Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/323

 Ch. 8. dom was to be tripped of uch of his lands as were formerly the property of the crown; was to be again ubject to the inconveniences of purveyance and pre-emption, the oppreion of foret laws, and the lavery of feodal tenures; and was to reign into the king's hands all his royal franchies of waifs, wrecks, etrays, treaure-trove, mines, deodands, forfeitures, and the like: he would find himelf a greater loer, than by paying his quota to uch taxes, as are neceary to the upport of government. The thing therefore to be wihed and aimed at in a land of liberty, is by no means the total abolition of taxes, which would draw after it very pernicious conequences, and the very uppoition of which is the height of political aburdity. For as the true idea of government and magitracy will be found to conit in this, that ome few men are deputed by many others to preide over public affairs, o that individuals may the better be enabled to attend their private concerns; it is neceary that thoe individuals hould be bound to contribute a portion of their private gains, in order to upport that government, and reward that magitracy, which protects them in the enjoyment of their repective properties. But the things to be aimed at are widom and moderation, not only in granting, but alo in the method of raiing, the neceary upplies; by contriving to do both in uch a manner as may be mod conducive to the national welfare, and at the ame time mot conitent with oeconomy and the liberty of the ubject; who, when properly taxed, contributes only, as was before oberved, ome part of his property, in order to enjoy the ret.

extraordinary grants are uually called by the ynonymous names of aids, ubidies, and upplies; and are granted, we have formerly een, by the commons of Great Britain, in parliament aembled: who, when they have voted a upply to his majety, and ettled the quantum of that upply, uually reolve themelves into what is called a committee of ways and means, to conider of the ways and means of raiing the upply o voted. Rh