the difcharge of debts than the fund itfelf could do? But the question is plainly this, Whether a certain fund, admitting of no increafe or diminution, will not fooner difcharge a debt at a higher than at a lower rate of intereft; and whether any reduction that would check its operation might not prove exceedingly detrimental to a finking ftate? And the author of the Obfervations has made no myftery of the answer. All that the Remarker has faid may be true or false, but cannot affect Dr. P.'s general pofition. We hope we do not mistake, nor mifreprefent, his meaning. He exprefsly fays, that, by reduction of intereft, the prefent burdens of the ftate would be lightened by protracting them; and fuch reduction would fupply more money for bad management. The cafe of a private creditor, which the Author of the Remarks has adduced, is, we apprehend, by no means parallel. He concludes with feveral obfervations which deferve attention, on the mifchiefs arifing from public and private credit; though fome may think he has rather exaggerated the evils attending it. In the Appendix, he propofes a plan for establishing a growing fund of perpetual increafe and fecurity for the certain and unalienable benefit of pofterity. The fociety is to confift of zo members, who are to be admitted on very eafy conditions; and each of the reprefentatives, 500 years hence, will be entitled to a fhare of five hundred millions. It would be an amufing employment for thole that are fond of ideal difquifitions, to calculate the prefent vaJue of an expectation to be realized at the distance of 20 or 30 ge

nerations.

Art. 11. The Challenge; or, Patriotifm put to the Teft. In a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Price, occafioned by his late Publications on the National Debt; in which a fuperior Method to the Sinking Fund for the above Purpofe is fully demonftrated, and recom mended to the Confideration of the Public. By Jof. Wimpey. ¿vo. is. 6d. Lowndes.

The nature of our work, and the limits aligned us, will not admit of our entering into a particular examination of the objections erged in this pamphlet against the principles and reafening contained in the Appeal to the Public. We must therefore refer thole who are defirous of fatisfaction on this head to the fecond edition of this excellent treatife, lately publifhed, in which the author has taken great pains to obviate every difficulty to which his fcheme is liable. But we cannot difmifs this article without a word or two with Mr. w--y.

Having utterly demolished Dr. P.'s plan for relieving the public under the burden of their debt, and triumphing in the certainty of victory, this Author propofes a fcheme of his own, which he wishes to fubititute in the room of that already demolished, and with no fmall degree of confidence appeals to every impartial man if it is not infinitely preferable in point of eafe, and certainly more ef fectual, for very obvious reafons.' But why fo pofitive? Why not condefcend, Sir! to mention fome of thefe reafons, fo obvious to yourself, that your readers might be fatisfied likewife? You think,

The Challenger addreffes these words to Dr. Price, p. 18. We have copied them with the alteration only of Sinking Fund" to your fund."

Sir, the operation of your fund is fo clear and certain, that all further explanation is unneceffary. But all this is upon certain conditions that lurk in petto. The reader not perceiving those latent conditions, attends to the argument as it ftands, and affents to the conclufion as demonftrably certain.' You tell us, that two millions per annum, being the produce of the Sinking Fund, is to be diverted from the fervice of the public in defraying current expences, &c. towards the difcharge of the debts, only for three years; and this annuity is to be employed fo as to be improved at 4 per cent. compound intereft: at the end of this time it will amount to 6,243,2col. This then will be a fund to be perpetually improved at the fame rate. As money at 4 per cent. compound intereft, more than doubles its value in 18 years, we will fay that the above fum will be 12,486,400 l. at that time; and by continuing to double the fum every 18 years for 90 years, in that time the above fum will accumulate nearly to 200 millions, which would pay off the whole amount of the national debt, and leave nearly 60 millions in bank. You proceed to inform us that this great bufinefs, which has been thought impoffible to be effected, may, by this method, not only be effected with ease, but without even taking a penny from the people, after the two millions per annum for the first three years, furnished by the Sinking Fund, and further leaving the produce of the Sinking Fund to be annually applied towards the current fervice: a circumstance of immenfe utility to the people, and what is infifted on by the Doctor, cannot be alienated but at the expence of our existence as a nation.' If these principles be juft, and Mr. W. can pay the debt without taking a penny from the people after the firft fix millions, we need not wonder that he fhould declaim as he does: I would not take upon me to defend, either the humanity or juftice, of laying the whole burden of difcharging the national debt on the prefent generation. But fhould any one fo far fet his heart upon it, as to fee the miferies and hear the groans our heavy burdens occafion in many families, unmoved, he muft certainly have extinguished the fine, tender, but forcible feelings of humanity, which it is natural for parental affection to infpire, to make room for a rigid virtue of a very romantic caft. A tak as difficult as to difplace and tear away the whole arterial or vafcular fyftem; and, I am afraid, would be approaching too near a robbery committed on our immediate offspring; whom nature, reason, and juftice, have made it our indifpenfable duty to provide for and fupport, in order to be generous to thofe who do not, and perhaps never may, exift.' But our Author forgets that, on his own principles, two millions per annum must be borrowed to fupply the deficiencies for public fervice during the three years appropriation of the Sinking Fund to his benevolent and ufeful purpofe; and that money must likewife be borrowed to pay the intereft of fuch loans; and that, at the expiration of three years, the fum borrowed will be equal to the amount of his annuity, or 6,243,200 l. and that this will be a fund, which, by his method of reafoning, will increase as fast against the public as it is fuppofed, on his plan, to increase in their favour. The only fource of fupply is the purfe of the people; when that is drained, good bye to all funds, call them by what name you please. Their infinite difference and omnipotent powers immediately vanish.' On this plan, what becomes

of

of all the humane policy of our Author for ferving pofterity without burdening the prefent generation? But if this large annual fum is to be raised by an extraordinary effort, or by a tax of two millions for three years, fuch a measure seems directly contrary to the Author's reasoning on the state of the nation and to all his generous feelings for the prefent generation. On this fuppofition the whole burden of difcharging the national debt would be laid on the prefent generation,' without deriving any affiftance at all from posterity. And we can not take upon us to defend, either the humanity or justice' of fuch a measure.

We might farther afk, in what way this fum is to be improved at 4 per cent. compound intereft, certainly and without interruption? To whom is the public to give credit for thefe large fums arifing from a growing principal of 6,243,200 1. On Dr. Price's plan, the money appropriated to the payment of our debts is fo applied as ne ceffarily to improve itself,

Our Readers will perceive that we neither adopt the principles of this Author, nor approve his reafoning. We have pointed Mr. Wimpey's own artillery against himfelf; and, we apprehend, that the reverend author of the Obfervations, and of the Appeal, is, in law and honour, freed from all obligation of accepting this challenge, fince his adverfary is a felo de fe.

Art. 12. An Inquiry into the Practice and Legality of Preffing by the King's Commiffion: Founded on a Confideration in Ufe to fupply the Fleets and Armies of England. From the earliest Period of the English Laws and Hiftory, to the prefent Time. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Almon. 1772.

This performance is replete with good fenfe, and curious refearches. The following particulars, in relation to the nature and origin of the act of preffing, are highly worthy of attention. In early times, fays this Writer, Lord Coke tells us that when the King was to be served with foldiers for his wars, a knight or efquire of the country that had revenues, farmers, and tenants, covenanted with the King to ferve him in his war for fuch a time with fuch a number of men: and the foldiers made their covenant with their leaders or mafters, and then they were mustered by the King's commiffioners. By the 5th of Richard the Second, c. ii. thefe contracts are to be enrolled in the Exchequer. On entering into thefe contracts an advance of a certain fum was made from the Exchequer to the contractors: this money was called (and ftill is called in other contracts) Preft, or Impreft Money; from the French word preft, ready, fay Chambers and Jacob; from the Latin word præftitum, engaged, fays Sir Matthew Hale. Be the etymology what it may, the meaning of preft or impreft-money is money advanced to a perfon out of the Exchequer, in confideration of which he engages to be ready to perform fome contract or fervice. The auditors of the im preft are officers in the Exchequer who make up account of naval and military expences, and of all monies impreffed to any man for the King's fervice. As the captains were engaged to the Exchequer, the foldiers were engaged to the captains, who enlifted volunteers by giving them earneft or preft-money, as it is called in the old statutes, Rev. May 1772.

Ff

and

and these men fo impreft or engaged were mustered by the King's commiffioners.

When seamen were wanted, the King iffued a commiffion for impreffing feamen for the navy, that is for engaging them by preftmoney to enter into the fervice. By virtue of this commiffion the Lord High Admiral iffued warrants, to the Vice-admirals of the several counties, &c, directing them to raise a certain number of men for his Majesty's fleet. The form of these ancient warrants, for raifing volunteer feamen fubfifts in part to this day in the modern prefs-warrant, which directs that prett-money (and ftill more in the warrants flued fo lately as in Charles the Second's reign which direct that conduct-money too) fhall be given to the men impreffed. If we understand imprefs, prefs, and prefs or preft-money in the original fignification of the words, and as they are understood at this day in the Exchequer, warrants for preffing are warrants for saifing volunteers, and not by compulfion: and the fhilling preft-money in the prefent warrants, and the conduct-money in thofe of the Duke of York, directed to be given to men impreffed plainly imply this, and are abfurd, if they are understood to be warrants for forcing men into the fervice. Thefe words in the warrants, were never meant to authorize the violence now practifed by their authority; but that violence being established by the abufe of the warrants altered the common acceptation of the words. Preft-money, wherever it occurs in our old ftatutes, in the old Exchequer accounts, and even in all Lord Coke's writings, invariably means earneft-money given to failors, or foldiers, or contractors for the King's fervice, after fubfidies were granted in the flead of knight-fervice, and our Kings with the money used a new method of forming their armies, and manning their facets, by railing volunteers retained by preft or earneftmoney to ferve.'

The Author goes on to obferve,How it came to pass that the King's commiflioners for preffing, that is, retaining men by preftmoncy fhould abufe their warrants fo far as to force men into the fervice, can only be conjectured. In the reign of Henry VIII. a fevere law was pafied against warrants. By the 39 Eliz. c. 17. it appears that the most troublefome vagrants at that time of day were dif banded foldiers, and feamen out of fervice, wandering abroad. le is therefore not unlikely that after the law againft vagrants in the reign of Henry the Eighth took place, whenever a commiffion for railing feamen or foldiers was iffued, thofe to whom the warrants were directed, wherever they found a wandering failor or foldier, either laid hold on him of their authority, which was connived at, as removing a nuifance, or received him from the magiftrates as a vagrant; the man himself perhaps choofing rather to enlilt against his inclination than to fuffer the law; as we now fee men confent to ferve the India Company rather than abide the confequence of an indictment. Thus is it poflible that the oppreffion of bad men, by perverfion of law, may have eftablished a precedent, which, at this day, is put in force against fome of the most useful and best of the King's fubjects. We may be well justified in conjecturing that prefling by force was first introduced against men obnoxious to the

law,

ław, fince it is certain that this violence was ufed against men, who, in those motley days of liberty, were obnoxious to the King. Read, an Alderman of London, in the year 1544, for refufing to pay an arbitrary benevolence affeffed on the city by Henry the Eighth, was preffed, and fent for a common foldier into Scotland. This is a proof of the practice in its most violent extent; but no more proves a right in the crown to prefs by force, than it proves King Henry had a right to raife the benevolence without confent of parliament.' Thefe extracts fhow the fpirit and merit of this Inquiry. It is worthy of the ferious perufal of every Englishman.

Art. 13. A Plan for the Abolition of Slavery in the West Indies. 4to. 2 s. 6d. Griffin. 1772.

This Writer difplays a warm zeal for humanity and natural juftice, but his views are vifionary and romantic. His idea is, that nations of different complexions might be brought to unite; and that many advantages would refult from the connexion and the intermarriages of blacks with whites.

Art. 14. Britannia Libera; or, a Defence of the free State of Man in England, against the Claim of any Man there as a Slave. Infcribed and fubmitted to the Jurifconfulti, and the free People of England. 4to. 2 S. Almon. 1772.

The fpirit of liberty which this publication difplays, deferves the highest commendation; but its Author appears to have more learning than judgment. He has well ftored his memory with facts and obfervations; but we are mistaken if he is not yet to learn how to employ them with the greatest advantage.

Art. 15. The Tyranny of the Magiftrates of Jerfey, and the Enflavement of the People, as they, at this Time, exift in that Island, demonftrated from the Records of their Court. 8vo. I s. 6 d. Hooper. 1772.

In our Review for February last, p. 112, we gave fome account of Dr. Shebbeare's public fpirited Narrative of the Oppreffions of the Iflanders of Ferfey; to which book the prefent tract is a proper fupplement. We alfo, in the Review for March, p. 258, mentioned an Addrefs to the Privy Council, on the Affairs of that Ifland. These tracts all concur to evince the reality of thofe oppreflions under which the Jerfey-men labour, and which will, furely, meet with redrefs from the wisdom and equity of a British government.

EAST-INDIA AFFAIRS. Art. 16. Letters to and from the Eafl-India Company's Servants, at Bengal, Fort St. George, and Bombay; relative to Treaties and Grants from the Country Powers, from 1756 to 1766, both inclufive: Alfo a Letter from the Nabob of Arcot to the Company, and the Company's Anfwer: With an Appendix, confitting of four Papers relative to the Company's late Bargain with Government. 4to. 3 s. Almon, &c. 1772.

Thefe authentic papers are a proper fupplement to Mr. Bolts's very material publication, of which an account was given in our Review for March; and (being printed in the fame fize) may be bound up with it.

Ff2

Art.