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216 RIESBECK’s TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY.
The quicknefs and vivacity with which trade is carried on here, employs a larger
capital than is put into it by the Dutch, who are more expert at faving money than at |
getting it. The Hamburgher works himfelf up again with the fame eafe with which he
falls; whereas the Dutchman could not make his fortune without exceffive parfimony,
and, commonly fpeaking, is indebted only to his induftry and faving for what he gets.
Rich inheritances are very fcarce here, in comparifon to the fum of money there is in
the place, as this is divided amongit too many, and the ebbs and flows are too frequent,
The great. capital of every inhabitant is his induftry and underftanding.
The illimited credit of the bank of this place, is a certain fign both of the riches of
the ftate, and of the right notions which prevail here with refpect to every thing which
has a relation to trade. The foundations on which this bank refts, are the fimpleft that
can be imagined. _ There is neither paper nor any kind of coined money, but only a
Jarge quantity of filver, which is meafured out by the pound. Itis, however, the mott
reipected, and I muft think the moft fecure of all the eftablifhments of the kind in the
world.
‘The government of Hamburg is wonderful. I am acquainted with no commonwealth
that has fo nicely hit off the juft mean betwixt ariftocracy and democracy, and fecured
itfelf fo well againft the inconveniences of both, as this has done. The legiflative power
is in the hands of the aflembled burgeffes. Thefe are chofen from the five parifhes of
the city. The firft college, or firft deputation of them, confifts of the aldermen, three
of whom are chofen by the inhabitants of each parifh. Every parifh alfo fends nine per-
fons to the fecond, which, with the former one, make a college of fixty. Finally, each
parifh contributes twenty-four to the third, making, when joined to the two former, a
number of one hundred and eighty. The ordinary bufinefs is regularly brought by the
council before this aflembly ; but when there is a new law to be made, or a new tax to
be raifed, after having paffed this court, it muft farther be laid before a general aflembly
of the burgherse The one hundred and eighty, together with fix affeflors added to
them from each parifh, muft appear before this aflembly, in which every man who pol:
feffes a houfe of his own, or an eftate that is out of debt, or a certain fum in fpecie
above the value for which the houfe or eftate is mortgaged, may appear and give his
vote.
The miferable corporation fyftem, which, in other republics approaching towards de-
mocracy, often leads to ridiculous, and often to very ferious and fatal exceffes, has no
influence here upon the ftate. No manufacturer can tyrannize over the people, as is
the cafe in many other republican governments; nor does the happinefs of the whole
depend upon the will or caprice of a company of fkinners or barber furgeons. Due
provifion has alfo been made that the will of the mob, which often overturns the wifeft
ordinances, and the moft ufeful projects, in countries approaching fo nearly to the de-
mocratic form as Hamburg does, fhould not eafily do mifchief here. Before a law comes
before a general affembly of the people, it has been tried and approved by the wifer part
of them, which renders it not difficult to gain over the reft to the good fide, as of courfe
they will have confidence in legiflators originally nominated by themfelves. ‘This legif-
lative aflembly is likewife fo numerous as to render it very difficult for a part to get the
maftery over the whole, by the ufual democratic artifices.
As thefe colleges are eltablifhed for a long time, and are not eafily changed, the
members of them are well enough acquainted with the true circumftances of the com-
mon wealth, to be able to lay before both their refpe€tive communities, and the burgh-
ers in general aflembly, an accurate and juft account of the fenfe of every law, proclama-
tion, or tax. ‘The divifion of the burgher focieties, according to parifhes, has ieee
this
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