“Semper inops Ventique fidem poscebat et anni.” Three-fourths of these immense supplies come from two countries only—Russia and America. Can we say that we are independent for a year together, when either of these powers, by simply closing their harbours, can reduce us to scarcity—the two together to famine prices? If a fourth of our subsistence is cut off by an ukase of the Autocrat of Russia, or a mandate of the imperial people in the United States, where will be the food of the British people? Both these powers were at war with us at the same time in 1811;—are their dispositions now so very friendly, and our interests and theirs so little at variance, that we can rely upon the like thing not occurring again? And if it does occur, could we hold out three months against a second _Non-Importation_ Act, passed in either country? We are often told of the great reduction of taxation which has been effected—to the amount, it is said, of £12,000,000 sterling—since Free Trade was introduced; but this statement is grossly exaggerated. The following tables, taken from a late parliamentary paper, shows that the reduction of taxation under Protection has been nearly SEVEN TIMES GREATER than under Free Trade; for in the former period the reduction was £41,000,000, in the latter only £6,500,000:— 1816. Property Tax, £15,500,000.——War Malt, £2,100,000. ┌───────────┬───────────┬──────────┬───────────┬───────────┬──────────┐ │ Year. │ Revenue. │ Surplus. │Deficiency.│ Taxes │ Taxes │ │ │ │ │ │ repealed. │ imposed. │ ├───────────┼───────────┼──────────┼───────────┼───────────┼──────────┤ │Before 1822│ │ │ │£17,600,000│ │ │ 1822│£54,135,743│£4,744,518│ │ 2,139,101│ │ │ 1823│ 52,755,564│ 4,300,747│ │ 4,050,250│ £18,596│ │ 1824│ 54,416,230│ 3,888,172│ │ 1,704,724│ 49,605│ │ 1825│ 52,347,674│ 3,049,150│ │ 3,639,551│ 48,100│ │ 1826│ 50,241,408│ │ £645,920│ 1,973,812│ 188,725│ │ 1827│ 50,241,658│ │ 826,675│ 84,038│ 21,402│ │ 1828│ 52,104,643│ 3,246,994│ │ 51,998│ 1,966│ │ 1829│ 50,786,682│ 1,711,550│ │ 126,406│ │ │ 1830│ 50,056,615│ 2,913,672│ │ 4,093,955│ 696,004│ │ 1831│ 46,424,440│ │ 698,858│ 1,623,536│ 627,586│ │ 1832│ 46,988,755│ 614,759│ │ 747,264│ 44,526│ │ 1833│ 46,271,326│ 1,513,083│ │ 1,532,128│ │ │ 1834│ 46,509,856│ 1,608,155│ │ 2,066,116│ 199,594│ │ 1835│ 46,043,663│ 1,620,941│ │ 165,877│ 5,575│ │ 1836│ 48,702,654│ 2,130,092│ │ 1,021,786│ 3,991│ │ 1837│ 46,475,194│ │ 655,760│ 234│ 630│