The budget opened. Or, an answer to a pamphlet [by Sir Robert Walpole] intitled, A letter from a member of Parliament to his friends in the country, concerning the duties of wine and tobacco / [Anon].

William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath

Date:: 1733

Credit: The budget opened. Or, an answer to a pamphlet [by Sir Robert Walpole] intitled, A letter from a member of Parliament to his friends in the country, concerning the duties of wine and tobacco / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$to the Civil List, by way of Deficiency ; who brought about the Revival and Continuance of the Salt Duty, for three Tears, to fupply the cur* rent Expences of the Government, for one Tear ; and hath effectually fecured our Liberties by a Standing Army, or a Land Force of 18000 Sol- diers, in Times of Peace. I fhall therefore take the Liberty, in the follow* ing Pages, to addrefs my felf to Him, under this Mask of a Letter-writer and a Member of Parlia- menu You are pleafed, Sir, to dignify the Title Page of your Letter with a trite old Latin Maxim, Magna eft Veritas C? prcevalebit phut you are fo unfortunate in fwelling the Bulk of your Perfor¬ mance with falfe Faffs and fallacious Arguments, that I think your Motto woifd run much better thus; Magna eft YenalTtas & prtfvdlebtt. You begin with acquainting your Friends in the Country, that you were fur priz'd and concern'd at the Receipt of their Letter; and you are pleafed to be very circumftantial in giving Them your Reafons for both. Your Surprize, it feems, arofe from the Altera- tion of their Sentiments, fince you convers’d with them lafl in the Country. You fay, that the con¬ verting the Duties on Tobacco and Wine from Cu- Horns into an Excise was part of the Subjeff of your Difconrfe, at that Time. I am afraid, Sir, your Memory fails you a little, and that the Rela¬ tion of this Conference with your Eleffors is not minutely exafi; for, if we may judge by your Conduct fince, that odious Word Excise could re\er efcape your cautious Lips. It is probable enough that you might inveigh againfi Frguds in the Revenue, and that your Friends might agree with you, as every reafonable Man will, that they ought$