By: rarevols

Reading James Meek’s blog, one irresistably concludes ‘t’was ever thus’. In 1892, in his account of a tour through the Russian provinces hit by famine, the Reuter’s European correspondent, Brayley Hodgetts, wrote this : ‘Thirty years ago the peasant was the cattle of the neighbouring gentleman, and as such was looked after by him, and kept from want because this was the gentleman’s interest. For more than a generation [since emancipation] the peasant has ceased to be the property of the neighbouring gentleman; he has been converted into the property of the Government. So long as he remained in his herd or village commune, paid his taxes and kept quiet, that Government took no notice of him.’ And – ‘[In Russia] every one seems to regard the country as a company promoter is supposed to regard the public in England – as something to plunder.’ And, finally – ‘[The peasants] are regarded as units of revenue….’
And in the same context it is interesting to note Gibert Denton’s comment on tax farming – ‘At various times in history, instead of appointing his own collectors, a King would sell the rights to the Customs duties for a fee, often substantial, to a merchant who would then undertake the collection with his own staff. This system of ‘farming’ was open to abuse, bribery and loss of revenue and was finally abandoned in 1671 when Charles II appointed his first Board of Commissioners.’ The regression-led Tories have learned nothing from historical precedent.