But let us descend to particulars. The taxes which go by the general
name of Assessed Taxes comprehend the whole, or nearly the whole,
domestic establishment of the rich. They include some things which
belong to the middling, and even to all but the very lowest classes.
They now consist of the duties on houses and windows, on male servants,
horses, and carriages. They did also extend to cottages, to female
servants, wagons, and carts used in husbandry, previous to the year
1792,--when, with more enlightened policy, at the moment that the
possibility of war could not be out of the contemplation of any
statesman, the wisdom of Parliament confined them to their present
objects. I shall give the gross assessment for five years, as I find it
in the Appendix to the Second Report of your committee.
1791 ending 5th April 1792 L1,706,334
1792 1793 1,585,991
1793 1794 1,597,623
1794 1795 1,608,196
1795 1796 1,625,874
Here will be seen a gradual increase during the whole progress of the
war; and if I am correctly informed, the rise in the last year, after
every deduction that can be made, affords the most consoling and
encouraging prospect. It is enormously out of all proportion.
There are some other taxes which seem to have a reference to the same
general head. The present minister many years ago subjected bricks and
tiles to a duty under the excise.
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