5. The Post Office. King James I. ori ginally erected a post office for the con veyance of letters to foreign parts, pre viously to which an establishment of this kind had existed for the conveyance of inland letters. Some improvements were made in the management of it during the time of the commonwealth, and soon af ter the restoration a new general post office was established, the revenue de rived from which was at first of small amount, but has since gradually increas ed, both from the increase of-commeicial intercourse, and the additional rates of postage which have since been imposed. In 1715, the gross produce of the inland office was 145,227/. ; in the year 1744, it amounted to 198,2261. ; and the gross amount of both the inland and foreign offices, to 235,492/. In 1764, it amounted to 281,535/. ; at which time an act was passed for preventing abuses of the pri vilege of franking, which, with a further restriction at a subsequent period, has considerably improved this source of re venue. The total gross produce for the year, ending January 5th, 1808, was 1,493,490/. lls. 9d, and the net produce 1,277,5381 11s 4id.
6. Sixpence in the pound on pensions and salaries. This deduction originated from ,a debt of the civil list in the reign of George I. To satisfy this debt an act was passed for raising half a million at five per cent. interest, to be charged upon a deduction of sixpence in the pound on all salaries fees, and wages, payable in respect of offices of profit granted or derived from the crown. About three years after it was found ne cessary to raise, half a million more, for the same purpose, and the former sum, bearing five per cent. interest, was then paid off, the whole sum of 1,000,0001. be ing raised by way of lottery, at an in terest of three per cent. per annum. This debt is now charged on the consolidated fund, and consequently the duty estab lished for the payment of its interest forms part of the income of the fund. The gross produce for the year ending the 5th of January, 1808, was 72,207/. 12s. 21d., and the net produce 71,3531.
Os. 7. One shilling in the pound on pen sions and salaries. This is a duty of a similar nature with the foregoing, and was first imposed by Si George H. c. 22. It extends to all salaries, fees, and per quisites, pensions, or gratuities, payable out of any revenue belonging to his Ma jesty in Great Britain, exceeding the va lue of 1001. a year. Its gross amount in the year ending the fifth of January, 1808, was 61,0571. 2s. ld. and including a balance in hand at the beginning of the year, the net amount was 62,685/, 5s. 8d.
8. Hackney coaches. In 1694, the li cense of hackney coaches first became a branch of the public revenue. It has in creased, both from the number licensed being greater than formerly, and from the duty imposed upon them having been raised veryconsiderably, but it can never become of much importance ; it produced in the year ending the 5th of January, 1808, 28,7511. 15s. gross, and 26,455l. 2s. 51d. net.
9. Hawkers and pedlars. In the year 1697, these itinerant merchants were first made subject to a particular tax, which could never be of much conse quence as an object of revenue; and will probably fall off, as new towns and villages are built in different parts of the coun try. The gross amount in the year end ing the 5th of January, 1808, was 13,2311. Os. 4(1., the net produce 10,325/. 9s. 5d.
In addition to these several branches of the public revenue, there are some small branches of the old hereditary re venue still remaining. These consist chiefly of alienation fines, post fines, seizures of uncustomed and prohibited goods, compositions, prefers, and the crown lands, of which the last is by far the most important.
Notwithstanding the sum annually drawn from the public in taxes has been raised to the above vast amount, it is still thought necessary to have recourse to the profit of lotteries, which, with the per manent and annual duties above stated, and a few small incidental receipts, forms the total public income in time of peace. In years of war, it is almost invariably found necessary to raise a large addition al sum by way of loan, which, add ed to the debt previously existing, it be comes necessary to augment the revenue appropriated to the payment of the inter est thereon by the imposition of new taxes.
The net produce of the several branch es, after the payment of certain bounties, pensions, and other charges, is paid into the. to be applied to the ser vices to which it is appropriated. The public accounts at the Exchequer, both of the revenue and expenditure, were, till within a few years, kept in a peculiar character, in use no where else, and which, in the course of time, had become so unintelligible, even to the officers them selves, that it was usual to write all high numbers in common figures under the characters. It is a curious circumstance, that this obscure species of arithmetic was defective in having no characters to express high numbers, as millions, so far were the framers of it from having any idea of the amount to which the public re venue was to be extended.