5to, A like sum got from the farmers general, for allowing them to raise the price of their tobacco 10 per cent. for 10 years. The annual amount of this I do not know.
6to, And in the last place, the third twentieth penny, which produced 36 270 000 a year, was sold for the two years for which it was imposed, for 60 millions.
Thus, of all the impositions raised during the last war, the second twentieth, and an epitome of the subvention raised in all cities, towns, villages, and suburbs, in France, remain unalienated.
In order to throw all the light I possibly can upon the present state of that nation, I shall next briefly recapitulate the extent of the annual supplies raised for the service of the different years of the war, from 1756 to 1762 inclusive; in which I shall point out, as well as I can, how this third branch of revenue was appropriated.
It is in this manner only I can communicate to the reader what I can guess concerning the present state of that nation. Could we know, as with us, the amount of taxes, and outstanding debts at every period, that detail would be unnecessary.
The extraordinary grants of 1756, amounted to 121 millions, 5 377 777l. sterling.
In October 1755, the farms of almost all the taxes were renewed. Upon such occasions, it is usual for the farmers to advance sums in proportion to the extent of their farms, for security of the lease; for which advances the King, at that time, allowed them an interest out of their yearly farm-rent of 5 per cent. and the sums advanced were appropriated for the service of the year 1756. Here follow the sums advanced upon the several farms.
| Fr. money. | Sterling ditto. | ||||
| livres. | l. | s. | d. | ||
| 1. Upon the general farms, after repaying what had been advanced upon the former lease, nett into the royal treasure | 40 000 000 | 1 777 777 | 15 | 6½ | |
| 2. Upon the farm of the posts of France | 3 000 000 | 133 333 | 6 | 8 | |
| 3. Upon the farm of the stamps upon leather | 1 000 000 | 44 444 | 8 | 10½ | |
| 4. Upon the farm of the paulette | 1 000 000 | 44 444 | 8 | 10½ | |
| 5. Upon the farm of duties on gun-powder and salt-petre | 1 000 000 | 44 444 | 8 | 10½ | |
| 6. The farm of the market of Poissi was sold for seven years, for | 15 000 000 | 666 666 | 13 | 4 | |
| This sum was the price of the total alienation of the duties collected in that market for the whole time; which duties should be marked as a branch of revenue; but as the annual amount of them cannot be ascertained, it is here thrown in as an extraordinary means of supply arising from the sale of a tax. | |||||
| 7. Besides those casual supplies from the new farms, there was levied this year, for the sale of five years revenue of the free gift of the clergy of France, to 1761 exclusive | 15 000 000 | 666 666 | 13 | 4 | |
| 8. And for that of Alsace | 3 000 000 | 133 333 | 6 | 8 | |
| 9. Raised by a lottery, for which the annual sum of 3 800 000 was set apart for 11 years | 32 000 000 | 1 422 222 | 4 | 5¼ | |
| 10. And for the sale of the duties upon firewood, &c. in Paris, for 7 years | 10 000 000 | 444 444 | 8 | 10½ | |
| Total extraordinary supplies for 1756 | } | 121 000 000 | 5 377 777 | 15 | 5¾ |
| The supplies for 1757, amounted to 136 millions, £6 044 444 sterl. | |||||
| 1. Two lotteries, for which were appropriated, for the first, 3 800 000 during 12 years; and for the second, 4 000 000 during 11 years. These sums were annually to be drawn, and paid every year; for which was paid to the King, for the first, 36 millions; for the second, 40 millions; together | 76 000 000 | 3 377 777 | 15 | 6½ | |
| 2. The ordinary revenue was charged with 6 millions of life annuities, at 10 per cent. sold for | 60 000 000 | 2 666 666 | 13 | 4 | |
| 136 000 000 | 6 044 444 | 8 | 10½ | ||
| The supplies for 1758, amounted to 135 millions, £6 000 000 sterl. | |||||
| 1. The first was a loan of 40 millions, upon a perpetual annuity of 5 per cent. proposed to be paid off by way of lottery, at the rate of 3 200 000 yearly — — | 40 000 000 | 1 777 777 | 15 | 6½ | |
| 2. The King obliged those who have hereditary offices proportionally to purchase additional salaries, to the extent of 1 million a year, at the rate of 20 years purchase, or forfeit what they had | 20 000 000 | 888 888 | 17 | 9¼ | |
| 3. The additional 10 per cent. upon the price of tobacco, was sold this year to the farmers, for | 30 000 000 | 1 333 333 | 6 | 8 | |
| 4. The ordinary revenue was charged with 3 600 000 livres, life-annuities, upon two lives, at 8 per cent.; sold for the sum of | 45 000 000 | 2 000 000 | — | — | |
| 135 000 000 | 5 999 999 | 19 | 11¾ | ||
| The supplies for 1759, amounted to upwards of 194 millions, £8 652 923 sterl. | |||||
| 1. The first supply for this year was the epitome of the general subvention, called an extraordinary free gift from all the cities, towns, burgs, villages, and suburbs in France | 3 690 786 | 164 034 | 18 | 8 | |
| 2. 3 600 000 livres of perpetual annuities, borrowed upon the general farms, at 5 per cent. until reimbursement, sold for | 72 000 000 | 3 200 000 | — | — | |
| These are called the contracts upon the farms; each one thousand livres capital. | |||||
| 3. The free gift of the clergy, for five years from 1761 inclusive, sold at once for | 16 000 000 | 711 111 | 2 | 2½ | |
| 4. The second twentieth penny produced for this year | 35 000 000 | 1 555 555 | 11 | 1¼ | |
| 5. Sold to the magistrates and heads of colleges in some towns in Flanders, some branches of their own taxes, for | 8 000 000 | 355 555 | 11 | 1¼ | |
| 6. The ordinary revenue was charged with 3 millions of annuities, called tontines, sold for | 60 000 000 | 2 666 666 | 13 | 4 | |
| 194 690 786 | 8 652 923 | 16 | 5 | ||
| The supplies for 1760, amounted to above 251 millions, £ 11 186 430 sterling. | |||||
| 1. The Paris-duties above mentioned sold for 15 years | 30 283 900 | 1 345 951 | 2 | 2½ | |
| 2. The 3d shilling in the pound sold for two years, for | 72 340 000 | 3 215 111 | 2 | 2½ | |
| 3. The 2d shilling produced this year | 35 000 000 | 1 555 555 | 11 | 1¼ | |
| 4. Raised by perpetual annuities, at 3 per cent. secured on the King’s ordinary revenue[[34]] | 60 000 000 | 2 666 666 | 13 | 4 | |
| 5. The free gift of the cities, &c. | 3 690 787 | 164 034 | 19 | 6½ | |
| 6. By a lottery at 5 per cent. where the discredited paper (the payment of which was stopt, when the sinking fund was shut up in 1759) was taken in payment for one half, was raised | 50 000 000 | 2 222 222 | 4 | 5¼ | |
| 7. Borrowed from the officers of the town-house of Paris, at 5 per cent. | |||||
| secured on the ordinary revenue | 380 000 | 16 888 | 17 | 9¼ | |
| 251 694 687 | 11 186 430 | 10 | 7¼ | ||
| The supplies for 1761, exceeded 120 millions, £5 364 034 sterl. | |||||
| 1. Charged upon the ordinary revenue, 200 000 livres a year upon lives and other annuities, at 10 per cent. in favour of the order of the Holy Ghost, sold for | 2 000 000 | 88 888 | 17 | 9¼ | |
| 2. Borrowed on the duties upon leather, at 3 per cent. | 30 000 000 | 1 333 333 | 6 | 8 | |
| These were the annuities which were ordered to be reimbursed after the peace of 1763, at 20 years purchase; and which, I suppose, had been subscribed for, partly, in discredited paper. | |||||
| 3. Charged on the ordinary revenue, 4 millions a year, for annuities at 8 per cent. upon two lives, sold for | 50 000 000 | 2 222 222 | 4 | 5¼ | |
| 82 000 000 | 3 644 444 | 8 | 10½ | ||
| 4. Besides these sums, there was the amount of the 2d twentieth, and the small subvention, or free gift, which continued to be applied to the current service, as they had not been sold off; inde | 38 690 787 | 1 719 590 | 10 | 8 | |
| Total | 120 690 787 | 5 364 034 | 19 | 6½ | |
| The supplies for 1762, exceeded 159 millions, £7 076 923 sterl. | |||||
| 1. The farms which had been lett in 1755, came to be again renewed this year; from which arose a sum for the security of them, of | 83 200 000 | 3 697 777 | 15 | 6½ | |
| 2. There was no borrowing this last year of the war. The second twentieth, which never had been sold; the third twentieth, which this year became free, as it was imposed a-new for two years more; and the little free gift by all the towns of France; made together an additional sum of | 76 030 787 | 3 379 146 | 1 | 9¼ | |
| 159 230 787 | 7 076 923 | 17 | 4¾ | ||
[34]. When the bad consequences of shutting up the sinking fund were discovered, the King opened subscriptions, such as were the tontines of the last year, this of 60 millions, and one the next year of 30 millions; in which the discredited paper was received, in part payment of the sum. This I suppose is the reason why the supplies of 1759 and 1760 appear so high, and also why money appears to have been borrowed at so low a rate as 5 per cent. upon tontines, and 3 per cent. on article 4th of this year; because the interest of that part only which was paid in specie is stated; not the interest upon the discredited paper subscribed, which was paid out of the first twentieth.
Recapitulation of the expence of the seven years of the war.[[35]]