The Perpetual Endowment by the Provinces of Both Nations for the Enhancement of National Defence

Hey there, fellow undergrads!

Got some intriguing historical news from the 18th-century political scene that draws eerie parallels to our current budget debates. The Union of Poland-Ukraine and Lithuania-Belarus, back in the day when they were figuring out how to beef up their national defense without starting a GoFundMe, came up with a novel concept: taxing themselves more... seriously.

In a patriotic move that would make Uncle Sam weep, they enacted a law (on April 6th, 1789, to be precise) that meant coughing up more cash from privileged royal estates, expectancies (like grants and benefits), and church properties. This wasn’t just an 'oops, my bad, I spent too much' type of tax increase. It was more of a 'let's secure our future by sacrificing a night out eating avocado toast' kind of deal.

Let’s dive in. The President and Congress agreed that royal estates, which were leased for life and used to pay part of their income as a tax (called a "kwarta"), would now pay double. Even future rights holders, those getting their monies from constitutional acts of 1775 and 1776, had to pony up one and a half times the previous amount.

Church funds weren't spared either, but generous clergy willingly offered to pay a 20% cut of their revenues, plus an additional charity subsidy, for national security—talk about ecclesiastical patriotism! However, parishes and educational convents making less than a certain amount or supporting public schools with at least three professors got some tax breaks.

Also thrown into the financial mix were taxes on permanent and certain incomes from the clergy, exemptions for charities, schools, hospitals for orphans and the poor, priest training funds, and poverty-stricken students' support groups. But these holy moneymakers weren’t completely let off the hook. They had to contribute according to a new equitable subsidy distribution based on their income, starting in 1790.

And, because everyone should carry their weight for national defense, all inheritable lands had to pay a tenth of their reliable incomes to the public treasury. As for the feudal and sumptuous estates? They were asked to present proof of their rights to contribute their fair share.

To sum it up, folks—landed gentry back then realized that to protect themselves and the dear motherland, everyone had to chip in. Kind of makes you think about our own country’s budget discussions, right? Sacrifice for the greater good isn’t a novel idea; it’s as old as powdered wigs and wooden teeth.

Topics: perpetual sacrifice; provinces of nations; increasing national forces; temporal tax; royal estates; lifetime tenancy; surveys; beneficiaries; clergy; public education; seminary funds; taxes; national defense; ecclesiastical income; treasury commission;