Page:Observations on the present financial embarassments.djvu/11

7 for labour. Before replying to this, allow me to remark, that, in considering the state of the finances of the kingdom, we must look to general not to individual interests; that the question is not whether the remission of particular taxes might be beneficial to individuals, but what species of remission would conduce most to the general welfare of the community. I grant, then, that the remission of the assessed taxes might be productive of great individual benefit; I allow that it would be beneficial to individuals, that they should have so much more income at their own free disposal; and I am ready further to allow, that the expenditure of this income would, in particular instances, create a great extra demand for labour and commodities. But this is not the whole question.—Would the demand for commodities and labour, looking to the community at large, be increased? This is the pivot of the argument, A. might have so much more money to spend, and that expenditure might benefit so many men; but what use would that be to the community, if at the same time B. received so much less, and by stopping his expenditure threw a proportionate number of men out of employ. The nation would not be benefited; A. would gain; the tradesmen he employed; the workmen they employed, would all derive advantage from this measure; but meanwhile what would become of the tradesmen and workmen B. had