up at the fales by unfair practices. The public lofes im menfely by illicit trade in this article, no lefs a fum than one million feven hundred and thirty-four thousand nine hundred pounds having been paid to smugglers, which is now turned into the channel of the fair trader.

To thofe who are skilled in political arithmetic, the advantages which must refult from fo large a balance being thrown into the lap of this country, by fo fimple an operation, are obvious. The wonderful effect which it has contributed to produce upon the foreign exchanges, by reducing the price of gold and filver, is matter of the utmost importance and advantage to the Bank of England, as well as to the public. And although the demand for our manufactures, &c. together with the general profperity of the British empire, have also contributed thereto; yet that demand muft fluctuate; whilst the balance which this kingdom will poffefs, arifing from the beneficial confequences refulting from the commutation-act, will be permanent and lafting; if the legislature fhall, on their part, adopt fuch meafures as are calculated to fecure and perpetuate the benefits fo obtained; and which it is most indubitably in their power to do.

The late rapid advance in the value of property is a subject of aftonishment with many perfons; and, without afcertaining precisely the whole of the caufe, there cannot be a doubt, but that two circumftances have, in a most effential manner, contributed thereto; namely, the great influx of wealth, which has increafed the number of purchafers; and the confidence, which augments daily, in the public funds, from the profpect of the taxes becoming more productive, in confequence of the fuppreffion of fmuggling.

At the fame time, the great and unexpected fuccefs which has attended a fingle meafure, will naturally lead the true friends of the first commercial country in the world to wish to purfue the advantage fo happily obtained; and to adopt, as a general maxim, for the whole of our commercial fyftem, the fame principle, which has been attended, in its first application, with fuch great and falutary benefits to the trade, finances, public funds, and landed intereft of the kingdom at large.'

The author goes on to mention other advantages, particu larly in the application of the furplus of the Bengal revenue, for the purchase of tea in China; and, by that means, 'to leffen the exportation of bullion from home. He says, that the increase of the tea-trade will require forty-five additional fhips, and employment for three thoufand four hundred and fifty men; which, abftracted from every other confideration, muft make it an object of vast national concern.-He concludes by justly observing, tonq

These

Thefe advantages, which have arifen from a fingle operation, are of fuch magnitude and importance, as to fatisfy every impartial perfon of the beneficial confequences which muft refult from a general application of the fame liberal principle to the duties ftill fubfifting upon various branches of the manufactures and commerce of Great Britain."

From this fpecimen, the reader will no doubt think the whole pamphlet, worthy of his perufal and attention,

A hert Addrefs to the Public; containing fome Thoughts how the National Debt may be reduced, and all Home Taxes, including Land-Tax, abolished. By William, Lord Newhaven, 800. 15 Debrett.

The reduction of the national debt is a problem which has exercifed the ingenuity of many political writers; and, what is remarkable, on a fubject fo much agitated, not two of them correfpond entirely in the methods propofed for the purpose. Amidst the difcouragement arifing from this diverfity of opi nion, however, it is fome confolation to find, that each of thofe public-fpirited enquirers feems not to entertain any doubt with refpect to the practicability of the plan fuggefted by himself. It always affords us particular pleafure, when, in our monthly progrefs, we meet with a nobleman employed in fo laudable a fpeculation. By this conduct, fuch an author not only evinces a patriotic anxiety, highly becoming his elevated rank, but fets an example to thofe who have leifure and opportunity for profecuting researches of the fame kind.

The commiffioners of the public accounts, in their Eleventh Report, having occafion to speak of the national debt, expreffed a defire that recourfe might be had to public benevolence, for difcharging this enormous incumbrance. Proceeding upon a plan of a fimilar kind, lord Newhaven propofes, that all the Tubjects s of Great Britain fhould pay a certain annual rate out of their real and perfonal property; and that this fum fhould be faithfully applied to the liquidation of the public debt. Ac cording to the calculation which he inftitutes, the amount of the fum propofed to be thus levied would be fo great as to dif charge the whole debt in a very few years. As a compenfation for this extraordinary advance of money, he farther propofes, that all internal taxes whatever fhould be abolished, after the firft payment of one per cent. was mad made at his majesty's exchequer. His lordship obferves that, according to this fcheme, no individual will pay near fo much on his rental or expenditure as he now does for of every kind, and be relieved from the perpetual irritation and difquietude of tax-gatherers of every denomination.

To the plan above mentioned there naturally arifes this quef tion, if the home taxes are abolished, how are the army, navy, and the various departments of the civil government to be provided for? To this his lordship replies, that as he concludes

La 2

foreign

foreign nations will not take off the daty on our commodities imported into their respective countries, he propofes to continue the duty on goods imported, which he thinks will be nearly adequate to defray all expences, civil and military, in time of peace.

Such is the plan suggested by lord Newhaven for reducing the national debt; a plan, we must confefs, not lefs bold and interefting in the conception, than apparently difficult of being enforced to the extent propofed by the noble author. In order to be adopted, there feems reafon to think it would require an univerfal apprehenfion of danger the most imminent to the state, and fuch as threatened the extinction of government, At least, it appears to be fo arduous in the execution, that it could only be accomplished by unparalleled alacrity, and a general spirit of patriotism, that has fometimes, indeed, blazed forth, in war, among a people in the most defperate circumstances, but which there is little hope of ever being kindled by the profpect of any civil emergency, not immediately destructive of public freedom. The propofal, however, affords a proof of his lordship's zeal for the public interefts; and we fincerely with that his meritorious example might excite that ardour which it ought to infpire in all the true lovers of their country. 15 2

An Address to the Landed, Trading and Funded Interests of Eng sland on the Present State of Public Affairs. 8vo. is. 6d. Stockdale.ogg and evil's 97

ve

This author takes an extenfive view of the prefent fate of the nation; but rather by a random excurfion than with any precife and accurate enquiry. In every department which he confiders, he meets with objects which excite his apprehenfion. Our fpecie is drained out of the kingdom, in annual payments to foreigners, who have property in the public funds; the landed intereft is groaning under infupportable burdens; and the national debt is accumulated to fo extreme a degree that it threatens to become fatal. For remedying thefe difafters the author propofes an equal reprefentation of the commons in parliament, and a total abolition of duties at the custom-house. The effect of the former of thefe measures, towards removing the evil complained of, our author has not thought proper to explain; and how the extinction of the cuftom-house duties, while fo great a part of the public revenue is neceflary for paying the intereft of the national debt, fhould reftore our posperity, is a propofition which, we muft own, appears not very Compatible with found argument. We are inclined, however, to impute the motives of this addrefs entirely to the author's impartial fentiments; for, though not a profound politician, The appears to be a candid writer, and to wish well to the inter

efts of the nation.

'Tis all my Eye. 8vo. 15. Wilkie.

This pamphlet is addreffed to Archibald Macdonald, efq. on account of its relating to the police of Westminster, concerning which, a motion was made by that gentleman during the laft feffion of parliament. The author makes fome juft obfervations on particular topics; but he feems to be no friend to the establishment of a new jurifdiction; contending, that a proper enforcement of the exifting laws are fufficient for the prefervation of order. Should we admit this to be really the cafe, it must follow, that the remiffness of the magiftrates in the difcharge of their duty deserves the fevereft reprehenfion.

Collection of Acts paffed in the State of Massachusetts Bay, relative to the American Loyalifts and their Property. 8vo. 15. Stockdale.

The wisdom and policy of thefe laws can be no object of attention to our readers; and it is, therefore, fufficient for us to obferve, that the work appears to be authentic.

MEDICA L.

Medical Cautions, for the Confideration of Invalids; thofe especially who refort to Bath. By James Makittrick Adair, M. D. 8vo. 35. 6d. in Boards. Dilly.

It is rare to fee a volunteer ftart up from among the dif charged invalids; but our author tells us that he is independent of bufinefs, and a volunteer' in fome of its branches. We think, however, that he has been well employed in publishing this work, which contains good fenfe, juft reasoning, fome humour, with little novelty, and a few occafional errors.

His obfervations on Fashionable Difeafes, are acute and humorous; on the Effects of hot crowded Rooms, and noxious Air, folid and judicious. The Effay on Regimen, and the Enquiry into the Propriety of ufing other Remedies during a Courfe of Mineral Waters, contain many ufeful obfervations, which, with a few exceptions, we would ftrongly recommend. The Effay on Empiricifm alfo deferves great attention; but empiricifm is now the fashion, and, like Antæus, will only raife, with fresh ftrength, from every attempt to overthrow it. We cannot refrain from extracting the following fpirited, and, we fear, well founded cenfure.

When phyficians (I do not mean quack doctors) adopt ex traordinary modes of obtruding themselves and their wonderful abilities on the notice of the public, it would be no breach of charity to place them on the fame form with noftrummongers; and the fimilarity is more obvious, as, in both inftances, the merits of the regular doctor and his brother quack are always much exaggerated; whilft that public, to which the appeal

L 3

appeal is made, is equally unqualified to judge of either. It is with regret, mingled with indignation, that I thus animadvert on the conduct of fuch of my brethren as have justly incurred this cenfure. In the preceding effay I took notice of their illiberal treatment of the Bath phyficians; and it may fairly be prefumed, that they are of the number of those, who, confcious of deficiency in perfonal merit, endeavour to compenfate for that deficiency by cultivating, moft affiduously, the good graces of apothecaries, midwives, nurfes, abigails, toad-eaters, and puffing goffips. But, not contented with this indirect attack on their brethren, they generally proceed to direct hoftilities, and by the dark and malignant infinuations of themselves or their emiffaries, endeavour to blast the reputations of all their competitors. This ferious charge may, by some of my readers, be deemed incredible; but it is not lefs true, Such ungentlemanly arts may reasonably be confidered as truly empirical, and thofe who practife them as fwindlers of reputa tion, and therefore greater pefts of fociety than fwindlers of property; infomuch as they, in a great degree, deprive the public of the fervices and talents of modeft men, who are generally as much their fuperiors in ability as in urbanity. That I may, in fome degree, qualify the feverity of this ftricture, I take, with pleafure, this opportunity of dealaring, that as I confider my profeffion as a moft useful and refpectable science, fo I have a moft fincere and affectionate attachment to all fuch of my brethren as difcharge their duty with honour and integrity,'

When we recommended the treatife on Regimen, with fome exceptions, we meant not to avoid particulars. Butter, even in a melted state, is allowed by our author; and roasted meats are preferred to boiled. We fufpect that he is mistaken both in his reafoning and facts. There is fome empyreuma always contracted by melting butter; and the fat of roafted meat is often strongly empyreumatic. In these refpects, both must be injurious to invalids; but we would refer to experiment, Hectical patients are more eafily and quickly affected by the leaft diforder in the ftomach, the leaft impediment in digeftion, than any others. With thefe we have always found melted butter and roafted meat produce a confiderable febrile exacerbation; and of course they have been generally forbidden, A meal of flesh meat has frequently occafioned lefs difturbance than melted butter with their vegetable food. Even butter, in its folid ftate, is not eafily affimilated,

In the table of foods, which are arranged according to their digeftibility, we alfo fine fome errors. Oysters, when fresh and fmall, are more eafily digefted than any other shell-fish, or than any other animal food. We fpeak from frequent obfervation, and fufpect that our author has been mifled by Sanctorius and Keil. Crabs are more digeftible than lobfters; and

flounders