POSSIBLE SOURCES OF REVENUE 425
onder the pressure of immediate necessity. The practical a
common sense of the Parliamentary party, in meeting the ’
sudden emergency caused by the War?, received the highest sad been
proof of approbation from the Restoration Parliament ; since fused ”
financial expedients, which had been specially devised in 947d the
order to meet temporary exigencies, were deliberately re- remum-
tained as convenient for raising a permanent revenue. The
scheme, which was adopted at the Restoration, did not
prove sufficient for the ordinary expenses of government?
and was totally inadequate as a means of raising money
for the great continental struggle in which William was
engaged; and much interesting discussion took place as to and pro-
the best ways and means of supplying the war. Davenant, bude
and other Tory writers, had argued that a readjustment of fF"
the taxes levied on commodities would prove very fruitful; Suelo nd
they believed that an ample revenue might be provided in
this fashion, and that it would be unnecessary, except in the
direct emergencies, to have recourse to the dangerous system
of borrowing. They maintained the principle that the in-
cidence of taxation should be distributed as equitably as
possible, so that all the various sections of the community
might be called upon to contribute according to their means
to the necessities of State. It appeared to them that the
burden of taxation pressed with undue severity on the
landed men. Davenant points out that in ancient times
personal as well as real property had been taxed, and insists
that the same course should be taken in his own day. “The
asurers, who are the true drones of a commonwealth, living
upon the honey without any labour, should, of all people, be
brought in to bear their proportion of the common burthen.
As yet they could never be effectually reached, but they may
be fetched in by the wisdom of a Parliament, if the House of
Commons would please resolutely to set themselves about
13” Davenant himself would have liked to see the income
1
1 «The late king having the command of the Inlands and the Parliament of
most of the seaports, they had no better way than to put an excise on goods,
whereby their enemies, making use of the said goods, paid the excise, and so the
Parliamentary Army.” Trades Destruction is England's Ruin. or Ezeise Decryed,
oy W. C., 1659, p. 5 [Brit. Mus. 518. h. 1 (2)].
2 Shaw, Beginnings of National Debt, in Owens College Historical Essays, 400.
3 Wawvs and Means. in Works. 1. 57.
