Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/360

308 thence, considering the injustice and violence of the government, they are under an absolute necessity of regulating themselves by the rate of what even the poorest and most wretched are able to pay.

The natural tax of moderate governments, is the duty laid on merchandizes. As this is really paid by the consumer, though advanced by the merchant, it is a loan which the merchant has already made to the consumer. Hence the merchant must be considered on the one side, as the general debtor of the state, and on the other as the creditor of every individual. He advances to the state, the duty which the consumer will some time or other refund, and he has paid for the consumer the duty which he has paid for the merchandize. It is therefore obvious that in proportion to the moderation of the government, to the prevalence of the spirit of liberty, and to the security of private fortunes, the more a merchant has it in his power to advance money to the state, and to pay considerable duties for individuals. In England a merchant lends really to the government fifty or sixty pounds sterling for every tun of wine he imports. Where is the merchant that would dare do any such thing in a country like Turky? And were he so presumptuous, how could he do it with a dubious or shattered fortune?

O these great advantages of liberty it is owing that liberty itself has been abused. Rh