The Importance of Commerce in the Payment of Taxes

The ability of a country to pay taxes must always be proportioned, in a great degree, to the quantity of money and circulation. In so opulent a nation, as that of Britain, where direct taxes from superior wealth much be much more tolerable, far the greatest part of the national revenue is derived from taxes of the indirect kind. The popular system of administration inherent in the nature of the popular government has hitherto defeated every experiment for extensive collections.