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of sixpence per gross on corks. He was not so good a financier as to pretend to ascertain what this would bring in, but it would be something very considerable, and he believed, would be objected to by none, except those who loved their bottle better than their country. Thirdly, a duty on shot, powder, guns, and pistols, except for the use of the army and navy. This he stated at £10,000. Fourthly, a duty on pins, needles, black pins, and fans. These articles collectively might produce the same sum, viz. £10,000. Fifthly, a duty on prints, from twopence per dozen to one shilling each, and upwards; also on printed music, message cards, visiting tickets, and wafers. These he also put together at £10,000. And when he considered that one print1 only of some men riding on an elephant with a human face, brought, as he had been informed, to one shop nearly three hundred pounds, he certainly did not make his statement too high. Sixthly, all places of public diversion, including playhouses, operas, masquerades, Ranelagh, Vauxhall, Sadler's Wells, Astley's, cum multis aliis, throughout the kingdom. Where a shilling was now paid, to be advanced to one shilling and threepence, which would make threepence duty; and where two shillings and sixpence, to be advanced to three shillings, and so on progressively, to be gathered by check tickets. These places, on a very moderate computation, would bring in £25,000. This tax affected neither land nor trade; it oppressed neither the poor nor the industrious; it injured no business; and after all, it was perfectly voluntary, and took not a farthing out of any man's pocket, but what, by his very presence at the place, he tacitly acknowledged that he

1 A caricature of Mr. Fox at the time of the India Bill.

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could very well spare. It might be unpopular among the dissipated, but it would meet the approbation of every man of sense, reason, and religion. Seventhly, a duty on clocks and watches; on the former, a duty of three shillings each; on the latter, every one who wore a watch to pay one shilling yearly. If above the degree of a servant, two shillings and sixpence. This might also bring in yearly £10,000. This tax, he confessed, was suggested to him by one of his worthy constituents, but not in the mode he had mentioned it. Eighthly, an additional duty on cards and dice, and a tax on all plates for horse races. This would certainly produce near £8,000. Ninthly, a duty on ropes, twine, and packthread, except for the use of the navy; and if to these he added whipcord, when he considered in how short a space the Noble Lord in the blue ribbon consumed three hundred pounds worth, those articles would cut no mean figure in his calculation, though he would not pretend to ascertain exactly what the whole would bring in. Tenthly, magazines and newspapers, the latter of which, he thought, would well bear an additional halfpenny. But really, Sir Richard said, this was so tender a point, and there were so many interested gentlemen who heard him in the gallery, that he would drop the subject. He was sure the members should be very cautious how they offended the newspaper editors, for they had them all under their thumbs, and he, as well as others, were often obliged to them for making them speak very manly, animated speeches, which within those walls they heard nothing of. However, if it would not look like countenancing the sale of them, he would have every Sunday newspaper pay an additional penny. Having now, Sir Richard declared, gone through all that he had to offer on the subject, if in the course of what he had said, he

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THEIR RECEPTION BY MR. PITT.

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had dropped anything which might have been of use, he was sure the Right Honourable Gentleman would condescend to pick it up, notwithstanding the insignificant quarter from which it fell. If not, he should look upon it as his duty to stand by him in those taxes he had proposed, that on bricks only excepted; on this, however, he should not attempt to divide the House, for whatever else he might be doubtful about, this one thing he was sure of-and he asked them to mark well his words that if they withdrew their support from that right honourable gentleman, Old England and the young son of Chatham would fall together.

This speech of Sir Richard Hill was listened to with much attention, and was handsomely acknowledged by Mr. Pitt, who said he had a due sense of the goodness of the honourable baronet in the hints he had given, and should undoubtedly profit by his suggestions.

The exertions made during this session by Mr. Pitt, and the eloquence and information he displayed on every occasion, must be looked upon, considering his age and inexperience, beyond all parallel in the history of orators and statesmen. One scarcely knows which to admire most, his energy or his ingenuity-the strength which enabled him to stand unshaken beneath the weight of the cares of a mighty empire and the force of an unequalled opposition, or the ease with which he unravelled the tangled skein which came into his hands from those of his predecessors. Be his view of his political principles what it may, no man can deny him the admiration his integrity and genius demand. One of the peculiarities of that extraordinary session, was the situation of Mr. Burke. Eloquence which to this day draws forth the warmest emotions of every reader of his wondrous pages, was seldom received by the House without

silent frowns and inattention, or clamorous opposition. Never did there rise in Parliament a more unwelcome speaker; and it is almost impossible to conceive what the gestures and voice could have been, that utterly disfigured the creations of his lofty and brilliant imagination. His magnificent language on the affairs of India was met by uproar, and efforts were perpetually made to silence him. Mr. Grenville went so far as to tell him, that he was astonished he should press himself so frequently on the House; and after one of his most surprising efforts, Mr. Pitt took not the slightest notice of a word he had said, evidently because it fell powerless on impatient and dissatisfied hearers. Such was the mortification of this wonderful man, and such the reception of speeches, that will be considered of the highest order of composition as long as our language lasts. What a lesson does this teach every man whose mind, framed for higher and nobler flights, contents itself with the lower regions of this vale of trouble; and how does it lead to a true estimate of the false radiance of many a glittering gem in the diadem of earthly fame, which often rests uneasily on the living brow, and can give no joy to the dead.

On the 20th of August the session was closed by a speech from the throne, containing thanks for provision made for the better government of India, and the measures passed for the improvement of the revenue. Parliament did not meet again till the 25th of January, 1785, when the cause of its reassembling was an apprehension of ill consequences to the peace of Europe, from a quarrel between the Austrians and the Dutch. the 9th of May Mr. Pitt opened the budget, when Sir Richard Hill renewed his proposition for a tax on places of public diversion. He observed that he considered it a disgrace to Great Britain as a protestant country, not

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PLAN FOR TAXING PLACES OF DIVERSION.

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to draw some revenue from the money spent in dissipation. If five hundred thousand a year was spent in places of public entertainment, a fifth of it might be spared for the exigencies of the state. Every other country in Europe made their places of amusement contribute, and so ought we. The substance, however, of his arguments is embodied in a printed sheet he circulated at the time, which he called "A Plan for a Tax on Public Places of Diversion." It is as follows:

"In general, taking the kingdom throughout, ninetynine people out of a hundred shew themselves averse to every tax; but at least ninety-nine out of a hundred wish for a tax upon public diversions; and for this plain reason, because not one in a hundred ever frequent such places, and they who do frequent them, may, if they choose it, keep their money in their pockets, and at least employ themselves as usefully by staying away. However, as most probably every resort of pleasure would not have one attendant less by such a tax, it is certain that an immense sum would accrue to the revenue, if only twopence in a shilling were to be deducted for the use of the government.

By the expression public diversions, I include all places throughout the kingdom where money is taken for admission; therefore, not only all exhibitions, but all spouting societies would be included.

"But in London alone, how prodigious would be the amount of such a tax, taking in the playhouses, the Opera, Ranelagh, Vauxhall, the Masquerades, Astley's Circus, Sadler's Wells, with at least fifty others of various kinds and denominations?

"Let it now be considered that such a tax would be entirely a voluntary one; no individual need pay a sixpence towards it, unless by his own choice; and it cer