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RIESBECK’s TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 265
ceafed, when the neceflities they were meant to ferve (if indeed fuch a ufelefs and fu-
perfluous canal can be called a neceflity) have been turned into perpetual impofts.
The moft wonderful thing of all, however, for a politician, are the cuftoms of the Pa-
latinate. Merely with-a view of raifing thefe, the cuftom-houfes have been fo in-
creafed, that almoft every place in the high road has fome particular cultom payable in
it, and all the goods which pafs through it are likewile taxable. Prejudicial as this
eftablifhment is, even to the internal police of the country, as in confequence of it a
village is often three times more remote from the dwelling-place of its bailiff than it
ought to be, it nature and the good of the fubjects were more confulted than the bene -
fit of the Elector and his fervants ; yet is every {park of patriotifm fo extinguilhed in
this country, that there is no expectation of a change for the better ever being brought
about. In many places on the road, the only mark of the cuftom-houle is the great
flick, which enforces payment. ‘The poor people, who export the commodities of the
country, are often compelled to go three miles out of the road to pay the tax. In fhort
the only difference betwixt the practice of the ancient German nobility, who, even fo
low down as the times of the Emperor Maximilian, ufed to rob the merchant on the
road, or compel paflage-money from him; and the prefent fyftem of taxation in the
Palatinate is, that the old nobility did that at the hazard of their heads, which the go-
vernment of the Palatinate does without danger, and without con{cioufnefs of doing
wrong.
In order to give you a ftill better idea of the ceconomy of this country, you mult
know that there is a monopoly eftablifhed for the furnifhing of all the wood burnt, not
only in the city of Manheim, but for fome miles round. This is not fuch a monopoly
as that eftablifhed at Berlin, which you know rather helps the peafant to fell his wood,
than otherwife. Here a natural fon of the Elector, raifed by him to the dignity of
count, having entered into an agreement with the projector, procured the patent which
has enabled him to live magnificently at the expence of the country.
The adminiftration of this country is fuch, that it is really difgufting to me to pick out
fpecimens of it to lay before you. Every thing that you have ever heard of the /eparate
government of prielts, miftrefles, baflards, parvenus, projectors, eunuchs, bankrupts,
and the like, exifts in the Palatinate at one and the fame time. Ihave fpoken with fe«
veral minifters, who made no myftery of having bought their places. Indeed there
are more in{ftances than one of places having been put up at public audtion, in the an-
tichambers of the miftrefles. One natural confequence of this is, the flagrant opprefs
fions of the little governors or cuftom-houfe officers, who are fo many Turkifh ba-
fhaws; and are feared in their refpective diftrifts as the executioners of the vengeance of
heaven. 1 had the honour to dine with one cf thefe bafhaws. The company was
large and fplendid. He and his numerous family abounded in rings, watches, lace,
and every appendage of the moft extravagant luxury : we had twenty-four dithes at
dinner, and amongtt the reft young peacocks. ‘The defert was of a piece with the relt,
and every thing in the higheft ton. Befides this, the man had a inug ftable, magni-
ficent carriage, and hounds, and yet his falary was not more than 2000 guilders, or
200]. a year. How he could keep up fuch an eftablifhment on fuch a revenue, would
be, no doubt, eafily learned from the poor peafants under him, if we could obtain their
confidence. With the rich peafants, a bafhaw of this kind is naturally upon good terms.
1 was fhewn a man, who, though he had been publicly banifhed from another part of the
empire, for his infamous condu@, had, notwithitanding, by following the turnings
and windings of this place, railed himfelf to a place, from whence he was;enabled to
jook down upon his enemies with contempt. ‘There is, indeed, no part of Germany,
VoL. VI. MM in
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