MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For JUNE, 1780.

POLITICAL.

Art. 14. Propofals for paying great Part of the National Debt, and reducing Taxes, immediately. By Robert Bird, Efq. 8vo. $99. Dodfley. 1780...

TR. Bird begins with fetting forth the great burdens which are

More borne by the fubject in confequence of the valt accumulation

of the national debt; and fhews, that we are not to estimate the fum raifed on the fubject by the very fmall one which is paid into the Treafury. He firft fuppofes, that the expence of collecting the feveral taxes amounts to a fourth part of the fum levied; which we make no doubt is the cafe, at leaft, in the cuffoms, which Mr. B. brings as an example; but we much doubt whether it amounts to fo much in fome others, as the excife, the land-tax, &c. However, granting this, and that the feveral dealers, through whofe hands the commodities pafs to the confumer, retain each a profit of 12 per cent. he fhews, that for every 1 1. which is paid into the Treafury from the customs, no lefs a fum than 281 1s. 11 d. is raifed on the fubject. Mr. Bird, from Sir Matthew Decker, inftances in the cafe of the fhoe-maker, who not only lays the tax, impofed on the leather, on his thoes, but the intereft of the money that he has advanced to pay that tax, and alfo a proportionable part of the money which every tradefman he dealt with for the neceffaries of life had laid on his goods: thefe Sir Matthew enumerates, to the number of twelve dif ferent taxes, taxes, which the fhoe-maker muft lay on his fhoes, that he may be able to fubfift as well as he did formerly.

Had Mr. Bird but fortunately carried this confideration a little further, and remarked that, in confequence of this cordial agreement of all parties to tax their own commodities, the gentleman raifes his rents, the farmer his hay and corn, and even the day-labourer has raifed his hire from 8 d. to 12 d. a day within thefe 20 years; he would have found that we are, on the whole, notwithstanding the complex operation of the taxes which he fpeaks of, every one of us pretty much in the fame fituation that we were before, and that it only requires a greater quantity of fpecie to circulate amongst us. We ought, perhaps, to except the poor foldier, and a few other perfons, who fubfilt on falaries, which have been long fince etablished, and who, by their peculiar fituations or employments, can neither create perquifites to their places, nor cheat their employers, as the excifemen, cuftom-houfe officers, and fome others who are in this fituation do. Perhaps among thefe few poor wretches who fuffer on this account (for they are but comparatively few) we ought to include the poor Reviewer, who, notwithstanding he pays his quota to the fhoe-maker, &c. (unlefs indeed he goes without thoes) fells his Reviews at the fame price he did thirty years ago.

But, feriously, the only thing to be apprehended in this affair is, that by every man thus increafing the price of his labour, or the profits on his goods, the prices of our exports may be fo increafed

that

that other nations will underfell us, and by that means deprive us of a market for our manufactures.-But this we well know is not the cafe yet. How foon it may be, God only knows; but it will be then, and then only, that we can poflibly feel the burdens which Mr. Bird fpeaks of-until then, they are merely imaginary. Mr. Bird does indeed fay that this evil has actually overtaken us, and that we have already loft the greater part of our foreign trade. He maft give us leave to doubt this, for, in most of our manufactures, men are more wanted than work at prefent-May it ever remain fo!

Mr. Bird's fcheme for paying this enormous debt depends on a calculation which we much fear can never be verified; or put in prac tice until men are made differently from what they now are, or, we fear, ever will be. He eftimates the whole landed property of Great Britain at 1000 millions, and perfonal property at as much. All this may be very true, for aught that we know, and we hope it is. But, bere comes the rub: every man is to give in a true eftimate of his whole property, and yield up to government a twentieth part of it; which when every one has beneftly done, if there be any truth in arithmetic, and the above eftimation of property will amount to 100 millions. The national debt he effimates at 180 millions 140 millions of this he fuppofes belong to ourselves, and the remaining 40 millions to foreigners this 140 millions, he propofes to pay off at 60 per cent.; at which price he thinks the holders of fock will have a good bargain; and at this rate, 140 millions will be paid off with 84 millions; confequently, 16 millions will be left, at the difpofal of the First Lord of the Treafury, to be applied to the fervices of the enfuing year, or to the payment of unfunded debts. We cannot help remarking, that it is very probable molt of the Stockholders will think differently from Mr. Bird, and look on themselves as hardly dealt with, in being obliged to part with their flock for 60 per cent, which many of them bought at 90, and fome at more than par, and have to give up one-twentieth of what may remain afterwards: but we apprehend they may relt fatished that this will not fpeedily be required of them.

Art. 15. Strictures on a Pamphlet entitled Facts to Landhold ers, Stockholders, &c." By a Volunteer. 8yo, 13. 6d. Faulder. 1780.

This volunteer in the fervice of Adminiftration has confidered the celebrated pamphlet entitled Facts, c. See Review for January lall] with great attention, and offers many remarks on that per formance, which appear to merit the regard of the Public: we should always bear the other fide.

Art. 16. A Letter from a Gentleman in the English House of Commons, in Vindicarton of his Conduct, with regard to the At fairs of Ireland. Addreffed to a Member of the Irish Parliament 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Bew. 1780.00

By a Gentleman in the English Houfe of Commons, we are to underftand-Mr. Edmund Burke whofe parliamentary conduct, wish regard to the late national advantages fo faccefsfully contended for by Ireland, is the fubject of this very mafterly apology. We have no doubt that this letter is the genuine production of Mr. Burke's elegant

elegant pen: the ftyle alone, as the Editor obferves, is fufficient to prove its authenticity.

Art. 17. Two Letters from D. Hartley, Efq; M. P. addreffed to the Committee of the County of York. 8vo. 6d. Almon. 1789..

In the first of thefe letters, Mr. Hartley points out, what every one faw before, the diforders of the State, proceeding from 'ministerial influence, by means of places, penfions, beneficial contras, &c.' and he recommends, as the only fpecific cure for a difeafe fo alarmingly dangerous to the body politic, a FREE and INDEPENDENT PAR LIAMENT. Mr. H. is certainly right in his prescription ; but where is the apothecary who can make it up?

In his fecond letter, he earnestly recommends conciliatory meafures with regard to America. Here, too, Mr. H. is no lefs obviously in the right; and we believe he can hardly meet with an Englishman who will diffent from his opinion; but here alfo we are afraid the difficulty lies in getting the prefcription made up.

Art. 18.ts; and likewife Copies of the Proceedings and Cor

Art. 18. Copies of the Proceedings of the General Meetings of the County of

refpondence of the Committee appointed at the General Meeting of the County, held 26th January, 1780. Published by Order of * the Committee. 8vo. 1.s. Baldwin.

The letters of the LORDS Shelburne and Radnor, and the ComMONERS Fox, Burke, Barré, T. Pitt, and Dunning, will render this pamphlet acceptable to the Public in general. The other petitioning counties would do well to follow the example of Wiltshire, in printing their correfpondence; which will, at leaft, be attended with this advantage,-it will point out to the people of this country, thofe noble and worthy perfons who were friends to a defign which might have produced the happiest confequences to the British nation, in refpect of that moft important article, PUBLIC OECONOMY!

MEDICA L.

Art. 19. An Enquiry into the Origin of the Gout; wherein its various Symptoms and Appearances are traced to their Caufe; and a fafe and certain Mcde of remedying it propofed. By John Scott, M. D. 8vo. 35. fewed. Becket. 1780.

That the Gout fill continues the opprobrium medicorum, is certainly not owing to a want of attention to it in the faculty, fince fcarce a month paifes which does not bring with it fome new treatife on this difeafe. Of the number of these which have paffed before us in their quiet courfe to the pacific ocean of oblivion, we have not met with any, whofe progrefs will probably be more unnoticed than the prefent. Its doctrines are fo refined and fubtilized, and its precepts are fo trite and general, that it hardly offers a fingle temptation to readers, either learned or unlearned, to give it a perufal. We are forry to be obliged to affert, that fcarcely any thing ever came before us in the fhape of a feientific treatife, fo utterly void of precife and accurate ideas from one end to the other. Here is a great deal about nervous fluid, æthereal fpirit, electric principle and phlogifton; with their ebullitions, impetufes, periodical tides, deflagrations, &c. by ringing the changes on which terms, every phænomemon of the gout

is accounted for without the least difficulty or hesitation. Though there is no hint in this publication of the author's poffeffing a noftrum, yet we cannot but fufpect that it is preparatory to the appearance of one; fince in the chapter where one would expect him to come to the point, and declare his fafe and effectual remedy,' there is nothing but inexplicable enigma. The great matter, he tells us, is to reconduct the tide of animal fpirits in its proper channel, through the intestinal canal.' But no purge, nor any thing ftimulative, is proper for this purpofe;' and what is, he leaves us to discover by our own fagacity. He is a little more explicit under the head of regimen; though, indeed, we are not greatly informed, when he tells us, that diet is best which produces after every meal a general glow through all the abdominal vifcera, together with a ferene hilarity of mind." The gentle man has certainly a lively fancy, and would probably fucceed in poe. try; witness the following pretty paffage, The periodical tide, No, on fecond thoughts, the ladies will frown at us: we therefore recommend the curious reader to the book.

HUSBANDRY.

Art. 20. Practical Husbandry; or, the Art of Farming, with a Certainty of Gain: as practifed by judicious Farmers in the Country. The Refult of Experience and long Obfervation. By Dr. John Trufler of Cobham, Surry. In this work is contained all the Knowledge neceflary in the plain Bufinefs of Farming, unincumbered with Theory, Speculation, or experimental Enquiry: alfo, a Number of Eftimates of the Expences and Profits of diffe rent Crops in the common Way, taken from Minutes kept; and a variety of useful Remarks not to be met with in any Books of Agriculture. Together with Directions for meafuring Timber." 8vo. 3 s. 6d. fewed. Baldwin. 1780.

The art of farming with a certainty of gain! How unfortunate was Mr. Marshall not to have feen this book before he wrote his chapter on the hazard of farming. No one, not even excepting the eminent Mr. Curl, was ever more happy in the choice of his titlepages than Dr. John Trufler. As, indeed, it is in general the only part of his various publications in which he has an exclusive property, it would be unpardonable not to bestow fome pains to make it as finished and captivating as poffible. The prefent work is a meagre compilation from Young and Mortimer. So far from containing, as this Reverend Plagiary afferts, a variety of ufeful remarks not to be met with in any books of agriculture, we will venture to fay, there is scarcely a plough-driver in the kingdom but knows as much of farming as can poffibly be learned from this catch penny performance.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 21. Rhyme and Reafon: or, a fresh Stating of the Arguments against an Opening through the Wall of Queen's Square, Westminster. By a Knight. With the original Arguments, at the Bottom of the Page, for the Information of the Inquifitive, &c. 4to. I s. 6d. Faulder, &c. 1789.

A defire having been expressed, and a feheme formed, to promote a neighbourly intercourfe among the inhabitants of Queen's Square, Park-treet, &c. by opening a convenient paffage through the wall.

which at prefent fands as a barrier between them, this focial purpofe has, it feems, been particularly oppofed by Sir J-n H-k-s whofe printed Reafons against the wished for opening, are made the baus of thefe burlesque verles,

Perfonal fatire, like other corrofives, may, as a correfpondent, on this fubject, remarks, have its ufe: and it can never be more properly applied than in the way of recrimination and self defence. The Authors of this ironical compofition (for, it feems, more than one pen has been employed on this occafion) are candid enough to accompany it with the original performances which gave rise to it, in order that the Public may judge of the one as well as the other and it is not to be wondered at, that fo rude and ungentlemanlike an attack as the original appears to be, upon a number of families in a neighbourhood, should produce a reply of this fort; for whoever takes upon him to print and difperfe invectives against others, becomes a Drawcanfir; and throws down the gauntlet for any that will, to take up. If he is foiled in the confequence, he has nothing to complain of but his own folly. Thofe who have a relish for farcaftical humour and pointed fatife may venture to fay, will meet with as much entertainment as the nature of fuch a fubject would admit of." Art. 22.TM Minutes of the Proceedings at a Court-Martial, affembled to inquire into the Caufe of the Lofs of his Majesty's late Ship Ardent. Taken by George Jackson, Efq; Judge Advocate of his Majefty's Fleet. Published by Order of the Right Honourable the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty. 4to. 2s. 6d. Cadell. 1780,

We

Military difcipline, having for its object the good of the service, overlooks all perfonal confiderations in the attainment of this great end. Among the rigors of the Pruffian difcipline, we are told that a foldier was caned for fneezing, which feems to be an effort of nature little dependent on the will; yet an old Pruffian officer remarked, that the men did not cough so often as they used to do formerly.

From the circumftances ftated, Captain Boteler will, in all proba bility, be confoled with milder verdicts, in private judgment, than that which was pronounced by the Court before whom he was arraigned.

Art. 23. Thoughts on the dangerous Tendency of employing Foreigners. Addreffed to the People of England. 8vo.

I s. 6d. Faulder. Whatever may be thought of this pamphlet as a literary compofi-. tion, the Author appears to be an honest, well-meaning patriot; though he fays nothing about petitions or affociations. Art. 24. Memoirs of the Town and County of Leicefter. Containing the Antiquities of each, and the hiftorical and biographical Relations at large. To which is added, a brief supplementary Account of the prefent State of Leicestershire. By John Throby. 12mo. 6 Vol. 12 s. fewed. Leicester, printed for the Author.

Sold by Crowder in London.

We fhall not detain our Readers long with an account of this publication. The hiftory of a county may be rendered an inftructive, entertaining, and ufeful performance; but it is requifite for this purpofe that the Editor thould have taste, judgment, and an acquaint

ance