young’s travei.s in prance.
43 4 .
tried or examined on old ideas; but the effects, good and bad, here arranged, in op-pofition to each other are vifible to every eye; the advantages are rtcogmzed; theevils are felt. On thefe circuinlhmces we are competent to realon* *.
1792.
IT may afford the reader fome fatisfadion to note a few cmcumflances of the date ofFrance at the opening of 1792, which I draw from the correfpondence of l'ome friends,on whole accuracy I can rely.
Agriculture .—Small proprietors, who farm their own lands, are in a very improvedand ealy fituation ; renters are proportionably fo, to the degree in which their landlordshave not been able to acquire in new rents, the payments from which the land has beenfreed. Owners of meadows, woods, and a variety of articles for which no tythe waspaid before, gain much lei's than others whofe property ufed to be fubje£t to that bur-then. In regard to the payment of rent, there is a diitintlion between the north andfouth of the Loire ; in the former, rents continue to be paid ; but to the fouth, manylandlords have been unable to receive a penny ; and here a difference is obfervable ; ab-fentees, who were not beloved, or whole agents are dilliked, are in an ill fituation ;but others, w'ho reiide, or who, though abi'ent, are beloved, are paid proportionallyto the ability of the metayer, which Ipccies of tenant is chiefly found fouth of the Loire.The lafl crop (of 1791) is laid to have been fhort; in a good year, in Picardy, fortyfheaves gave zfeptier of wheat, of 2401b.; but now it takes fifty to fixty. This circum-flance, however, cannot be general, as the price plainly proves: for January 7th, 1792,price at Paris of wheat was 22 to 28 livres, with affignats at 36 per cent, diicount, aremarkable proof, that the mo ft depreciated paper currency will anlwer every purpofefor objecls,of phyfical neceflity, and daily confumption. The difeount on this paper,is greater than ever was foretold by thofe who predicted an enormous rife of all the ne-ceflaries of life; a proof how new the fcience of politics is, and how little able the mollingenious men are to foretel the effects of any fpedfied event. The fale of the nationaleffates has been of late very flow’, which is a ftrange circumftance, fince the rapidity oftheir transfer ought to have been proportioned to the difeount upon afiignats, for anobvious reafon; for, while land is to be acquired with money, the more depreciatedpaper is, the greater the benefit to the purchaler. While the fale of the effates laftedwith any degree of brifknefs, the common price, of fuch as have come to my know--'ledge, was 20 to 30, and even more years purchafe; at which rate the advantages at-tending inveftinents may be great.
ed, will fuch fpeftacles be found ? Will their government then be as faultlefs as it appears at prefent ? Itmay. Probably it will Hill be found excellent; but we have no conviction, no proof; it is in the wombof time—the experiment is not made. Such remarks, however, ought always to be accompanied with theadmiffion, that the Britifh government has been experimented.—With what reftih ?— Let a debt of 240millions—let feven years war—let Bengal and Gibraltar —let 30 millions (Idling of national burthens, taxes,rates, tythes, and monopolies—let thefe anlwer.—
* The grofs abufe which has been thrown on the French nation, and particularly on their aflem-blies, in certain pamphlets, and wi hout interruption, in feveial of our newfpapers, ought to be deprecateelby every man who feels for the future tntereft3 of this country. It is in fome inttances carried to fo fcan-dalous an excefs, that we mult iitcefl'arily give extreme difgult to thoufands of people, who may hereafterhave an ample opportunity to note and ail under the influence of imptcfllons unfavourable towards a coun-try that, unprovi ked, has loaded them with fo much contumely ; for a na ion groaning under a debt of240 millions, that deadens the very idea of luture energy, this feems, to ufe the mildcit language, to beat lealt very imprudent.
10
Commerce