. The beautiful crimson ftyles of the male flowers of the base were fully expanded, and the catkins had begun to open and thed their farina, At this leafon of the year the bedge frails (belix arbufforem of Linnæus) are found collected in confiderable numbers about the roots of trees, in holes of fuch as are decayed, and the shel

tered

tered places in hedge-bottoms, so glued to each other, or to the place in which they are found as entirely to prevent the cold air from having admiffion into the fhells. In the course of a month or fix weeks, if the weather be favourable, they will begin to crawl abroad.

February the 17th. The Hedge-fparrow, and Greater Titmoufe fing. Rooks begin to pair, and make preparation for building their nefts.

Red Archangel, (lamium purpureum), ivy-leaved Veronica, (veronica bederœfolia) and green bellebore (belleborus veridis) are in flower.

Three or four Salmon have been caught in the course of the present month, and these of confiderable fize.

In the night of the 17th of February the wind changed from S. W.; the prevailing quarter for fome weeks paft, to N. E. In consequence of this, we have a hard froft, which it is hoped will continue for a while, and put a temporary check to the vegetation. On the 18th we had a heavy gale of wind which lasted nearly the whole day.

Hampfbire, Feb. 19th. P.S. In the last Report, p. 104. 1. 13, for jurbelow read furbelow, and for phaldua read phalena.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.

Obfervations on the State of the Weather, from the 24th of January, to the 24th of February 1807, inclufive, Two Miles N.W. of St. Paul's.

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The quantity of rain fallen during the last two months is equal to 31 inches. Befides the rain there has been a heavy fall of fnow; near the metropolis it was but trifling, but at a diftance it was drifted very many feet; and several of the coaches on the northern and eastern road were actually dug out of it.

We have also to notice a very remarkable high wind on the night between the 17th and 18th. It did almost incalculable mischief to our shipping between Dover and Margate, and was productive of much ferious mifchief in the inland parts.

The average height of the thermometer for the whole month is nearly 37°; of the ba rometer, it is 29 696. It has been higher and lower this month than we have witnessed for Come time.

To CORRESPONDENTS.

SOME Correfpondents who have fent, and others who have promised, communications relative to Mr. Whitbread's Poor Bill, are informed that we fhall give preference in our next to fuch papers as beft illuftrate the subject by reference to facts. One of our correfpondents, wifhes s to invite information relative to the encreafing monopoly of Farms, and to thofe branches of manufacture which give employment to children only. Thefe he calls fources of PoesMAKING, the continuance of which will render all other regulations nugatory.

Perfons who with for information relative to the poor, will do well to confult the Monthly Magazine of March, 1796; May, 1797; November and December, 1798; January, February, and May, 1799; April, June, September, and November, 1800; February and March, 1801; February, 1802; December, 1804; and November, 1805.

Correct Memoirs of Mrs. Charlotte Smith will be given in our next.

R. S. is informed that the Port-Folio has been deferred, owing to the preffure of temporary matter.

Dr. Hamilton's valuable Paper on Hydrophobia fhall appear in our next. Preference was given to the communication of Mr. Bartlett, because it tended to diffipate the delusions and ralfhoods, which the public have for fome time been the dupes.

Besides the illustration of the new System of Finance, which is to be found in our Repors of Public Affairs, our readers may expect a valuable communication in our next.

THE

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

No. 155.]

APRIL 1, 1807.

[3 of VOL. 23.

As long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving to their Opinions a Maximum of "Influence and Celebrity, the most extenfively circulat. Mifcellany will repay with the greatest Effe the "Curiofity of those who read either for Amusement or Inftru&ion." JOHNSON,

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

For the Monthly Magazine.

A VIEW of the NEW FINANCIAL ARRANGE-
MENTS propofed in PARLIAMENT.
BOVE a hundred years ago, Dr.

have been feriously felt; that this has been the cafe of late years, will not be denied; fome alteration in the profent mode of railing the fupplies had therefore

A Davenant, whore attention had become neceflitry, wide prudence fug

been particularly directed to the flate of public credit, and the revenues and expenditure of the state, afferted that "from the time of the Norman invalion we ne ver had a more difmual view before us;" yet that eventful period paffed away, and it foon appeared that the country was capable of exertions, which, a few years before, fome of its moft judicious politicians deemed beyond all probability. In like manner, bave the numerous fubfeqrient predictions of bankruptcy and ruiu been hitherto happily averted, by a gradual increase of wealth, proceeding from the improvement of manufactures and the great extenfion of commerce, and by that fpirit of national attachment which has induced individuals to fubmit willingly to an aftonithing in reafe of taxation, and led them patiently to faffer privations or fimulated them to greater exertions, whenever the neceffities of the ftate evidently called for the facrifices required, whatever may have been their magnitude or duration, The experience of the palt, therefore, juthfies a perfuafion, that, when the financial concerns, of the country are entrafted to men of ability and integrity, the fylem of public credit, with the fatal confequences of which we have been fo often threatened, may be rendered perfectly coulent with our fafety and prof purity; and the prefent flourishing ftate of the public revenue affords great reafon to hope, that the future extraordinary expenditure, in time of war, will be much lefs dependant on the funding fyftem than it lutherto has been.

gefted that a modification of the prefent fyftem, which has enabled us to encounter fo many difficulties, would be infinitely. preferable to an entire dependance on new and untried expedients.

Happily for the country an arrangement of its financial concerns has been devifed, which, by dividing part of the prefent burthens of the war with the fucceeding period of peace, when the preffure of them will be lefs felt, and by equaliting the benefits of the Sinking Fund, inftead of deferring the whole relick to be accomplified by it to a diftant period, will enable the government to carry on hotilities during whatever period the reflefs ambition of our enemies may protract them, with scarce any additional burthens to the people; and thus to difplay the unabated vigour of the ftate, at a time when thofe unacquainted with its refources, were apprebenfive that the too rapid progrefs of the funding fyftem would have brought us into a fituation of ferious difficulty and danger.

The taxes, which have been granted during the continuance of the war, as a provifion for part of the extraordinary expenditure occafioned by it, confiftof certain duties of cuftoms and excife pro'ducing 9,500,000l. per annum, and of the Property Tax, which for the last year produced 11,500,000l. making in the whole 21,000,000l.; upon the prefent fyf tem, this great amount of taxes would, on the termination of the war, fuddenly ceafe; an event, which would certainly be attended with confiderable lofs to all The experience of more than a cen- perfons who were holders of fuch comtury juflities the affertion, that the exit-modities as had been enhanced in price tence of a national debt inay be perfectly canflent with the intereft and profperity of the country; it has only been when too free ufe has been made of the burzowing fyltem, that its injurious effects MONTHLY MAG., No. 155.

by thefe taxes. This effect will be prevented, while a much more important object is accomplished, by appropriating yearly a portion or thefe taxes, during the continuance of the war, as a provifion Dd

for

for the intereft and fpeedy redemption of fuch loans as will be neceffary; by which means, the burthen of new taxes will be avoided, and the prefent war-taxes gradually difcontinued on the return of peace. With this view it is propofed that the prefent war-taxes fhall be continued for fuch further term as may be directed by future acts of parliament, for defraying the charge of any loans which may be charged thereon, in the following manner: on every loan charged on the war-taxes there is to be fet apart, out of the produce of these duties, 10 per cent. on the amount of the fum borrowed, out of which the intereft and charge of management is to be paid, and

Year,

the remainder to form a finking fund for redemption of the capital.

It is affumed that the expenditure of each year, during the continuance of the war, will amount to 32,000,000l. beyond the furplus of the confolidated fund and the annual taxes; in order to fupport an expenditure of this extent, it will be necellary to raise annually from 12 to 16 millions, by way of loan; and, as the produce of the war-taxes will thus be gradually mortgaged, an additional or fupplementary loan is alfo to be raised for making up the deficiency. The following table fhews the amount of the loans, which it will thus be requifite to raise in each year.

War-Taxes not

Loan in each year commencing upon credit of the pledged, but appli

5th January.

War-Taxes.

cable to the fupplies.

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From this table, it appears, that, fuppofing peace to take place at the end of feven years from the prefent time, 11,200,000). of the war taxes will then remain unappropriated, and confequently that nearly the whole of the property tax (which is estimated to produce 11,500,000!.) might then be taken off immediately on the conclufion of the peace. It is poffible, however, that the war may continue much beyond this period, in which cafe, by proceeding on the propofed fyftem, the whole amount of the war-taxes will have been mort

32,000,000

gaged in 1820; in the next year, how ever, the portion of thefe taxes, which had been appropriated to the loan of the first year, will be fet free by the redemption of a fum equal to that loan, and will then become applicable to the charge of a freth loan of the like amount; a timilar releafe will be effected in each fucceeding year, and, confequently a provision is thus made from 1820, for loans without any further impofition of taxes, to an unlimited period, provided the funs borrowed do not exceed thofe in the first column of the table.

With respect to the fupplementary loans, they are not in any way to be charged on the war-taxes, but the intereft thereof, and a finking fund of one per cent. on the capital created, is to be provided for during the first three years, from the expiration of fome terminable annuities, from new taxes of a fmall amount for the feven following years, and after that period from the furplus of the finking fund. This furplus will arife from a new arrangement refpećting the amount of the fund.

It is propofed, that, in confequence of the great prefent increase of the finking fund, from the appropriations on the war-loans, that a conditional limit shall be fet to its future accumulation. The fund, when originally eftablished in 1786, was to increase till it amounted to 4,000,000l. per annum, and the furplus, which would have accrued beyond this fum, was to be at the difpofal of parliament; this reftriction was afterwards done away as the debt had increased fo rapidly, that 4,000,000l. per annum would certainly have become very in fufficient to accomplish any important reduction; but from the very large additions which will be made to the finking fund by the new plan, it will have accumulated in 1817 (when the prefent finking fund will exceed the amount of the intereft on fuch part of the prefent debt as will be then unredeemed) to upwards of 24,000,000l. per annuin. In the application of an annual fum of this magnitude, neither the original plan of the finking fund, nor any equitable views of the interefts of the public, will be

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found to furnish any objection to the propofal of obtaining fome aid from this fource, in alleviation of the burthens and neceflities of the country, and thus participating in the benefits of this excellent inftitution, the whole relief afforded by which would otherwise be enjoyed by a future generation. It is not propofed, however, in any cafe, to apply in providing for new loans, a larger proportion of the finking fund than fuch as will always leave an amount equal to the intereft payable on fuch part of the prefent debt as fhall remain unredeemed; nor is it meant to impede, in any degree, the redemption of a fum equal to the prefent debt, in as fhort a period as that in which it would have been redeemed if the propofed plan had not been adopted; or that the final redemption of any fupplementary loans fhould be postponed beyond the period of 45 years prefcribed by the act of 1792, for the extinction of all future loans; while the annual war-loans will be fucceffively redeemed in 14 years if the war continues, or if peace takes place will always be redeemed confiderably within the beforementioned period of 45 years.

The following table fhews the amount, which will thus be taken from the finking fund in each year from 1817, with the combined amount of the finking funds of the war debt, the fupplementary debt, and the prefent debt, at the fame periods, and the total exceffes of the prefent finking fund, which may in any given year of peace be applied to the release of the war-taxes.

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