proverb, and unintermitting benevolent. But it cannot be said of them without adulation, that they have that grace of manners, that elegance of personal address, which in other nations of Europe is supposed generally inseparable from rank and fortune." There is properly no middle class of people in the Russian empire. All are either nobles, or slaves. The richest merchants are frequently slaves, or slaves who have purchased their freedom. The manners of this class have risen in the scale of civilization, in proportion to the amelioration of their condition. As many of them as are rich and free, vie with the nobles in hospitality, their tables are plentiful and luxurious to a fault, and the jewels of their wives would purchase a considerable estate. They differ only from the manners of the same class in other countries, from the peculiar circumstances of their own. They have not the same access and intermixture with the great; trade, however extensive, is still held in contempt by the Russian nobility; and in despite of all the light of the nineteenth century, a Russian merchant, though as wealthy as a prince, is never admitted to the table of a Russian noble. The manners of the peasantry, in which I include their domestic practice and minor morals, appear by Mr. Ker Porter's account to have undergone a very considerable change; but two such strong instances of their remaining barbarisin yet remain, that I deem it necessary to give them in Mr. Perter's own words, and therefore on his own credit. The one respects the indiscriminate use of the bath, by males and females at the same time. "Picture to yourself nearly an hundred naked women flapping, splashing, and sporting in the water, with all the grace at a shoal of porpoises. No idea of exposure ever crossed their minds; no thought of shame ever flushed their cheeks; but floundering about, they enjoyed themselves with as much indifference, as when standing in all their trim array, staring at the gay groupes in the Summer Garden. Even on the confines of their bath, the open river, nay in the very midst of it, lusty boors were filling their water-casks for the use of the city. With the women bathed many men, all mingled together. The bathers are of every size, shape, age, and description. Women of twenty years old possessed a bosom which a painter would have given MONTHLY MAG. No. 184. in to the haggard attendants of Hecate. It must certainly not be contended, The other usage to which I allude, is of a nature which one would believe impossible to any being in the very infancy of civilization. Here again I shall introduce Mr. Porter to speak for himself. "While I am upon this subject (the Manners of the Peasantry), I cannot omit mentioning a strange custom which they have amongst them; one very repugnant to nature, and to British feelings even shocking to think of-Fathers marry their sons to some blooming girl in the village at a very early age, and then send the young men either to Mosco or St. Petersburgh to seek employment, leaving their brides a few days after their marriage to the care of their parents. At the expiration of some years, when the son returns to his cottage, he finds himself the nominal father of several children, the offspring of his own parent, who had deemed it his duty thus to supply the place of an husband to the young wife. This is done all over Russia, and is never considered a hardship by the parties. Indeed, so far from it, the fashion continues; and when the son bécomes a resident in his native village, if he have a numerous stock thus raised to him, he sends them packing, and then enjoys himself, like a Turk in his Seraglio, among their wives."-These two instances of barbarism are sufficient to do away all the extravagant representations of the French writers, with respect to the civilization of the lower orders in Russia. What must, in fact, be the condition both of the moral feeling, and of the faculty of judging, amongst a people thus horribly depraved (for so it must be termed), in the very first elements of natural instinct? It has not indeed been well established by the travellers into Africa, that even the Hottentots, the most most stupid race of human beings, are guilty of this promiscuous intercourse. So much therefore for the progressive civilization of the Russian peasantry. To confess the truth, they alone seem to have stood still. The court has become more refined, and even the country nobility more on a level with the nobility of other kingdoms. Why is it then that the peasantry alone have stood still? The question is, unfortunately, answered by another point of Mr. Porter's information the Russian peasantry are still slaves, and so will remain in despite of the good intentious of the court. The nobles will not hastily surrender their privileges, and the main constituent of their wealth. A SIR, S many useful receipts, &c. are sometimes found in your miscellany, 1 shall be glad if any of your correspondents will be kind enough to give me information on the following subject. 1 have found that spirits of turpentine hot, will remove grease spots from paper, and hot spirits of wine will also remove, in great measure, the stain left by the turpentine. But I have always to regret, that a circle round the edges, where the turpentine is applied, will remain. And if more turpentine be applied, it still keeps dissolving the grease, and diffusing a larger circumference on the paper, which I have never been able wholly to discharge. Now I should be glad to know, either of a composition which would remove grease spots, without being liable to the above defect, or of a composition which, (without staining the paper) will, on being first applied, prevent the turpentine from spreading, so as to enlarge the spot upon the paper. March, 1809. Your's, &c. POLITICAL ECONOMY.-In a cursory view of this nature, it is scarcely possible to give a sufficient idea of a subject so various. In Political Economy the Russian government, for to the government it exclusively belongs, have made considerable advances since the reign of Catherine. The rejection of the English treaty of commerce, and which would have been equally rejected, whether there had been peace or war, is at once a consequence and a proof of this subject of political economy being understood. Previous to the accession of the Emperor Alexander, the Russians had about as much commerce as the Chinese. They contented themselves merely with selling to Brush merchants and agents, resident in the country for that purpose. All the wholesale trade in the empire was in the hands of resident foreigners. The Russian government and people have at length opened their eyes To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. to their own interest; and even when SIR, N shall it will be in vain to Peace stat retero, ne commercial rela. tions will be restored. The public force of the kingdom, its maintenance, and its distribution, is a main branch of political economy. Ac cording to the account of Mr. Porter, and indeed according to all other accounts, the Russian army was never in a better situation than at the present period. To a poor nation, that is to say, to a nation which having few taxes has Lule specie at command, it is an object of the first importance, that the pay of s army should be as cheap as is possible. Such is the case with the Russian army. The following, according to Mr. Porter, is the present pay of the Russian officers and soldiers-referring your readers, for more detailed information, to to query G. B. I Magazine, respecting the supe rior preparation of coffee, by the Germans, I submit the following preparations of that beverage as more general upon the Continent, and as differing from the methods pursued by the English. In the first place, almost all families roast their own coffee, and only prepare enough for their immediate use, by which means it retains a fullness of flavour, which is considerably diminished in keeping coffee roasted for any length of time. 2dly. The milk used in coffee is always made boiling hot, and a greater quantity made use of than in England. 3dly. It is continued boiling, as long as any of the coffee remains on the surface. 4th. The coffee is finally fined by pat ting in a small quantity of hartshorn Your's, &c. C.. SIR, OUR Magazine having a very exYOUR tensive sale, and being generally circulated through America, you will much oblige me by giving insertion to the enclosed extract, from a book of Poems lately published by Mr. Thomas Moore, the greater part of which consists of strictures on America. Extract." I must decline, says Washington, in his inaugural address to congress, as inapplicable to myself any share in the personal emoluments which may be indispensably included in a permanent provision for the executive department. After such a declaration, it is by no means pleasant to know, that Washington not only received his salary, but was in the habit of anticipating the regular periods of payment, and had constantly, during a space of five years, several thousand dollars of the public money in his hands; he was accused of letting out those sums at interest, but this we may consider as a calumny of the party opposed to him; the fact how ever of his overdrawing the salary, appears by an extract from the books of the a justification treasury, subjoined to which the secretary found it necessary to publish at the time; and this exposure was one of the many humiliations which preceded the retirement of Washington from the presidency." I am certain no man of common honour or principle, much less Mr. Thomas Moore, would insert such a charge upon the memory and character of General Washington, unless he believed it true; and as this belief must be founded upon some evidence, I, in common with others, who have hitherto entertained a 66 high veneration for the character of Wash- Though in the extract the circumstance For the Monthly Magazine. ATION. THE enquiry, to which I mean to de TH vote the present observations, is of too complex and intricate a nature, to be treated to the fullest and most elaborate extent, within the limits which I propose; nor, am 1 prepared to go into those details, which are necessary to render such an enquiry complete. The idea is entirely suggested by the fact, that although the present period is assuredly one in which trade is very slack, the funds have in consequence experienced no decline. I know it will be said, that the operation of the sinking-fund is the leading cause: that it is an additional cause, cannot be doubted, but it appears to me to be very far from the sole or chief cause. Adam Smith lays it down as an axiom, which there is little reason to dispute, that as much will be given for money, as can be made of it: and we know that the funds rose, nearly to par, during the long peace, following 1783, when there was no surking-fund. During that peace, it seems, that, government being in want of no loans, and the money of the country encreasing very much, and commerce being carried to its utmost possible extent (as was evident, by the fainous exchequer loans, loans, to prevent bankruptcies, which followed the commencement of the war) money became cheap, and there being no demand for it in loans, or very profitable disposition of it in trade, the interest sunk of course, which it bona fide did, when the three per cents rose to 93. The usual profit of trade is estimated at ten per cent, which is small, if compared with the risque in some branches it is more; and taking it, as a rule, that as much will be given for money, as can be made of it; it follows, that, when trade is bad, the funds and the land will be resorted to, as better and safer modes of investing capital; and the funds thus be kept up. Besides, the bankers, who are the chief agents in these matters, having no comparative field for profitable speculations, will make larger investments in government securities. Thus it appears to me, that trade, when prosperous, is likely to diminish the value of funded property, as paying better interest and as to agriculture, it is known that it presents no adequate means of employing a capital; and, vice versa, when trade is bad, or the profit cheapened, through excessive competition, the funds gain. It is a matter of great importance, and some curiosity, though, so far as I know, it has never been done, to know what have been the annual sums for a series of successive years vested in the funds, and which the purchaser continued to hold at the end of the twelve-months. This datum being obtained, and an estimate of capital employed in trade, taken from the returns of the Imports, Exports, Excise, and Property-Tax, being also taken, some important conclusions might, in my opinion, be formed, which would point out to government some very essential truths, in the modes and capabilities of assessments, so as to show where and how they can be best raised, and with the least injury. Napoleon knows, that employment in commerce prevents the facility of recruiting, and the prohibition distresses his enemy: but, the final tendency of all such measures, is to render the nations much poorer, than they would otherwise be. Trade is favourable to liberty, law, police, and many blessings; and its evils are certainly less than those which arise from a feudal system and idleness, and a military banditti. Taxes upon the direct articles of trade, are laid in the very worst manner, because they either fall upon the consumers, with an additional tax laid by the vendor,or they narrow the consumption, and depress the industry of the people.Taxes upon land are taxes upon provisions,which again operate to the injury of trade, by auginenting the price of labour. Taxes upon stamps have been reprobated by the ingenious Mr. Bentham as taxes upon justice, which is true: but as the expence occurs but occasionally, the operation is rather against petty, than important, litigation. In the opinion of the writer of this essay, a direct tax upon income, as upon profits, is attended with the smallest ill consequences, because no further tax is levied upon the consumer; but the case is quite otherwise, when fixed upon articles of commerce or provisions. There the tax falls upon the consumer; and as a great part of these consumers are the poor, the price of labour, and the poor-rates, both rise also together. No It requires a large annual currency of specie, to pay 40 millions, than 10 per annum, and this produces a great deception in the estimates of national means. increase of revenue can persuade any man in his senses, that at the present period England is in a more thriving pecuniary condition, than she was a twelve month ago; or because a man has more to pay, that he is so much the richer in profits. Nor is it considered that half the incomes, which support expensive living, are paid by persons occupied in coumerce, and are levied upon articles of commerce; and that those who cry out against trade, would without it have to make up the deficiences, by a much heavier expence upon themselves. If they live in equal luxury, the tax is levied upon themselves as consumers: and if they do not, government must look to them for the deficiency. It is the opinion of the writer of this essay, and it is an opinion perhaps as vain as it may appear presumptuous, that should any serious evils ensue, from defects, &c. of commerce, no service can be rendered more essential, than a release of the landed and commercial interests from the present form and modes of taxation; that is, a commutation to a preperty tax and a resolution to avoid in future every species of assessment, which had a direct bearing upon provisions or marketable commodities of any kind, where there was no danger of being un dersold from abroad. This, however, is a huge project: and may deserve a smile, though the present modes both are and continue to be highly injurious. Your's, &c. X. Y. Z. OBSERVATIONS For the Monthly Magazine. endeavours have been made sum of 5,348,2051. and that 4,077,8911. Sby enyent then to hurend and im every demand which their mal necess prove the Poor Laws, with a view to the better regulation, and less expensive maintenance, of the paupers of this kingdom, that the public are pretty generally discouraged, by past disappointments, from attending to pamphlets especially treating about the Poor. Under this impression I have preferred the channel of your widely circulated Magazine, for submitting my opinion on this subject to public consideration. It is but a few years ago, that a late eminent Statesman failed in his project on this part of national policy; and another eminent Senator has in the last year no less disappointed the public expectation. The fact seems to have been, that these gentlemen took a wider range of investigation, and were desirous of embracing remedies which appeared to people, who had thought less on the subject, as too complicated for successful execution. But it is not only of late, that men of great talents have worked in this vineyard, without producing fruit worthy of their labours. Numerous others, in past as well as in modern times, have meditated anxiously on the state of the Poor, and in their writings reprobated the misconduct of our parochial management; the laws, notwithstanding, have still continued to be inefficient; the management of the poor more difficult and complicated; and the charge of their maintenance progressively and more grievously expensive. Since matters are thus circumstanced, it is no wonder, that the whole people should be united in opinion, however differences may continue to exist on particular points, that the poor laws, as they now operate, are at variance with the welfare of the community. The Legislature too appears to have participated in this public sentiment, and an act was passed in the 43d year of his present Majesty, for procuring returns from all the parishes of England and Wales, relative to the expence and maintenance of their poor respectively, for the purpose of forming from them the best judgment; and an abstract of these returns was printed, by order of the House of Commons, July 10, 1804. By this public document it appears, that the poor's rate, for the year ending at Easter, 1803, amounted to the enormous ties could require, or the pubic be ex- But far |