B. II,

e.96 Civil Society,

is a great injury to proprietors of coal, withoutyielding a farthing to the revenue. T he Dutch ,many years ago, offered to confine themfelves tothat country for coal, on condition of being re-lieved from the duty; which would have broughtdown the price below that of Britifb coal. Is itrot wonderful, that the propofal was rejeded ?But minifters feldom regard what is beneficial tothe nation, unlefs it produce an immediate bene-fit to their fovereign or to themfelves. The coal-mines in the Auftrian Netherlands being thus fhucup , and the art of working them loft, the Britifiienjoy the monopoly of exporting coal to Holland .And it is likely to be a very beneficial monopoly.The Dutch turf is wearing out. The woods arecut down every where near the fea ; and the ex-penfe of carrying wood for fewel from a diftance,turns greater and greater every day.

The duty on coal water-born is an inftance ofthe fifth kind. A great obftrudion it is to manyufeful manufadures that require coal ; and indeedto manufadures in general , by increafing the ex-penfe of coal, an eflential article in a cold coun-try. Nay, one would imagine, that it has beenintended to check population ; as poor wretchesbenumbed with cold, have little of the carnalappetite. It has not even the merit of addingmuch to the public revenue; for, laying afideLondon , it produces but a mere trifle. But thepeculiarity of this tax, which entitles it to a con-fpicuous place in the fifth clafs, is, that it is notkfs detrimental to the public revenue, than tq