David Ricardo：On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, Excerpt 222

The chief objection against tithes is, that they are not a permanent and fixed tax, but increase in value, in proportion as the difficulty of producing corn increases. If those difficulties should make the price of corn 4_l._ the tax is 8_s._, if they should increase it to 5_l._, the tax is 10_s._, and at 6_l._, it is 12_s._ They not only rise in value, but they increase in amount: thus, when No. 1 was cultivated, the tax was only levied on 180 quarters; when No. 2 was cultivated, it was levied on 180 + 170, or 350 quarters; and when No. 3 was cultivated, on 180 + 170 + 160 = 510 quarters. Not only is the amount of the tax increased from 100,000 quarters, to 200,000 quarters, when the produce is increased from one to two millions of quarters; but, owing to the increased labour necessary to produce the second million, the relative value of raw produce is so advanced, that the 200,000 quarters may be, though only twice in quantity, yet in value three times that of the 100,000 quarters which were paid before.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33310
Locator：Excerpt 222 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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