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864 ‘ COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
Recapitulation.
Roubles.
Poll-tax - = - 15,435:000
Cuftoms . = = 5,000,000
Salt = - - 2,000,000
= Gold and filver from the mines, profits of the coinage,
and duty on iron at the forge - - 33395,910
Farm of {pirituous liquors - - 10,C00,000
Church lands - : “ 2,000,000
Duties on fales of lands and houfes, ftamped paper,
on mills, horfes, baths, fhops, poft-office, and
ther duties omitted + = 4,000,000
Roubles 41,830,910
Or, eftimating the rouble at 3s. 4d. - €,971,8181.*
The gradual increafe of civilization in the Ruffian empire has been followed by
a proportional increafe of the revenue. At the acceflion of Peter the Great, it
amounted to 1,000,000]1.; at his death to 43,600,cool.; Elizabeth raifed it to
3,600,0001. ; when Catharine afcended the throne, it produced 4,400,000l.; now
yields near 7,000,000l.; and is ftill in an increafing ftate. This fum is fufficient for
the peace-eftablifhment. Of this revenue, the expences of the army and navy amount
to about 3,176,00ol. ; thofe of the civil eftablifhment to 2,972,4851.; and the remain-
der, or 800,0¢0l., is appropriated to the privy purfe of the Emprefs. But it is difficult
to conceive how fheis able to maintain the magnificence of her court ; the number of
public inftitutions ; the numerous buildings + continually ereéting at her expence; the
liberality with which fhe encourages the arts and fciences; the purchafes which fhe is
continually making in every country in Europe, and the immente donations which fhe
confers upon the moft favoured of her fubjects.
The revenues of Ruflia may be confiderably augmented in cafe of emergency, by the
increafe of the poll-tax, and the addition of new impofts. It fhould alfo be obferved,
that in 1775 the Emprefs remitted fifty-feven taxes, and ten in the following year.
The great fupport of the laft war was a new bank, called the Bank of Affignation,
which was eftablifhed during hoftilities againft the Turks. “When copper-money could
not be coined with fufficient expedition to anfwer the neceflities of the ftate, bank
notes to the value of 50,75 {, and 100 roubles, in copper, were iflued. ‘Thefe notes
are changed at the bank in Peterfburgh and Mofcow. ‘The former, which I vifited, is
a brick building, containing feveral vaulted rooms, each capable of holding 400,cool. of
copper coin in bags, piled one above another; in fome the money was already placed,
and the others were preparing for the reception of the remainder. Since 1784 the old
bank notes were called in, and a new iffue made to the acknewledged amount of
* Soch was the general flate of the revenue in 1734. Since this period it has been augmented by an
increafe of territory, as well as by the improvement of commerce, and other national benefits. Acord-
ing to Mr. Tooke, the lateft author who has written on the fubje&, the revenue exceeds 41,009,000
roubles. See his ftatement, which fcems to be accurate. View of the Ruflian empire, vol. ii. p. 326.
book vii. fect. 1.
+ Intime of peace, Her Majefty allots at leaft 200,000. per ann. for the purpofe of building.
} Soon after the inftitution of this bank, fome notes of 75 roubles being forged, thofe bearing that
value were called in and deftroyed.
3 100,000,000
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