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T HE following day Willy, as he entered his mother's room, exclaimed, "Oh, Mamma! only two days have passed, and how many there are in two months! I think I shall never get to the end of them, and be able to pay my debts. I wish I had as much money as the king, and then I could buy every thing I chose, without ever getting into debt."
"I am not sure of that," replied his Mother, smiling.
"Why, Mamma, the king has as much money as he likes; has he not?"
"No, indeed, the king has an allowance just like you, my dear; and, just like you, he sometimes spends more than his allowance, and is obliged to borrow money to pay his debts." Willy opened his eyes wide with astonishment, and asked who gave the king his allowance.
"It is the people of England," replied his Mother. "The king, you know, governs the people; that is, he makes them obey the laws, and suffers no man to do wrong, or to injure any one without being punished; but as it is impossible for the king to do this by himself, he must have a number of men to help him to govern. These men, who are called his ministers, must be paid for their services."
"Just as you pay Thomas and the coachman their wages," said Willy.
"Yes; only the ministers, instead of waiting at table, or driving the carriage, help the king to govern the country; and as this is much more difficult, the king's ministers must be men of very good education; so they are chosen from among the first noblemen and gentlemen of the country, and are paid much more than common servants. Then there must be constables to take up people who have committed any crime, and to put them in prison: jailers to keep them there, judges to try them in a court of justice. Besides that, the king pays all the soldiers and sailors, and buys them food and clothing, and has ships built for the sailors, and barracks for the soldiers to live in."
"Oh dear," cried Willy, drawing a long breath, "what a number of sixpences he must have to do all that!"
"Yes, indeed," replied his Mother; "for, instead of buying six pennyworth of apples or tarts, he buys whole flocks of sheep, and droves of cattle, to feed all the soldiers and sailors; and, instead of buying a shilling gun, he buys thousands of large real guns, which cost above a guinea a piece, besides drums and fifes, and all his soldiers' dress and accoutrements. Then, instead of taking a ride on a wooden horse in a roundabout, he buys hundreds of horses for his cavalry; and, instead of giving sixpence to one poor man, he must take care of all the poor soldiers and sailors that have been wounded in battle; and, if they should die, give something to their wives and children."
"Oh dear, Mamma!" cried Willy, quite overpowered by the immensity of the king's expenses, "I am sure it is no wonder he gets into debt."
"It is not for these things he gets into debt, Willy: their cost is reckoned up beforehand, and the people not only give him money enough to pay for them, but a great sum besides to pay his own expenses; that is to say, his house and furniture, and servants, and carriages and horses, and his dinners and suppers, and those of all the people who attend him and his family; and many of these are great lords and ladies, and have very high salaries."
"Well, I do wonder how the people can ever get money enough to give the king to pay for all these things."
"You know, William, there are a great many people in England, more than you could ever count."
"Then, perhaps, every man gives him sixpence?"
"No, that would not be fair. Rich people give more than poor people, for they can afford it better; but though the poor have but little, it is as important to them, that that little should be secured to them, as it is that the rich should possess their greater wealth in safety. These sums of money, which are paid to the king, are called taxes."
"Oh, I remember, Mamma," cried Willy, "a man coming with a large book full of sums, and you paid him a great deal of money; and I asked what you paid him for, for you bought nothing of him, and you said it was taxes, but that I was too little to understand what taxes were: so I asked no more, because you do not like to be teazed; but I thought that taxes must be something very nice, or very pretty, to cost so much money."
"Well, now that you understand what they are, you may imagine what a quantity of money the tax-gatherers must collect all over the country, for every body pays taxes except the very poorest people."
"That is quite right," said Willy, with an air of satisfaction; "if they can't afford to pay for being governed, the king ought to take care of them for nothing. But, Mamma, might not some men make believe to be very poor, in order not to pay taxes?"
"The men who collect the taxes do not ask the people whether they are rich or poor, but judge from their manner of living. If a man lives in a large house, he is supposed to be richer than one who lives in a small house."
"Then," said Willy, "does the man who comes for the taxes settle how much is to be paid?"
"Oh, no; that would be too difficult for him to do. It is all settled beforehand by the Parliament, who make the laws. A man, you know, pays more rent for a large house than for a small one; so he pays taxes according to the rent of his house. Then, if he keeps a carriage and livery servants, he must pay taxes for them, because he must be rich to be able to keep such things."
"Then," said Willy, "poor people who keep none of these things pay no taxes?"
"They do not pay any to the tax-gatherer," replied his Mother, "but they pay something towards the king's allowance in another way. Beer, and tea, and soap are all taxed, just as large houses, and carriages and servants are. Now, though the poor can do without large houses and carriages, and livery servants, they cannot so easily do without beer and tea to drink, and soap to wash with."
"And does the taxman go about to the poor people who drink beer and tea?"
"No; he goes to the brewer who brews the beer, and to the tea-dealer who sells the tea, and to the soap-boiler who makes the soap; and he makes them pay a tax on all the beer they brew, and the soap they make, and the tea they sell."
"Well, then, Mamma, if the brewer, and soap-boiler, and tea-dealer pay the tax, the poor people do not?"
"The brewer, and soap-boiler, and tea-dealer could not afford to pay the tax, if nobody paid it them back again. This is the way they manage; they sell the beers and tea, and soap a little dearer than they would do if they had paid no tax on them and thus they get repaid by the people who buy the beer, and tea, and soap. So you see that it is those who drink the tea and beer, and use the soap, who really pay the tax. But now, Willy, if you are not tired of talking of kings and taxes, I am; so go and play in the garden."