or National
Congress at any time grants; in maintaining and relieving its own poor
people out of work; in paying the necessary officers their salaries; in
building, repairing, and adorning its houses, bridges, and other
structures; in making and maintaining convenient and delightful streets,
highways, and passages both for foot and carriages; in making and
maintaining canals and other conveniences for trade and navigation; in
planting and taking in waste grounds; in providing and keeping up a
magazine of ammunition and all sorts of arms sufficient for all the
inhabitants in case of danger from enemies; in premiums for the
encouragement of agriculture, or anything else thought worthy of
encouragement; and, in a word, doing whatever the people think proper, and
not as formerly, to support and spread luxury, pride, and all manner of
vice."

No taxes of any kind were to be paid by native or foreigner "but the
aforesaid rent, which every person pays to the parish according to the
quantity, quality, and conveniences of the land, housing, etc., which he
occupies in it. The Government, poor, roads, etc., are all maintained by
the parishes with the rent, on which account all wares, manufactures,
allowable trade employments, or actions are entirely duty free."

The "Plan" ends with the usual confidence of the idealist reformer of the
time in the speedy triumph of right, and in the world-wide acceptance of
what seemed to its author so eminently reasonable a proposal.

"What makes this prospect yet more glowing is that after this empire of
right and reason is thus established it will stand for ever. Force and
corruption attempting its downfall shall equally be baffled, and all other
nations, struck with wonder and admiration at its happiness and stability,
shall follow the example; and thus the whole earth shall at last be happy,
and live like brethren."

The American War and the French Revolution hindered the consideration of
Spence's "empire of right and reason," but, in the course of nearly forty
years' advocacy of land nationalisation, Spence gathered round him a band
of disciples in London, and the Spenceans were a recognised body of
reformers in the early part of the nineteenth century. The attacks on
private property in land, and the revolutionary proposals for giving the
landlords notice to quit, brought down the wrath of the Government on
Spence, and he was constantly being arrested, fined and imprisoned for
"seditious