Excerpt from A Dictionary of Political Economy, Vol. 1: Biographical, Bibliographical, Historical and Practical Abbot, Charles, Lord Colchester, - Born 14th October, 1757, at Abingdon, in Berkshire, was the second son of the Rev. John Abbot, D.D., Rector of Colchester. He was educated at Westminster, and Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained the Chancellor's medal for the Latin ode. He was called to the bar soon after 1783, and entered Parliament in 1795, as member for Helleston, in Cornwall, a nomination borough of the Duke of Leeds. He was a strong supporter of Mr. Pitt. He spoke pretty frequently, especially on financial subjects. In 1797 he was appointed chairman of the committee on the financial state of the nation, and prepared a great number of reports on that subject. In that year he carried a resolution that the statutes should be distributed much more extensively than they had been done. He strongly supported the principle that all income should be rated as it was found, without reference to particular cases, as, in fact, all other taxation, both direct and indirect, is levied. He moved for and obtained a committee to consider the neglected and disgraceful condition of the public records, and from this proceeded the Royal Record Commission, over which he presided till 1817. He warmly advocated the establishment of a general registration of all instruments affecting landed property. He said that this system had already prevailed for ages in Scotland with the happiest results, in Ireland for nearly a century with similar beneficial results, and in the two most populous counties of England, Yorkshire and Middlesex. It had been found to add a distinct and specific value to the property it secures. "Many recent events," he said, had contributed to dissipate the prejudices which once hung on this question, and it now remains, only by transcribing one short and approved law, to extend the same benefits throughout the rest of England." This was spoken in 1800, and in 1859 we are as far off as ever from such a benefit. The chief measure, however, of public interest with which his name is associated, is the establishment of the census of Great Britain. He brought in a bill for this purpose on the 19th November, 1800, and, in accordance with it, the first census was taken in 1801, and has been continued decennially since. In 1801 Mr. Abbot was appointed chief secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, and keeper of the Privy Seal of Ireland. On the 10th February, 1802, he was elected Speaker of the House of Commons, on the resignation of Mr. Mitford, and continued to hold that office till the 30th May, 1817, when ill health compelled him to resign. Though prevented by his office from taking part in the debates, he gave much of his attention and influence to the improvement and extension of parliamentary statistics, and he had opportunities of displaying Ms rhetorical talents in conveying the thanks of the House, on thirteen occasions, to the naval and military officers during the great war. His address to the Duke of Wellington, on the 1st July, 1814, was particularly admired. He was created a peer on the 3 rd June, 1817, by the title of Baron Colchester, and died on the 7th May, 1829. Abeille, Louis Paul - Born at Toulouse, 2nd June, 1719, was a member of the Society of Agriculture of Paris, and afterwards inspector general of the manufactures of France, and general secretary of the Board of Trade. He died at Paris, 28th July, 1807, He was an economist of the Physiocrate school, and of the most extreme opinions of that school. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com