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1821. May 27.
First Lines
Constitution
Finance
Drains (Subjects for
Retrenchment)
Foreign Loans.
Add Austrian's share of Buonaparte's maintenance.
If, instead of what it was not or intended to be, a loan,
it had been named according to what it was, a subsidy, it would
have been productive of two unpleasant effects, of an effect unpleasant
to each of the two high contracting parties. To the Emperor
of Austria, it would have been humiliation: placing him with
no other difference than that occasioned by the difference in the state
of society at the two periods in the situation in which his ancestor
Maximilian placed himself with relation to our Henry the Eighth.
To the subject many in England, it would have displayed the true
nature of the transaction, the very object which, for fear of that
say discontent which would have been so just, was by this deceit fraud
but too effectually concealed.
That there had not, on either part, been any such intention
as, on both parts, was professed, was afterwards more fully confirmed
and manifested by an eventual state of things, which could not
originally have been, on any rational grounds, anticipated. Upon
the destruction of all power of resistance on the part of France,
she being treated on the footing of a conquered country was laid placed
under the contribution for by the joint benefit of all parties to the conquest;
garrisons paid by her being kept for a number of years in the
country, to secure the levying of it. By contributions levied in the
manner of taxes, neither the whole of the money, nor any considerable
part of it, could even thus, and upon a conquered enemy's
country, be levied. At length, however, in the way of a loan, capital
being received by the conquered government from for its own
subjects, government annuities, payable by out of additional taxes
to be imposed, a part of the money originally stipulated was provided
and distributed among the conquering governments. Here,
then, was an occasion on which, had there been any intention of
repayment, that intention might, could and would have been fulfilled.
Instead of being sent to Vienna, the whole of the Austrian's
share might have been sent to London, or otherwise disposed of to
the account of England. Was the whole or any part of it thus disposed
of. Not a sixpence.
Identifier: | JB/037/070/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 37.
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constitutional code |
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070 |
first lines |
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c2 / e2 |
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john flowerdew colls |
c wilmott 1819 |
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andreas louriottis |
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1819 |
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11285 |
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