Ministerial dogs, their collars inscribed 'gr', stand under a gibbet from which dangle three dogs wearing bonnets-rouges (these have been coloured blue and buff). All have human faces. The dogs on the gibbet, whose cross-piece is inscribed 'tria juncta in uno', are sheridan (left), fox (with a fox's brush as in bmsat 8794), and stanhope (right) whose back is to the other two. Above is the inscription 'not worth the tax'. Below the others is the inscription 'good dogs paid for'. On the extreme left is pitt, his profile grossly caricatured, who is chained to the '[t]reasury' kennel, from which he is looking. Portland looks up at the victims, next is loughborough wearing his chancellor's wig, and burke who looks defiant. Facing him is grenville and on the extreme right is dundas, his fore-paws on the post of the gibbet looking up. Beside the gibbet is a large thistle. Beneath the title:
'budgets & loans so thick we see
and taxes press so hard sir
that poor john bull can't pay the fee
for dogs his only guard
and tho' near empty johnnys purse
yet cruel 'tis to say sir
for r------l [royal] dogs which are his curse
poor johnny's made to pay sir'
see bmsat 8794, &c. 19 april 1796. Hand-coloured etching. Date: 1796. Dimensions: Height: 336 mm; Width: 248 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Edmund Burke. Collection: British Museum. Effects of the dog tax (BM 1868,0808.6518)
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