[xxxvi. 18]

1821 April 16

Financial [...?]

Traveller April 9th. 1821. In Prussia, no military promotion till after examination.

Financial Law has for its proper end economy.

Of economy there are two branches: the one positive or say distributive; the other negative or say restrictive: the one, the distributive - the positive branch; the other restrictive - the negative branch.

The distributive branch, has for irs object the due /apt/ appropriation of the aggregate of the sums levied to the several services for which they are levied.

The restrictive branch has for its object avoidance to being any sum of all exaction, the burthensomeness of which is not outweighed by the usefulness of the application made of it.

For judging of the consistency of any mass of expenditure with the proper ends of economy take for a test this directive rule: with the alledged benefit, alledged to be expected, from the expenditure compare the unquestionable burden produced by a part to the same amount, to the most burthensome tax: frego the benefit, the burden is excluded.

Economy in a state, Taken in its narrowest and most ordinary sense, Economy in a state, has for its subject matter money and money's worth: taken in its most extensive sense, it comprehends the matter of reward, in those additional shapes in which it is to Government, that it is indebted for its existence viz. power and factitious dignity.

Suppose negative economy, practice at all times in its utmst perfection, no positive act is required for the accomplishment of its end: suppose a failure to any amount to have taken place, waste to that amount has been committed. Thereupon comes the demand for a new branch of economy - the reformative:- say in one word retrenchment.

Retrenchment in either of both of two shapes - simply discontinuative abrogative: simply discontinuative is confined to the case where the species of expenditure discontinued has been made over for all? not constituting a point in a line of established expenditure: abrogative is necessary in so far as a line of that sort has place.

To simply discontinuatie retrenchment a negative act suffices; to abrogative, a positive act is necessary - the enactment of an appropriate law /ordinance/ or regulation. For the actual ends of Financial Law see Constitutional Law.