382.0942 1 Ig5t ! Ignotus [pseud.] Thoughts on Trade in General. our West- Indian in Particular ... 1763. (cc.19— t LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAICN 382.0942 Ig5t 19 — I.H.S. THOUGHTS O N TR ADE in General, O U R WEST-INDIAN in Particular, OUR . CONTINENTAL COLONIES, . • CANADA, GU ADAL OUP.E,« . A N D T H E . 5 v" . \ * - 't .. ■?' . * ‘ * V ‘ V PRELIMINARY ARTICLES - - OF P E A C E. WGr 'i: 2^3 Addressed to the COMMUNITY. ■ I • ' * • s > T •<*» i i • > •• i-v • 9 y »-4 » < * < m- S #5 i LONDON: . t Printed for John Wilkie, at the Bible in St. Paul’s Church-yard. > MDCCLXIII. / , „ t **VV" . * V* [Price One Shilling and Six-pence.J . Gbb'Q'tl TO THE p \ .COMMUNITY, R IGHT notions of commercial connexions are of the utmOft importance to a trading nation *, and the fallacy of arguments tending to miflead it, whether adopted thro’ weaknefs or defign, ought to be deteXed e’er the public hath fixed it’s opinion, and thereby become a party inftead of remaining a judge . Such arguments a- bound in the examination of the , commercial princi¬ ples of the late negotiation^ &c. in 1761, as I fhall endeavour to (how in the following pages, with as much brevity as is confident with the fubjeXs to be handled. * The plain defign of the Examiner is to fecure Guadaloupe . This leads him to fpeak of our trade to the Weft-Indies and our continental colo- »\ nies, to lefien the value of Canada , to infill upon the importance of his favourite ides, and to cen- fure the late negotiation on account of that's be¬ ing to be reftored,* which he very weakly endea¬ vours to (how, and hopes he hath fully demon- ft rated, to be far fuperior in value to every thing we jhouhl have acquired by that treaty *. The Examiner is mightily for. arguing from facts . Though I fhall not confine myfelf wholly to this method, I fliall attempt doing it, fo far as to ve¬ rify his own words, viz. A.difpaffionate reader , when furnijhed with the proper fa As, may form a fyftcm for himfelf By his temper he may counter aft the paf- fions , and. fupply the deficiencies of his author *, and wbilft he is enabled to correft his mi flakes, he will fometimes deduce front his fafts a chain of confequen - ces, which may poffibjy have efcaped the writer , who originally furnijhed him with the materials of fpecur htion f. ' V Let us for a white range our thoughts under the following heads, Tr ade in general, our West- Indian in particular, our Continental Colo¬ nies, Canada, Guadaloupe. A miftake in the foundation, runs through the whole fuperftru&ure; and if the firft principles are not right, the inferences, tho’ drawn ever fo fair¬ ly, will prove inconclufive. It is of conlequence dien, that, in treating of any particular branches of commerce, we fhould have juft conceptions pf Trade in general. * Trade, as a mean, is the chief fupport of our independency. Great-Britain is fituated near a na¬ tion, whofe ambition, if feconded by a fufficient power, would foon prove fatal to our religion and 11 *. 7 - liberties. 15 I liberties. The fmallnefs of our country, compar¬ ed with France , is no difadvantage to us; but the fmallnefs of our numbers. Were our inhabitants as numerous as thole of France , we fhould derive an advantage from the lmallnels of our Ifland, as we fhould be better able to defend its coafts, than 4 if as large again. But as we fall fhort of France in numbers, the fecurity that we. thereby lofe muft be made up by the luperionty of our navy. Hie number of our inhabitants, and the ftrength of our navy added to each other, muft put us up¬ on a par with the French \ and then the circum- ftance of our being an Ifland will give us a fufHci- ent fecurity againft all hoftile attempts frgrn that ambitious people. Upon the fuppofnion that we increafed in populoufnefs much more in proportion than the French , the ftrength of our navy might be decreafed without danger, in the fame degree as the ftrength of the inhabitants was increafed; but if on the other hand the fuperior ftrength of our navy fhoukl increafe with the growing ftrength * of the inhabitants, our fecurity is greatly promoted: and this is what may be naturally expe&ed; how¬ ever as the increafe of inhabitants will not weak¬ en our navy, and adds ftrength to the community, hence it appears of what importance it is to in¬ creafe them, which fhould be done by removing ds much as poftible all thofe obftaqles to matrimo¬ ny by which numbers are kept fingle, and by en¬ couraging fuch foreigners to fettle among us, whole good behaviour we can rely upon. But then, as B 2 ° - it I [ «] it is not merely numbers that conftitutes the ftrengch of a community, but alfo the fubordination of fuch numbers, their virtue, health and valour; and as thefe numbers will gradually decreafe when the means of fupporting themfelves. fail, and can be increafed no longer than while fuch means con¬ tinue, they mu ft of neceftity have fome employ¬ ment. This employment we may call Trade; whenever it fui nifties ohe individual with fomething that he exchanges w ith another, whether it confifts in growing corn or in procuring furs, .1 am fen* fible that I ufe the word in a larger fenie than com* mon ; as well as a different one, not for the ex¬ change itfclf, but the employ belonging to iqch ex* change : however, as the good arifing to a trading nation fprings not fo much from the exchange it- felf as the employ , I (hall think mylelf juftified in ufing the word Trade as now mentioned. 1 laving cleared the way thus far, I go on to obferve, that a irnali part of a large community being able to grow and ger in order corn fuffkient for the fupport of the whole, and ta raife all other ncccflarics, which they will conftder as their own property being procured by their own labours, 'the other part of the community muft be employ¬ ed in obtaining fomething to give in exchange; and whenever by realon of circumftances the poor¬ er fort of people find it extremely difficult or next to impoflible to procure by their induftry, where¬ withal to make an exchange for the necefTuries, and fome of the conveniences of life, they are dif- • couraged couraged from entering into the married date, and the populoufnefs of the community decreafes. ’Tis necefiary for the health, fafety, and growth of the body politic, that there Ihould be a mutual de¬ pendence between the feveral parts of it, owing to their different wants, inclinations and the like i and that this dependance Ihould give employment to the whole. Where a nation is fo extremely populous, as that it hath nothing to fear from neighbouring Hates, a trade within itfelf fuffici- - ent to give it full employ, will be all that is ne- ceflary i and if,- it hath only a home trade, gold and filver are not wanted to carry it on, any thino- elfe may be fubftituted in the room of it, and an imaginary value be flampt upon it, giving it a currency among the inhabitants of fuch nation. We have an inftance of this fort among the La¬ cedaemonians by order of their noted lawgiver Lycur.* ' gus. * If a navy is neceilary to the fecuring of a Hate, then a trade with foreign parts becomes neceffary,' as what home trade may be carried on coaftwife by Ihipping, will not fuffice for the fupport of fuch navy. Let this foreign trade be good, and the •larger it is the better, if carried on by your own Ihips andfeamen, otherwifeyou are flrengthening the navy of another ftate. Should this foreign trade be carried on with other Hates; you muH adopt fentiments anfwerable to theirs, refpedting gold and filver as the moH valuable commodities » be bartered away for others, and mufl be care- V •• , • . [SI W:. ful to have fucll fupplies of them, as to be able therewith to command from foreign markets what¬ ever is wanted towards your own fafety ; when¬ ever the feller will not be paid in other commodi¬ ties, or only to fuch a proportion. The balance of trade is faid to be in our favour, whenever the goods we fend to foreign giarkets are more valua¬ ble than what we receive, lo that we have a differ- ence paid us in gold or filver •, but whenever the o-oods imported from a foreign market are more in value than the goods exported to the fame, fo that there is a difference which we are obliged to make up in gold or filver, the balance is agaioft us. This balance of trade may be againft us, and yet not be really prejudicial to us j as the goods for which we pay our calli, may be exported with a profit upon them, tor fuch ufeful commodities as we fhould otherwise have paid cafh for. If in¬ deed the goods tor which we pay cafh are not ex¬ ported, and yet are no ways neceffary to the fafe¬ ty of the communityor are not exported for fuch commodities as are neceffary, but tor luch as we fhould have done full as well or better without, then the balance of trade is prejudicial as well as againft us, unlcis the number ot ihips and Tailors employed in fuch'trade fhould be fo confiderable as to anfwer for fuch balance. In realonings of this kind there is nothing Jike illuftration by known objects, to give the reader that ideas of what you arc about. I will therefore illuftrate what 1 have advanced, by the Eafi-India trade. • . The C 9 ] The balance of trade to the End Indies is much againft us, fo that there are yearly confiderable exports of bullion, however it does not neceffari- Jy follow from thence that fuch trade is prejudici¬ al. In order to know this it mult be inquired, what Eaft-lndia goods continue in the nation ? how far luch goods are neceffary ? whether the goods exported are not more than were purchafed by the udlion ? whether fuch exported goods do not an- ' iwer at other markets for what mult have been otherwiie paid for in cafh ? and whether, if after all thefe things are conlidered, it fliould appear, that a certain quantity of bullion is drained off from the nation, the advantage arifing from the em- p oyment of luch a number of Ihips and failors as are neceiranly engaged in going to and from the Eajt-Inches, and in carrying tile companies goods o other markets, is not more than an equivalent for the lofs of fuch bullion ? but if it could be made appear, that fuch ihips and failors are want- r *J\" th , C carr y‘ n S on of a more profitable trade, that the halt-India goods exported do not anfwer or cafh, an d f erV e only to introduce others we mould have done without, and that fuch of them as are neceffary for our own ufe added to thofe ex¬ ported that may anfwer for cafh, do not equal in value die bullion exported to the Ea(l-Indies, then the trade however profitable to the company is pre¬ judicial to the country, and tends to drain off that ulhon, without which you cannot goto the mar¬ kets of foreign dates for the moft. ufeful and ne- cefTary • » . , ,«t4 •V r&Z T ‘ ' ‘ !%-#». T,-. , V. " * & ■• <* • ; ... f [ to] eeffary commodities, if the balance of trade is agamft you. While we deal with foreign dates, there mud be upon the whole, ihat balance of trade in favour of our country, that fliali enable us to purchafe naval dores and the like, or a main part of our defence mud fail us ; tor we have no gold or diver mines to fupply us. Now whatever branch of commerce tends, after all that can be {aid in its favour, to lefien this balance upon the whole, fuch commerce is certainly prejudicial, and ought to be declined. The above thoughts, though they will hold good with regard \o our trading with foreign dates, will not do it when applied to our colonies. Was the trade of the mother country and its co¬ lonies to be confined to each other, and could they in each other meet withall that either wants for its fe<;urty, however divided by didance, they would dill be as one nation: the interfering ocean fhould be only as a large river dividing between two coun¬ ties; and the (hips employed in navigating be- T tween them, as bridges and water-carriages. Tn this cafe gold and filver would be no more necef- . fary, than if they were abfolutely one nation: but if the ufe of it is adopted out of conveniency, as a meafurement by which to judge of the value of each others commodities, the mother country is ' not prejudiced by any balance of trade that is a- gaind her, fuppofing that (he does not fuffer her bullion to be exported to her colonies,, but obliges the colonift to come and enjoy the balance in the mother mother country *, for here (lie receives in the per- Ion of the colonid the balance againd her, return¬ ed into her own bo (bin. A diladvantage its true may arife to the mother country, from the colonies having the balance on their fide; fuppofing that the colonids are fo enriched by that balance upon coming to the mother country, that they get into the management of affairs, and can influence to tiioie meafuivs, that at the fame time that they are ierviceable to .the colonies, are a hurt to the mo- the! country. An indance of this nature had near¬ ly happened, when aftrong pufh was made to pre¬ vent the diddling of corn, tho* lufHciently cheap to aumit of it, and to confine tire didi)!er to the ufe of molofles ; and when one of the fird trading ci¬ ties in the world was drawn in to petition on the wrong fide, where the difpute was not, whether diftilling fhould be differed, but whether the Bri• tifu land-holder or the Weft -Indian planter fhould have the benefit of it. A natioft having colonies may reap an advan - tage from them, not only by fupplying itfelf, but by drawing from thence commodities for the markets of other dates *, and tho’ there is no gain upon fuch commodities, and it is but barely paid for carrying them from place to place, yet it hath a cdnfiderable benefit from the number of fhips, and Tailors, and other hands that are employed in doing it. Let it be remark’d, that it is not fo much the gain of any particular trade, as the quantity of (hipping, and perfons employed in carrying ic C on, C 12 3 ' on, that makes it beneficial to the community. A lofing trade to individuals, may on this account be fo beneficial to the public, as to make it a mat¬ ter of prudence for the (late to give an equivalent in bounties for fuch lofs, that fo it may continue to be carried on. Colonies fhould be traded with as much as pof- fible, and fhould be encouraged to grow thofe ar¬ ticles, for which the mother country*^ obliged to go to another (late •, and it is to the advantage of the mother country, to promote'the growth of them by large bounties, rather than pay cafh for them to foreigners. The bodies and eftates of the colonifls are as milch the riches of our country, as tho’ comprehended within the fame terrritory •, and methods may be fallen upon, to make them as ufeful to the community, as the inhabitants of two different counties. Hence it follows; that bounties given tothe colonies are ot no difiervice to us. The bounty returns tho’ in another fhape ; and there’s a laving to the nation by the growth of the goods encouraged by the bounty. To explain this point, let us fuppofe, that fifty thoufand pounds were given away in encouraging the growth of a hundred thouland pounds worth of hemp ; fuch hemp would (land us in a 150,000 k but then the j 00,000 1. that we mufi have paid for it in cafh, had we pur- chafed it in RuJf.j , would remain in our hands $ and *t would be It range if the materials of the goods, with which we fhould pay the 150,0001. were worth any thing like two thirds of the fum : but ^ then L *3 J but then this thought mu ft be taken into the ac¬ count, that the labour employed in working up fuch materials was redundant, and could not have been put to a more valuable ufe. A nation and its colonies may trade in the fame articles, the growth of their feveral lands, to the fame market, and yet the mother country not be injured by it; yea, tho* the goods of the lad may not fetch the advanced price, they would other- wife have done; for, tho’ they may not fetch that advanced price, they may fetch a fufiicient to an- fwipr the enda of trade ; the goods of the mother • country and its colonies may together produce much more than the Hrffc alone would have done, tho* they had borne an advanced price; and what the colonies gain by fuch trade may be laid out with the mother country. The colonies, by trading to the fame market with the fame articles, may ferve only to exclude foreigners from.rivaling their mo- . ther country, and pocketing that cafh, which at length comes into the lap of the latter. Thus much for trade in general, now for our West-Indian in particular. This is certainlyof great importance, and ought not to be depreciate ed : but it befpeaks no fmall ignoranceOr inatten¬ tion, to place that importance, in the value of the goods imported from the IVeJl-Indies. Were the imports from thence worth but half as much, and yet double the quantity, the trade would be twice as advantageous as at prefent. ’Tis the quantity C 2 of ■ \ . r r *4 } of flapping and men employed, in and by means of it, that makes it fo valuable to the community. The balance of trade in favour of our Weft Indian i(lands would prove at length extremely prejudi¬ cial to us, was it no:, that a great part of it is funk, by exchanging it for the balance due from the i(lands to the continental colonies, and for which the accounts of the latter, with the mother coun¬ try, are credited * and that the other part of it which remains Handing, is not difcharged by bul¬ lion, fent to the Weft-Indies : but the colonift is obliged either to make purchafe of it in flock, land, or the like, or to come over and enjoy it. The trade to Africa , which depends much upon our Weft-Indian, is indeed lucrative ; but if it was lets lucrative, and the (hipping employed in it much more numerous, it would be more beneficial by far to the community, When the Examiner kegs leave to repeat it , and to fix it in the reader s memory that the African trade centers in^ and is flip port ed by the Weft-Indies *, many of his readers are thereby led to conclude, that it centers wholly in, and is altogether luppoited by them ; and he hath been careful no^ to prevent their making this conclufton, by mentioning the numbers of negroes that are employed in our continental colonies, particularly y.rgima and the Caokna' s. The mention of this would not have favoured his dtiign, which is, not fo much to (hew the necefiity of our Weft-Indian • page 28. ternto- l >5 ] * territories being increafed, as to prevent Guada - loupe's being rellored. , Whatever other writers may have unwarily ad- vanced, an increale o {fugar land would be of ad¬ vantage to our country, provided the planter, when he hath made his fortune, does not come over and receive it, and then carry it to France or fomp other country *, which was he to do, we fhould certainly be lofers, unlefs, befides paying ourfelves for the freight, &c. we fhould receive from foreign mar¬ kets in return for his goods, the balance we fhould have to pay him. Let us fee what would be the confequence had we more fugar land . More fu- gars would be brought to market, and therefore a greater quantity of (hipping and Tailors be employ¬ ed. The confumption of fugar muft be encreaf- ed, or the commodity muft be exported, to keep up its prefent value. If exported, an equivalent ot fome fort would be received for it, and thereby the national flock be encreafed. Should not the exports be lufficient to carry off the quantity thrown in upon us by the increafe of our fugar land , and ihould the community refute increafing their con-’ fumption at the prefent prices, the commodity would lower, be bought up, and confumed at the under price, and the community be benefited by that fall, though the growers would have imaller gains. If the increafed fugar land is uncultivated, then the planters undertaking to cultivate it, muft pro¬ cure themfelves a flock of negroes, which muft be * . I [*n be fupptted by the African trader, as well as be maintained by him afterwards. Not only fo, but a new market is a&ually provided for the continen¬ tal colonift, at which to difpofe of his plank, lum¬ ber, (laves and provifion. But if the increafe is by the acquifition of cultivated fugar land, the cafe is altered. The planters are (locked already, and the African trader is wanted, no further than to keep it up. No new market is opened for the continental colonift, for he traded to the fame place before. This brings me to a main argument,, ufed by the Examiner to prove the necefiity of our increafing our Weft-Indian territory. His words are, Ahcre is another confideration relative to this trade, fill more important in itfelf , and moreeffenti- a l in the prefent examination, hecaufe it will point nut to us how ill we confult the interejl of North America herfelf, either relatively to her own particu¬ lar prof perity, or to her intercourfe with us, when we happen, as I conceive we have in this treaty, to ncgleR the Weft-Indian commerce . For frvcral of the moft confiderahle commodities of North America, there exijls no other market what¬ ever, than the Weft-Indian ijlands . In a word, it is by means of the Weft-Indian trade, that a great part •if North America is at all enabled to trade with us *, So that in reality the trade of thefe North American provinces, when fated in its true light, is, as well as that of Africa, to be regarded but as a dependent • Page 28, 19. member , t *7 ] , member, and fubordinate department of the Weft-In¬ dian trade •, it muft rife and fall exattly as the Weft- c Indies flouriflo or decay*. „The Examiner profefles in a fubfequent paragraph his zeal for the conti¬ nental colonies, but adds, I fhculd be forry it were found to be a zeal without knowledge. I am forry that his zeal for the Weft-India is a zeal without knowledge, or without honefty. Who would not fuppofe in reading the above quotations, but that the Examiner underftood by Weft-Indies , our own Wefi-Indian iflands, and was infilling upon the de- pendance of our continental colonies on thefe. But if fo, what becomes of his argument, when he writes but a little lower, our fugar colonies would fuffer much lefs from a deficiency in North America, than thofe of France, to whofe prefperity . the trade with the Englifh northern colonies is more neceffary by far, than it is to the EnglHh Weft-Indies. In another place f, the North American trade has ex¬ tended \ hecaufe it found a market , not indeed in the ' Englifh, but in the French fugar colonies, /sequifi* tion in the Weft-Indies muft increafe our limited and decaying fugar trade, and at the fame time recall our , extenftve indeed, but erring trade of North America, from french/ 3 6 - t P*£« 43- 5 P a S c 3'- - 30 count- c >9 r counting for the manner in which the balance on the fide of the IVeft-Indies is anfwered for, adds, that this is done, thirdly, in the great fums fpent by the Weft-Indian planters refluent in England •, where¬ as we derive fcarce any advantage of that kind, from any of the continental plantations to the northward *• Thefe words imply, that there is an advantage a- rifing to us from the great fums fpent by the plant¬ ers among us. But ware’s the advantage, when fuch fums are what they receive from us in balance. The only advantage confifts in its being fpent a- mong us, and not among foreigners; but it s firft paid by us before it’s fpent among us. And the reafon why we.have fcarce any advantage of this kind, none worth mentioning, from any of the continental plantations to the northward, is a very good one, and what we Ihould rejoice in, viz. the balance of trade with them is greatly in our favour. The Examiner intimates the propriety of increaf- ing our fugar land from our not having enough for the confumption of all our Britifh dominions •f. And yet he afierts Jthat the fan is, that the whole produce of Guadaloupe, except, cotton, is exported. Whereto ? Not to our American colonies or Ireland , for if fo doubtlefs he would have mentioned it. Be- fides, Guadaloupe continues to carry on a greater trade, than any Englilh ijland does, with North A- merica •, and in Ireland they ufe only fame fugars and fyrups «, a fmall fome. If then the Guadaloupe • P. 3S- t Page < 8 - J Pa S e | P *£* l8 ’ D fugar* M V 9 -- • » . > > - * * . . * *r ^ ..K • • r* s - > *9 ♦ £ i. *> ' r •. v > • * • t . • jH • * i* • f v% •*. ’* •v' v r % : « 0 • ^ * *» *• ' * *• . • * V. ■ - • -'•,<* >. “* ■ r 0 . >» . / N • « * « • I. * ♦ . * « • * -* * # • J S * > 4 L * [ £0 ] - fugars are exported to a foreign market, and are not wanted in a time of war to fuppJy the confump- tion of our Britijh dominions, much lefs will they be wanted in a time of peace, when our North American colonies have an extenfive trade with the French iflands, and Ireland may come in for a {hare with them. The Examiner to help on his defign, endeavours to alarm our fears by inftilling an ap- prehenfion of danger, with regard to our poflHflons In the IVeft-Indies. Gus^aloupc lies to the wind¬ ward of Antigua, Nevis, Monferrat, St. Kits, and all that clujler of fmall Englifh iflands , and confequent - ly thofe iflands are mo ft liable to be attackedfrom thence, if it returns to France, and this ifland is moft capa¬ ble,of pro telling them if it remains in our hands , it is certainly very extraordinary that all Jhouldbe facrific- ed to the idea of fecurity in North America, where we were infinitely fironger than the French, and that no notion of danger Jhould be entertained for our va¬ luable pojfejftons in the Weft-Indies,, where we are infinitely weaker than the French *. But it is more extraordinary, that the Examiner fhould attempt to' alarm us with an apprehenfion of danger, from the fituation of Guadaloupe, and the ftrength of the French in the Weft-Indies, when not only that, but all their other iflands, Domingo , and St. Cruz ex¬ cept ed, have been taken from them, and are in the number of our conquefts. Now let us turn our thoughts to our Continen¬ tal Colonies, and conflder their intrinfic, com¬ parative. and adventitious value. * P#£e 06, the note. Their f 21 ] Their intrinftc value confifts in their trade, foliation, firength and fruitfulefs. The aggregate fum of the exports and imports to and from North America, in the year 1758, amounted to 2,481,631]. 14s. 2d. The goods amounting to this fum, being many (if not moft) of them of a bulky nature, muft necefianly employ a confiderable quantity of {hip¬ ping and feamen in tranfporting them: but befides the great advantage arifing from thence, it muft be obferved, that of thefe goods 1,832,9481. 13 s. 10 d. , worth, were exported from the mother country, and that numbers of our own inhabitants were employed in making them up. The balance of trade with our continental colonies, is in our favour to the amount of 1,184,265k 13s. 6d. Now tho the balance of trade, may be againft the mother country, in favour of her colonies, with¬ er her being effentially prejudiced thereby, fo as to require her giving it up ; as when the colonift is obliged to come and fpend that balance in her own land, as before obferved: yet there is, cer¬ tainly, a confiderable advantage in her having the balance in her own favour. Ider own manufac¬ turers are maintained by working up the goods to be exported, and the colonies are obliged to re¬ mit the calh, procured by their trading to other places, to pay off the balance ; and it is in this way that our continental colonies are drained of the gold and filver, that they receive in return for their provifions, &c. lold to the French and others.. Whenever the balance of trade is againft a colony, that colony muft pay the difference in good bills D 2 • < r ^ 'f . c~ / ' V ><■ : V -ft 4 t \ •✓; . * ♦, ■ *♦ . 9~ •' : . N * • < c - ’ * • • » ft' < • ■*? <. - /-- «• ~ ■ - ••»•<.: ■ ***■ • .%> ♦V' -4. '*• -*r* . ;•* .. •JlT •-: i : * >* -<*• -X— - <• *.* JZ- •* '*»» r~:t *~*~' ••»'■* ^ 4 *. t + "~ .w r *,. *--.»** xi ir r 4 H v -m&L ' t22l < or in cafh, or (he will be no longer trufted by the mother country ; and whenever the means of Ap¬ plying her felt with thefe fail, fhe muft contrive to increafe her exports, by growing or procuring what will find a fale in the mother country, or Ihe muft lefifen her imports. But while I am fpeaking to the trade of our con¬ tinental colonies, i muft not omit their extenfive trade to the Weft-Indies, both French and Englijh* and to other places, from whence they collect wherewith to pay us the balance. By means of this trade, they nurfe up and employ a number of failors, (hipwrights, and others, that may upon occafion be ferviceable to the navy ot the mother country. Thus much for the trade of the continental co* lonies, now for their fituation , which reckoning from the northernmoft part of the peninfula of No* va Scotia (to which the French were for confiningus) to the lbuthernmoft part of Georgia , lies between 46° and ji° 30' north latitude, and therefore admits of their growing all the European commodities, tor tho’ Rujfui is more to the northward, yet hemp and flax may be grown in a warmer climate. Wines, oils, and fruits, might be railed in one or other ot our continental colonies, as well as in France , Spain* Portugal Italy* or the Madeiras •, not only fo, but that very article of cotton for the lake ot which the Examiner argues, that we ought to retain Guada - fenpe. Georgia is fufikiently warm, to favour the growth of it. Thar more European commodities art not railed in our continental colonies, is not owing l 23 ] owing to want of territory, but of people and en¬ couragement. The northern colonies (I fpeak not of Nova Scotia) which are by tar the moft popu¬ lous, are difeouraged from raifing any quantities of hemp and flax, becaufe they make better of their lands, by growing corn and the like for the Weft- India , and other places: the fouthern can employ all their hands in railing tobacco, indigo, rice, filk, &c. or if any of them could be fpared for the cul¬ tivation of different commodities, it is not done becaufe of the difficulties attending the introdu&ion of a new branch of bufinefs. The prudent plant¬ er will ftick to his tobacco, indigo, rice, &c. while he can procure a fupport from them, tho’ they do not yield him the fame gains as formerly, rather than hazard his ruin by cultivating the vine, the olive, and the like, with which he is but little ac¬ quainted, when at an utter uncertainty, whether his commodity will fetch its prime coft at market. But let him be properly informed, the neceffary lights be given him, and a fuitable encouragement be propofed, and he will attempt the growth of new articles. I fhall be heartily glad to find, that the premiums propofed, by the Society\ for the encouragement of arts , manufactures* and commerce , prove effectual for the introdudion of new branch¬ es of trade among our colonifts. Whether its views are anfwered or no, it hath made a noble * attempt. But fhould not premiums preyail, ne* • cefiity will at length oblige the colonies to grow other commodities, and to betake themfelves to new branches of trade and this necefiity will be brought V • * ♦ • ,r ♦ • % •• -i , / v * % ' . S • - ■'? •*!.» r 24 ] brought upon them by the indreafe of their num¬ bers. Their prefent branches of trade will, af¬ ter a few years, be infufficient to fupport the in¬ habitants, who multiply in an amazing degree; and when infufficient for that, neceffity, the mo¬ ther of invention, will force them to introduce o- thers; and the extent of the country will favour the introduction of them. However, as it may ' prove detrimental to the prefent branches of trade, to leave things ’till they come to this crifis, it would be in chara&er for the Legiflature, to en¬ courage, by proper bounties, the introdudtton of others, ’till they had got root fufficieht to fup- port themfelves. I go on to make fome obfervations on the Rrength of our colonies, by which I underftand the capacity they are in, of feconding our operations againft: an enemy, which ought by no means to be overlooked. The greateft conqueft made the laft war * was effected by the colony troops, I refer to the reduction of Cape Breton. They have alfo been extremely ferviceable in the prefent, and contri¬ buted to the taking of Lcuifiourg, Martinico , and the Havannaby not to mention Montreal , and other 'places, at the back of their own fettlements. I fhall ftot fay, that all the colonies have done their duty, in feconding a war began in their defence ; what T mean to affert is, that without their men , ei¬ ther in the provincial or government American re¬ giments, we could not have made the figure we have done in the war * for our own country hath been t 25 I been drained, nrtwitl,(landing, what with regu¬ lars and militia. Our navy, I apprehend, has not received any thing like the advantage from our colonies, that the army has done. But in a fu¬ ture period, both may receive a much greater from of our ,olo„ i£! : , JL, fru.tfulnefs of the land, but of the inhabitants How it is in the/outhern colonies I know not, but the people of the northern, independent of foreign recruits, double themfelves in twenty-jive years, as is allowed by the Examiner *. We may reafonablv conclude then, that, in the fpace of fifteen years wemayraife out of our continental colonies, an army of twenty thoufand men (•efpecially if ’they have no enemy at their back) which may be em¬ ployed, in cafe of a frelh rupture with France a- gainft her Weft-Indian iflands, or upon other fer- vices, while our own manufacturers are lpared. Whoever is acquainted with the fituadon of places* 1 knows that it is much fafer and eafier, to carry on expeditions, againft the Weft-Indies or parts ad¬ jacent, from our colonies than from hence; and then, a great faving may be made in the article of tranfport fervice, by hiring what (hips can be got upon the fpot, which will cut off the enemies fup- phes of provifion. The ftrength, which in a few years the fruitfulnefs of our colonies wilj give them, if not diverted by defending their back fettlements! and rendered unnecefiary for the (ecurity of their ' 1 " 1 " * Page 83. coaft*, c 26 ] < coafts, by the fuperiority of our fleets, properly managed and dire&ed, will, upon a new war, ren-v der the tenure of the French iflands extremely pre¬ carious to the mother country, and it will not be any garrifons, that France can maintain in them ior any long time, that can infure them. The next thing to be confidered, is, the compa¬ rative value of our continental colonies. I mean not to compare particular colonies, with particu¬ lar Weft-Indian iflands, much lefs with the whole of them *, but the vyhole of the one, with the whole of the other *, and I hope to fhow by this compa¬ nion, that the advantage is greatly on the fide of our continental colonies, again ft: our Weft-Indian iflands, tho* it may not be in proportion to the in¬ habitants of each. It is not with any pleafure I enter upon this comparifon, as fome may be ready to interpret it, into an attempt to difparage our Weft-Indies , while it’s only intended to prevent miftaken apprehenfions of colony interefts. The Examiner , in (hewing the importance of our Weft - Indian commerce, tells us *, that almoft the whole #/ that extenftve and lucrative trade , which we carry * on with the ccaft of Africa, is maintained by, and mntft be put to the account of the Weft-Indies; and then adds below, of fire arms* ammunition* utenfils , fluffs* and fptrits* we exported in the year 1761, to the value of 254,38«!• 1 * s - 5 d. befides, an aft fortment of Eaft-lndia goods , to the amount of I** • Page 17. . * • 78 , 5761 . f 27 J 78,5761* 18 s. 6 d. The reader concludes, that the exportation of thefe goods to Africa is owing to our Wed-Indian iflands. But herein he miftakes. Thefe goods were exported in 1761 ; and the Ex¬ aminer informs us *, that this prefent year the ne¬ groes fold at Guadaloupe were not fewer than 4000, which he fuppofes amounted to 120,000!. The negroes fold at Guadaloupe t;iis year, were without doubt purchafed by the goods exported to Africa the laft: and therefore, there muft be deduced from the account of the exports to Africa* occa- fioned by our own Weft-Indian commerce, the prime coft of the negroes fold at Guadaloupe* reckon¬ ing to that coft, the funken value of thofe that di¬ ed in the paflage, and by one accident, and ano¬ ther, never arrived ar market, which we will fet at 78,576 I. 18 s. 6 d. the value of the Ead-India goods. I may have over-rated them, but think that trade fufficiently lucrative, that clears one third, to pay for freight and fatisfy the merchant. How came the Examiner to take the exports to Africa of the year 1761, a year, in which they were greatly increafed by the view of purchafing negroes for the market at Guadaloupe ? Was it owing to artifice or overfight ? If he had meant to have giv- en his reader the true ftate of the cafe, he fhould have taken the exports to Africa before the war, he (hould have (hewn how many of thefe goods. , were bartered away for negroes, and not for gold- # Page 5 v* E 1 [ 2* J duft, elephants teeth, or other articles, and how many of thefe negroes were difpofed of, in our JVeft-Indian iflands, ,and how many at our conti¬ nental markets-, but this would not have favoured his defign. The Examiner fays *, that fcarce a- ny part of Guadaloupe is fully flaved, that this ifland yielded the laji year , more than a third of the whole of what we imported from all our old Wefl-Indian plantations put together *f, and that , for an age to come in the Englifh hands , it would he the very hefi market for flaves J •, from hence we may infer, that our old IVejl-Indian plantations (of which we are [peaking in this comparifon of the lEeft-Indies and continental colonies,) did not take off* annually 10,000 negroes, more efpecially when it’s confider- ed, how well thefe plantations are flaved, and that Guadaloupe might buy the more freely under an apprehenfion, that the fhould loon return to Erance y and then not be able to lupply herfelf upon terms equally advantageous. Thefe 10,000 negroes, ac¬ cording to the above eftimate, would amount to 196,442k 6s. 3d. or in other words, the goods trucki away for the negroes, which after all ac¬ cidents fhould lupply the IVeJi-Indian markets with 10,000, would be worth no more than 196,442 1. 6s. 3d. inflrad of 254,381 1 . 11 s. 5 d. But if, as I judge the .cafe is, 1 have fet the gains of the negioc trader too low, and thefe fhould be cent, per cent, which I believe to be nearer the mark, then *v-r ..-xv ~---. ■ ” ■■■■“ * l’ajc 48. t Pagf 49-. t Page 49- « t. • . for l 2 9 J for the negroes, out of which upon his getting to market he had 10,000 to dilpofe of, at 301. a head, bartered away goods to the value of only 150,0001. This will (hew how little reafon there was ror the Examiner’s placing the exports to Afri¬ ca of 1761, amounting in the whole (the allort- ment of Eajl-Indian goods included ) to 332,9581. 9 s- 11 d. to the account of the Weft-Indian com- merce. But that the goods bartered away for ne¬ groes to be fold in the Weft-Indies did not amount in 1758 to 254,3811. ns. jd. we may conclude, upon the following account. In that year there was a balance due from Great Britain to the Wejl- Indies of 956,464!. 2 s. 3 d. Now if the prime coft of the negroes amounted to the above fum, then the trader would have for them at’the Weft- Mian market reckoning his gain at fifty per cent. 381,5721. 7 s. 1 d « ; let this be deducted from the above^ balance, and there remains 574,891 1. J 5 S - 1 d *. But this will not admit of the Weft-ln- dian planters taking upon tbemfelves the payment of a very large part of that excejftve North American defictency that amounts to 1,184,265 1. 13 s. 6 d. and alio of their fpending very great fum in Eng¬ land, according to the Examiner's reprefentation of matters *. But if the profit of the negroe trade is to be reckoned at the rate of cent, per cent, then they would have only 447,700 I. 19 s. g d. to pay uch large part of the North American deficiency,. •Page 34, 3 j. ^ *- and I ■» [30] V , and to fupply them with iuch great Turns. It is rcafonabie to Tuppofe then upon the whole, that .the value of the goods bartered for negroes on the coafts of Africa to be fold in the Weft- Indies , does not amount to more than 150,000 1. at which efti- mate we will fix it. This 150,0001. added to the exports, gives us the whole value of the goods taken off by the Weft Indian commerce, and toge¬ ther amounted in 1758 to 1,027,5711. 19s. 1 id. but this falls vaftly lhort of the exports to our con¬ tinental colonies the fame year, which, without reckoning any thing for the goods with which the negroes bought by them are purchafed on the coaft of Africa, came to 1,832,948 1 . 13 s. 10 d. Thus we fee, that when the mod has been made of the Weft-lndian commerce, that with our continental colonies exceeds it by 805,376!. 13 s. 11 d. in point of exports, and therefore helps to fupport, as many more of our manufacturers as are employ¬ ed in making up the goods amounting to the faid fum. The reader • will have a clear idea of the matter from the following ftate of the account. Exports to our Continental Colonies Trade to the Wtft Indies 1. S. • d. h S * 1,832,948 13 10 direct exports 877,571 19 n indire& to Afr't- ^ <77, to purchafeC, r 0j000 0 G Negroes for the C Weft Indies * _ 1,027,571 19 II *>027,571 19 II 805,3761. 13 s. ud. nearer four-fifths than three-fourths of all the trade to the Weft-Indies whe¬ ther L 3 1 1 ther dire ] make 300,000 1 . This 300,000 1 . dedu&ed from the balance due to the Weft-Indies , leaves 656,464!. 2 s. 3d. out of this the planters refident in England fpend very great Jams, which we cannot fet at left than 100,000 1. and then there is left 556,464 1* 2s. 3d. all which we will'fuppofe goes towards paying the North American deficiency in return for goods had from the continent; but was*the trade between our continental colonies and the Weft-In¬ dies to be at an end, and our continental colonies to be thereby obliged to reduce the exports from England to 556,464 k 2 s. 3d. lefs, dill the ex¬ ports would amount to 1,276,484!. ns. yd* near upon 250,000k more than the whole trade to the Weft-Indies as above dated. Our prodigi¬ ous trade then to our continental colonies, does not depend upon our Weft-Indies , fo as the Exa¬ miner hath reprefented. Jf indeed, by means of the Weft-Indies, our exports’ to the continental co¬ lonies amount to 556,464!. 2s. 3d. more than they would otherwife do, we thence infer the im¬ portance of the Weft-Indies to England J but not the dependance of the colonies upon our Weft-Indies . There’s a mutual intercourfe between thefe two, from whence arifes an advantage to each, making them ^pendant upon one another. The Weft- Indian depends as much upon the colonift for be¬ ing fupplied with lumber, plank, (laves, and pro- vmon, as the colonift docs upon the Weft-Indian for taking thefe commodities off his hands : nay, was the trade between the continental colonies and ; jet the ^ C 33 3 the Weft-Indies to be prohibited, and were the lat¬ ter to be confined in their purchafe of thefe com¬ modities to the market of the mother country, it could fcarce be queftioned, whether fuch prohibi¬ tion would not prove almoft or altogether fatal to the fugar planter. The continental colonies could do better without our Weft-Indies, than the latter could without the former; and therefore it is a grofs mifreprefentation, to make our continental colonies and our trade with them, dependant upon the Weft-Indies. In one thing indeed our Weft-In¬ dian commerce has the advantage of our North-A- merican , as the imports and exports of the former when put together exceed thofe of the latter. The joint fum of imports from and exports to the Weft- Indies amounts to 2,711,608 1. 2 s. 1 d. whereas the exports and imports to and from the continen¬ tal colonies arife to no more than 2,481,6311. 14s. 2 d. Suppofing then that the commodities on each fide are equally bulky, and that the Weft-Indies (notwithftanding the balance is much in their fa¬ vour) confine themfelves to the taking off a pro¬ portionable quantity with the continental colonies of thofe goods that employ the moil manufactur¬ ers, a greater number of (hipping are engaged in s going to and from the Weft-Indies , than in going to and from our continental colonies, and the ex¬ ports to the,'Weft-Indies are equally advantageous tp the mother country with the exports to the con¬ tinental colonies, in the proportion that thefe ex¬ ports bear to each other. . But as the exports to 1 . J * r .» • T. * < -“A < ' " r ,r ''V : T*- >v t f ^ > . .£ • i* * ^ , * ' >r* A s- « • x *'• ■ 7 '. ■’ : • - • .. ■ ' • , , .f. »' *• - • •,✓. v:. * *i * .\* " ' *.■* .«. ** iA f » '. , ^ : * - ^ fc ••-*•?•• - ^ ' *• .* . . :♦* > * V/ --V ' •* * *. ,. ; *>•* ' • *> •- - * ;• * • - •.*"— • .;V*—? ■ ♦ ; - * *"-*•* ■ > ..' ' > ' v A 2 ^ - ' * JT ^ .: •-.- .** ■ ■ ,•-••• ; •. ,,- -v- •, #P • - ■. * * mm. , . .. . ^ ^ . T ^ r -V. >;, ' .ar-V*"*** & r? « t -jr- * ’ v ' ? 5 :-vv. ■' ,j f- .t. -Sc v * •-- . -* v -• • •/•".. i ... ~* *\ • *'r' ... , * «. ,• *>- • - •% » . * * V*, . .* .. - v ’ t 34 J cur continental colonies exceed thofe to the Weft- Indies by 805,3761. 13 s. 11 d. our trade with the former mult employ a prodigious number of hands more than our trade with the latter, near upon four fifths more. As to the great, the very great fums ipent among us by the planters they are gained from us, and bear but very little proportion to the great fums fent in by our continental colonies in bills or calh, to be fpent among us by our own inhabi¬ tants in a way of trade ; and then fifty thoufand pounds fpent in this way, whereby a number of people are fupported, are better to the nation than a hundred thoufand fpent in high living, extrava* garice, and debauchery, tending to introduce a corruption of manners, and by ruining the morals of mankind to deftroy the community’. But of all the advantages, that our continental colonies have over the Weft-Indies , none equals that ariling from their extent of territory, in which particular the IVeft-Indies bear no manner of pro¬ portion to them. The Examiner allows, that our Weft-Indian trade has been cramped merely for want ©f land *; and fb it would be in a fhort time had we Guadaloupe: for tho* the pofieflion of Guada - hupc would have increafed our Weft-Indian trade; yet, as after that had been cultivated to the ut- moil, we {liuuld have been able to have ventesd more fugars, what with the foreign and home con- fomption, the trade would have (till been cramp- ■ *’ • - ■ * t f { f • * % # • Page 36. cd [ 35 J ed ior want or land. Continental fugar land is the only certain remedy for curing our fugar trade of the ciamp; the adding of another ifland to our It eft lnuies would only have afforded a temporary relief, not but that this is belter than none. As continental fugar land is the only certain remedy for this dilorder, fo it’s the only certain one again!! the engroffmeat of plantations, by which the plan¬ ter is enabled, to fix what price he pleales upon his commodity in our own markets. Where we have this continental fugar land, or continental land, admitting of the growth of the fugar cane, I hope to fnew in another place. But, to dole the companion between our continental colonies and Weft-bulks , with oblerving that there is no proba¬ bility that the former will be cramped merely for want of land while the world ftandeth, and to en- ' ter upon the confideration of the adventitious value of our continental colonies. The adventitious value of our continental colo¬ nies, confifts in their being capable of receiving, whatever numbers the increafing populoufnefs of the mother country may force from their native foil •, in the protection they afford to our American fifhery; and in the amazing difference there is be¬ tween their being in our hands and in the hands of * the French . Such is their capacioufnefs, that our own country need never be overftockcd, nor our countrymen be obliged to go among a people of a ftrange language in order to their procuring a livelihood : let them but carry honeity and induftry T along [ 36 ] along with them, and if favoured with the blef- fings of health and ftrength, they will be able to fupport themfelves comfortably in one or other of our colonies, and by being with thofe that fpeak the lame tongue, and have the fame cuftoms with themfelves, will forget that they are not in the land of their nativity. However it may not be at¬ tended to in common, it is certainly an advantage to a country, to poifefs colonies that can take off its fuperfluous hands, and turn them to a valuable account *, when otherwife they mull have been loft to it, or have proved a burden if not a nuifance. This'advantage I hope we (hall derive from our continental colonies and acquisitions, when the peace (ball have cut oft'from thoufands the prefent means of (ubliftence* that fo humanity may not be (hocked with feeing the foldier or failor begging bread or hanging at the gallows, who but a little before fought the battles of his country with un¬ daunted courage. But of this more particularly elfewhere, and to mention, that our continental colonies, one and another of them, are by means of their fituation of no fmall fervice to our Ameri¬ can (ilhery. They ferve fco cover and protect it; and afford convenient harbours for our fhipping to repair to on an emergency, as ‘was the cafe when the French had taken St. John's in Newfound * iand\ befides the utility they are of, by their mar¬ kets, to the perlons employed in fuch fifhery. This filhery couid not be fo fecure, extenfive, or profit¬ able, was it not for our continental colonies. But what' I 37 J what an amazing difference is there between the continental colonies being in our hands and in the hands of the French! for had they thefe, they would foon ruin this valuable filhery, as to our concern in it, and not only fo but in time our whole trade. The continental colonies being in our hands, we have a moft extenfive trade with them. They drain off fome of the riches of the French Weft-Indies in return for their provifion, plank, &c. They fupply our own Weft Andies up. on eafy terms, with commodities, that thefe could • not have from England , or upon fuch terms only, as would be too heavy for them by that time they arrived at the place of deftination. But were they in the hands of the French , we fhould lofe all our prefent trade with them, which would be thrown into our eneijiy’s feale. The French would foon poffefs themfelves of our Weft- Indies , or fo cramp our Weft Indian trade as greatly to leflen its value : they would want no more corn from ns, but would import it from America: they would be in the high road to univerfal monarchy, and bur very inde¬ pendency would be endangered. The prderva- cion of the continental colonies, we may deem, as things are now circumftanced, effentiai to our continuing a free people ; and therefore ought to have the fecond place in our thoughts. Our rni- niftry afted wifely then, in paying the attention they did to them, in the negotiation of 17615 and in providing for their fecurity, by ftipulating for the ceflion of all Canada. F 2 But ••' •* v ■ . ’ - ■ - .••»•» vafcL- •• • .*. .*?>£'•' .*•£>'•'*. / • *. '• ■ ■ ■' * VVV -V‘V , v • jg' ^fr*., : •*- , : ■'.v ,«• • • —-t ■ > . * * *• w. ** » ■’ * ' — _ . , * •*«*.' . IT* ’ » ■ •* JJ • i • , f ' * , * * . . “* 1 _ •-* ^ r , ' *. ^ ^ • »*“♦*• *^1 % ■* , » • .•* < » • • ^ * •* * - •,% --V? * 5 * * < • •: • * .’ • * V v . • ; • V - . •* I ... 3 . , . ’3 1 ■ , *_ 1 •. . »• — •• . . . - k V. * • - \ w *- • 1 , t M ,| .X : t ^ ■ ■ ' ■ .*»• : -«:*•*. : * • -• \" • • ’» f /. i - ‘IJ >- V.v ,r .. • *•:«>. •** •A A * •* -i >> • '■ . * ' • r t • AW * ' V Jr^ .*• s' 4 * * ^ > • *r * * * ' . "* I* V i-. > • - ' T» »•./.* . '*/ r .i : # t i- - ,s - S: ► * *• - *» • ✓ .•• »' i • * « * r t * :%~>y > ■■ • - * •» ■ »•> - » 4 4. # v *.» \r>£ * " * * . • “ ^ m ■*» *> ' 4 r '* 4 . v> ^ i. •> \ ■ v • ; * r # f % • f ■ r *'-> V'_ V - 4* * * tfS* . ’ * ,, ^ ‘ A>.\ v ' % ■;• *.#« . \ »> • • -»**. :r v • - . «• V X k , 4 ' o : • . 1 V . • ■ • ■ . *v». ; v- n , « • . • Jw . ■ ‘ 4 /• VI* w . » • * £4 • • * \ » '+ • ^ •A - a . T * # i A ^ - - •- ^ a- V ‘ * I - * ^ . * * - * • % • l * 7 5 v ,^>v v « % * +* . ; . > », - ■•V*. .* % b -*_% ■ v « • A'.- 4S-" »- * *. i 'I ,T * ‘A vA .5' 4 . - ^ H . • • • ? • I *» *». ** , * • u ; ' a* * * '• \ - * ' ~ * r • , I »* ✓ -v * /• ♦ - ■a • r T, ~ ■ r r . • **• 4 .*5 / % » ■ - ; • • •* * ■ *• * / , , a 0 * >* 4 . V* a*' » • \ -• 4 # H • , * . A - •?* r *• € -■ •. * i >fr \ * v • r P ] Btit tms nccell.u ily brings me to (peak of Ca- mad a ; in doing pf which 1 (hall obferve, that our continental colonies could not have had a ftifiicient ft curia, without the polTeffion o{ al! Caitf.dn : frail (hew how far the poffeffion of Canada fecures them ; and then infill upon the advantages to be drawn from Canada as a colony. I obferve, that our continental colonies could not have had a fufficien: fecurity, without the pof- leflion of all Canada. The'faithfuInels and am- bidon or the French are too notorious to admit of our fuppofmg, that our colonies could have been iare With them in their ncighoourhood, any fur- th' 1 - * i than as om colonies were poflefled of a force to defend themielves and offend their neighbours. It may be faid, that our colonies would have had t..iA force in their fuperior numbers, had Canada reduced to its proper limits, remained to the French . A k.v'j true, v>cie our ur/idod colonies formed into o:u* b.-dy, and united under one governor. But t.ub i:"a .a is no ways d -.m.iblc, as in the end it i. ight b.wtvi a new n.ou.aeny v and pave the way w up for tm- ndelvt*;, and throwing 1 4 ; •• ' upon the mother country, i is to our auvan*a : ._» p that our American domi- 1 i ..*> on l ie com mem fhom 1 he lU jit into many govern inert.-, having different intertfis, making 1 ■ • : rs. This mub x -r iA l ) 01 g.A'ernn'-.r.t a. a eiiiirrence or inrerdts, t ; . .u. »it. v antage to us, is a v. vakvning to them • tl^e itfa capable ul 6ppofing a common I- 39 ] common enemyyea, (hall be preventive of their P h Cnt '‘. ar - l he Canadians ftrengthened by a military force from hrance, d.o■ cV with our continental colonies iffi m ,i v ■ ,' P ! determined upon acting vigoroufly and "together as one body, would be capable of conoueri.h one and another of them in a feparate and disjednted condu.cn ; and if the Bench had once p j themieives of any one colony, and fixed chLfelvls firmly on the iea-coafis, they would in time have ^ r he f „ ( ,hada, £ t,ed^^;^ gc o. our colonies, and were making provi . fton for the execution of the fame, th-re fa no room to doubt of. They were fut ^fa fcheme, or encouraged in the profeanion oHt by the wmeneis of the Briti/h miniftry, and the ftoical nunkrence with which it heard from time to time that they were making encroachments and erecC one fort after another, inltead of iffuing older to our. continental colonies to onpofe ->l A n land, the French had at length nem-lv fi m ., ■ h f **> of fcm a the back Of coll con, mmk „ ha Lr.zvrence ‘ W/ Ti M ^‘ ppi and tlle river St. f, a j iiaU C ley ^ een Malone ’till thev knd fi " ,flle g theone - and eftablifiied the oth»r T rl aiiair been fufFered to reft for , r ’ he to -fit for a few years; their fcheme [ 40 ] fcheme of falling upon our colonies had been brought to maturity *,,and nothing would have re¬ mained, but upon fome rupture to have put it in¬ to execution. But lays the Examiner *, it was not the danger of our colonies , hut the encroachments on cur rights which occajioned the war. Rights , which however remote or inconfiderable , it would not have * fuited the dignity of our crown tamely to have feen in¬ vaded i hut no public apt mentioned , and no private man of fenfe ever thought of danger . Thefe afifer- tions are fomething extraordinary, and therefore I will bellow a few remarks upon them. The French encroached upon our rights, and when they had done that, they fortified themfelves in their encroachments by building forts *, and yet our co¬ lonies had no danger to apprehend either prelent or diftant from fuch encroachments and forts—1 fay, no danger either prefent or diftant, becaufe it was not danger that occafioned the war , whereas was the danger ever fo diftant. Hill it would be danger. Thus it appears, that this bloody andexpenfive war was began merely to fupport the dignity of the crown. The rights invaded by the French were inconfider¬ able, and might have remained to them without any danger to our colonies. This is giving a poor account of the rife of the prefent war, and alfign- ing but a bad reafon for our Ihedding fo much blood, and fpending fo much money. It gives us but a mean opinion of his late majefty and minif- • Page 86, the note. I 41 ] tty, ,who could not devife how to fecure the dia. nicy of the crown, but by entering into a war fTJLT p “ n f ? 1 tm 'y ih '.v might h„ t r„. c dignity of the crown, by infilling upon the French king’s making yearly a pepper corn ac- knowbdgement, or paying f ome f ma „ con fidera- or us being lert in the peaceable pofleflion of h,s encroachments ; I doubt not, but that Z ZtrZT ^ fatiSfadi0n aXn whil prevented; the fuccelsfulnefs of which was a matter of uncertainty when be-an ui no pubhek cM mentioned, and no private "man ght ° f daHger - Th « no private man of fenfe ever thought of danger, may b e true enough according to the Examiner's way ofjud- flfon y f S f rti ° n 3PPearS t0 be > tLtlf vroof f T k 8 ° f dangCr ’ k W3S an evide nt proof of h. s being no man of fenfe : but, that he Aould aflert no public all mentioned danger, is wh at j;;r c T cfor b f tter than by fi, pp° fin g’ ther he or his employer was not arrived from trance, when h.s late majefty iffued out his decla- and 0 th a 0 r , T’ * dM n0t fee U whi,e there, and that he has not confulted it fince he hath had he opportunity, but if he will take the trouble of lookmg ,t over, he will meet with the following expremons ln at ‘ The unwarrantable proceeding . ° f the F I mch ‘he IVefl- Indies and North l « ^ I/" 06 thS COnClufion of 'he treaty of Ain- . 1 the l, P ur P a tions and encroach- * made by them upon our territories, and ‘the [ 44 ] Jonies, would admit of their making frefh encroach¬ ments in different places without their being foon fubject to a difcovery. It is the encroachers more than the encroachments that have endangered our colonies ; and the fecurity thefe want, is, againft the caufe more than the effect: but the giving back the encroachments does not yield them that iecuri- *ty: the Canadians are ftill left, tho’ confined to * narrower limits, which unlefs defended they will pafs without hefitation *, but the defence of fuch limits, in every part, will be too expenfive. As to France's agreeing to certain boundaries, ’tis no¬ thing, a mere Galltca fides •, unlefs thefe are upon one account or other impaffable. Without then the poffcffion of all Canada with its inhabitants, our colonics could not have a fufficient fecurity—I add ♦ • * -t with its inhabitants, as thefe increafe the fecurity by becoming Englijh fubje&s, and as were thefe to remove to Lcuifiana , the danger would only be re¬ moved from the ftrongeit to the weakeft, from the N yea to act offenlively a- gainft them, (houfd it become neceflary. The pofieffion of Canada will not give abfolute fecurity to our continental colonies both northern and fouth- \ ern, but this, and fixing proper limits at the back of tfae Carolina's and Georgia , will give us all the fecurity that the nature of affairs will admit of while Louifiana remains to France , and will put things upon fuch a footing, that, unlefs the BritiJJj mi- niftry fhould be weak, timid, or criminally negli¬ gent, it will be extremely dangerous for the French to commit frefh hoftilities, or to make any more encroachments upon the North American continent, laying the foundation for another war : but had Canada however bounded remained to France , we had made a foolifh bargain tho* we had retained Gnadaloupe , and a'peace would only have fufpend- ed our quarrel, inflead of concluding it. What¬ ever hath been thrown out to leffen Canada as a colony, it is not fo infignificant as pretended. But to infill upon the advantages to be drawn from Canada as a colony. The Examiner fays *, Cana¬ da may be of fotne advantage to us. I mnjl confefs I do not know what that advantage is 5 and yet in another* place -f> he tells us that, by the late treaty •we fhould have acquired Canada, worth annually 14,015 1 . 17 s. 1 d. But he will reconcile thefe dif¬ ferent paffages, by pleading that the expcnce of • Page 95. f Page 60. keep- [49] keeping Canada wiil amount to 20,000 1 . ‘ When- * ever Canada becomes an Englijh colony it muft * b e defended by us,’ True; and yet by its be¬ ing fo, we (hall be at lefs expence than otherwife. We (hall have to defend Canada, not from thofe Indians that dwell at the back of our northern co¬ lonies, nor from thofe that lie weft of Canada with whom the Canadians are in alliance, but from all the attacks that the drench may make upon it in future times with a view of regaining it; which we may do with the very fame (hipping that are employed in covering the coafts of the other colo¬ nies. AVe muft, confidering that Canada is a con- queft, maintain garrifons in fome of the capital places: but by its being an Englijh colony, we (hall be freed from the charge of maintaining a number of other garrifons on the frontiers of our other colonies, and thereby make a faving ; for which reafon the defence of Canada ought not to be fet at any thing: would it be an additional charge to us, then the increafe of fuch charge and no more fhould be placed to its account. But be¬ lies, whatever money our garrifons in Canada may xoft us, it will circulate back again, either direct¬ ly or through our other colonies. As to the Exa¬ miner's account of the imports from Canada , from Chrijlmas 1760, to Chrijimas 1761, I queftion its genuinenels. It has been averred in the public papers, that they amounted to 70,000 1 . for the truth of which the perfon appealed to the import¬ ers. It was alfo obferved, that no account had been ‘ taken t t 5 ° ] taken of the cargoes of th-: three Canada (hips, which were taken *nd carried to France. Thefe (hips had cargoes to the amount of 30,000 1 . value. Now I doubt not, but that the Examiner would have replied to thefe things could he have done it, with as great alertnefs, as he reprimanded the edi¬ tor of one of the papers *, for inferting a note of his own, when giving an account of the Examina¬ tion. If he hath replied to thefe things, I have not feen the reply. But whoever attends to his Examination may obferve, that he had no defign of giving us the real value of Canada. If he meant to acquaint us with it, he fhould have favoured us with an account of the imports from Canada to France , before the commencement of the war, e’er the Indians were taken off from hunting beaver and deer, and clapped upon the Englifh colonift. Doubtlefs be could have procured it, with as much cafe, as the original vouchers from the cujlom-houfe oj Bourdeaux f, authenticating the account of IVeft- Indian produce exported from thence. But what anfwered his end in one cafe, would have injured his caufe in another. Whether this fame writer was, as hath been publickly afierted, the author of remarks upon the letter to two great men, comes not within the compafs of my prefent knowledge: but the Rnnarkcr attempts not to depreciate the trade of Canada in other words than thefe, ‘ the • whole trade of furs and (kins, which Canada carri- • Set ihc L*n*.» Cl/••tiii for OH. 23, P. 3971 f Page 20. 4 cd 51 j 5 ed on with France , fell (hurt in its mod floui ifh- * ing date of 140,000 k a year.’ This agrees tolerably well with what has been afierted of the imports, amounting the lad year to 70,000 k be- lides cargoes lod to fhe value of 30,000 k making in the whole 100 000 h We may fet the yearly imports from Canada , upon an average, at 100,000!. It cannot be edimacedat lels; for how can it be* thought, that a colony of 40,000 inhabitants fliould be n any tolerable circumdances of eafe without manufactures, unlefs it can fend goods to this a- mount, to barter for thofe it wants from the mo¬ ther country. The Remarker tells us, v 4 the French 4 have been long fince convinced that this province 4 (of Canada) was of ufe to them, independent of t 4 their hopes of encroaching on our pofleffions. Afk 4 thofe, Sir, who lately law Canada , if it had the face 4 of a colony which the mother country was weary 4 of holding ? I believe, Sir, they will tell you, 4 that the cultivation of the lands, the number * 4 and neatnefs of the houfes, the warm condition 4 of the inhabitants, by no means feemed to im- 4 ply, that they were negledled by France \ but 4 evinced, rather, that this colony was the objeft 4 of her very tender concern.* This is an acknow¬ ledgment of the flourifhing date and good con¬ dition of Catiada, and neceffarily implies, that the imports from thence to France mud be as confi- deFable as what I have fixed them at, efpecially when it’s confidered, that as the Remarker fays, 4 a very great part of the value of thofe furs ( which H it '.r- • * { • [ 5 2 ] c it fends to France) is returned from France in the • article of brandy, without which the trade with 1 the Indians for their beaver and deer lkins could 4 not be carried on ; and that the rdt of their pro- 4 duce, with regard to the market of Europe , is 4 as nothing.’ buppofing the brandy returned is worth 20,000 1. there remains only 8o,oool. to fupply 40,000 inhabitants (which is but forty Util- lings a head) and to make their lituation as agree¬ able as can well be imagined. But fays the Exa- ' miner*y the inhabitants of 'PenJylvania do not take orf much above the value of 20 s. a head. Very well, but then unhappily for him, he tells us f from Douglas , that they manufallure, perhaps nine parts in ten oj all they wear, this is referred to the fettlers, eipecially the back fettlers : he adds, they 4 make linen even for exportation.’ Now can any thing like this be laid of the Canadians . I have further to obferve, that the very quantity of fkins and furs, manufactured, ufed, and difpofed of by the French) before the war juilihes my valuing the imports from ( 'anada at not lefs than 100,000 1. I his 100,000 1. will necellarily produce exports to the lame value. But the imports from Canada are not valuable only as they produce exports i n return. Thefe imports confuting of furs, fkins, Nc. are of vail advantage to leveralof our manu¬ factures, and will lecure to our country almolt the whole ot lotne particular branches of trade. It * Page ic;. t Page 80. mud 1 53 j mufl be remembered alfo, that whatever advantage we have from Canada .is loll to France. It is lb much taken from her and added to us, which dou¬ bles the difference. Hitherto we have attended only to the fkin and fur trade of Canada. I come now to remark, that by poffefiing Canada with the iflands in the guiph of St. Lawrence , w e tncreafe the dependance of the French Weft-Indies upon our colonies, and fecure to ourfelves the ad¬ vantages that Canada had by trading with them. The French had no other northern colony, from whence to fupply their iflands with lumbe'r, corn, and provifion. Thefe are articles abfolutely ne- cefiaiy for them ; and they’ mult have them either from Canada or our other colonies; whatever then they expended in thefe with the Canadians , will be gained to us, either in our colony of Canada , or tiie adjacent ones: not only fo, but py keeping Cana■ da, we put it out of the power of France to raife this colony to fuch a flourifliing (fate, as to ruin that extenfive trade, that our continental colonies carry on with the French Weft-Indies for lumber, provifion, cec. which it would loon have done, when once it could have anfwered the demand of the French Weft-Indies for thefe particulars. The drench would have prohibited their planters trading with our colonies, when once they could have been fupplied fiom Canada : and the French would have been wanting to their own interelfs, if they had not laboured to bring that colony into a fituatian admitting of it. As the eefiion of Canada w ill fe¬ ll 2 cure [ 54 ] cure the peaceable pofTcilion of our northern colo¬ nies, l'o of their extenfive trade* to the French iflands, which tho* moft profitable to the colonies is extremely profitable to the mother country. What hath been mentioned, I hope will fhew, that Canada as a colony, will be of no final! import¬ ance ; and yet, I have other things to add great¬ ly in its favour. It is an improveableeftate, which it properly managed will turn to a moft excellent account. Nothing but the. molt confummate ig¬ norance or impudence, could have led the Examin¬ er to fay, 'that Canada * prefer lies in a climate ab- folutely incapable of furnifhing any one of the commo¬ dities, that the advocates for keeping it, pretend to raife . The northernmoft boundary lying upon the river St. Lawrence in 49° latitude/ is more to the fouthward than any part of Great Britain , or than thoie Ruffian dominions from which we are Appli¬ ed with hemp-, and therefore mav in time furnifh with this commodity •, and if this commodity in our cid f ttlenients, in climates full as favourable to its growth , never has hitherto been cultivated to any ad¬ vantage, but has even reft fed parliamentary encourage- runts and bounties , aim oft equ«l to its native value f, it ha$ been owing to the col on ill’s being able to make better of his lands bv employing them in agrinjlrure, tobacco, or the iik-, or to there not being fulScicnt hands, or to the junflion of both thefe caulcs. As to the advantage, that our old * 1*.ge $1. i Page 77. • fettle- L 55 ] fettlements have, by being fituated near the fea, it is not infinitely mperior to what the Canadians en¬ joy from the river St. Lawrence , and others that empty themfelves into it. From the northernmoft boundary of Canada on this river up to Montreal it is 360 miles *, and whoever examines Mitchell's Si * map of North America , will find, that there are a number of fine rivers between thefe two extremi¬ ties, which appear free from falls and flats, and capable of admitting of an inland navigation for many miles up the country. I will allow with the Examiner , that, making the boundary of our co¬ lonies to run along the river St. Lawrence , from thence all along to the fouthward of the lakes, and fo dowrn the river St. ‘Jerome or Ouabciche , we have , independent of Canada proper, land more than fuffi - cient for every fort of product, which the moft fan - guine fchemifl can imagine *. But he muft be a moft extraordinary fchemift indeed, who could fuppofe, that thefe lands, which border upon Canada , would be improved to any purpofe, while that remained to the French ; or that we had hands enow to im¬ prove them properly. Would any number of peo¬ ple have venture*! to fettle on the eaftern fide of St. Lawrence , at a great diftance from the moftpo- pulous parts of our colonies, with a view of raif- ing hemp, while the French polTefTed the other fide of it ? Or would they have done it, ’till the whole fea coaft had been fettled ? But this is not yet fet- . > _ t * Page 81. . ' tied. [ 56 ]• - tied, in Nova Scotia , neither will be for many years to come. We wanted not only fecurity for our colonies, but inhabitants to make further im¬ provements •, and both thele we have by keeping Canada. The Canadians have not only the weitern fide of the river St. Lawrence^ but the eafbern (now that they are become Englijh fubjeftsj down to the northernmod part of Nova Scotia , to favour the raifing of hemp, and opening a trade with us for any other enumerated commodities *, and neceflity, together with parliamentary encouragement, will put them in a few year$ upon procuring fuch com¬ modities. Our other colonies upon the fea coad, by reafon of their fuperior' advantages, will fliut out Canada from having any great fhare^in the trade to the Weft-In aits or any other place, where their articles of commerce are the fame. The Ca¬ nadians mull therefore, apply them dives to thofe branches of trade, in which our other colonies will not interfere with them, fuch as naval itores, pitch, tar, turpentine, iron, copper ore, hemp, and oil. They may trade in thefe without danger of rival- fhip •, and it encouraged by parliament for a while, will foon find their account in doing it. But a fmali part ot their country will be improved without they do ir, as a fmall part will grow all the corn wanted for their fupport, and by reafon of their fituation, they cannot lupply diftant markets with provifion articles, upon the lame eafy terms with our other colonies. 1 hey have no choice ; either they mult apply themfelves to thefe branches, or their whole . trade [ 57 ] trade mud be confined to fkins and furs, and the greated part of Canada be of no advantage to them. I have allowed, that, without Canada reduced within the bounds mentioned by the Examiner , we have land more than diffident for every fort of product; but then, a great part of this land mud have remained an uncultivated tract, fo long 03 France was poflfefled of what he diles Canada pro¬ per. The lands of Nova Scotia , and New England , for 480 mile-s from the gulph of St. Lawrence to :Montreal , would necefiarily have been encroached, becaufe of their being in a bad neighbourhood. The fame objection would have prevailed againft the New Fork lands from Montreal to lake Ontario for 160 miles. The back parts of Penfylvania , and the lands on the Ohio, lie far from the coads and beyond the mountains, and therefore according to the Ex¬ aminer , can be of no great fervice; who, after ar¬ guing the point for fome time *, comes to this con- clufion, that inland colonies can never prove in any conjiderable degree beneficial to our commerce f. This conclufion I cannot alTent to; for, let inland co- . * lonies be at a ccnfiderable didance from the coad, yet by the help of water-carriage they may prove extremely beneficial to commerce. And thus would it be with a colony on the banks of the Ohio* for this river by reafon of its gentle current is naviga¬ ble either up or down, from its fource to its in¬ flux, with only one fall near its conflux, with ths . \ ‘-T 1 ■ - -- - » ’ 1 - . 1 * Page 78, 79. f Page 81. Ouabachcy v .. . \ 4 •s + . r • \ * x M V -• • T - * '£ <•>.** • • v T' T? . * *" % * * . «• : - » • c ) t 5 « 3 .• Ouabache > and from the Mohongalo that empties it- felf into the Ohio ta IVitti s Creek on the north branch of the Potowmack it is but fixty miles, fo that a communication may be eftablilhed between the banks of the Ohio and the fea-coafts of Virgi- / nia, without its being attended with fuch a length of land-carriage, as to render it unferviceable, and of this the Ohio company was fenfible, when they obtained their charter in 1749. A confiderable advantage may be made of an inland colony on the banks of the Ohio , if fuch can be eftablilhed, notwithllanding all that the Examiner talks of * afcending the ftreams that fall from the weftern 4 fide of the mouhtains, of defending thofe that 4 fall from the eaftern, of rifts and falls, of often 4 unloading and reloading,’ by means of which, he cunningly aggravates difficulties, ’till his reader believes them to be infurmountable. We may now people that rich, flat, fertile country, through which the Ohio winds its gentle courfe, and make itlubfervient to our commerce : we may do it fafe- ly, as Canada remains to England, and the fettlers will have nothing to fear from the Canadians . It may poffibly be laid, that Canada proper lies at a great diftance from the lands upon the Ohio \ but the ftrft article of the anlwer of England to the ul¬ timatum of Prance, acknowledges the contrary, when it fays, 4 Canada comprehending, agreeable * to the line of limits drawn bv M. de Vaudreuil 0 4 himfelf, when he gave up the province by ca- 4 pitulation, on one fide the lakes lburon , Michigon, 4 and [ 59 j 4 and Superior \ and the faid line, drawn from lake 4 Rouge, comprehending by a winding courfe the 4 river Ouabache to its junction with the Ohio, and 4 from thence ftretching along this laft river inclu- 4 fively to its confluence with the Mififijjippid This article is fo darkly exprefied, that it is fcarce to be known from it, whether this. line of limits is the boundary of Canada to the eaft or weft; if to the weft, it carries in it an acknowledgment that the lands on this fide the Ouabache towards the Ohio were a part of Canada; if to the eaft, then the weftern boundary ffiould have been fpecified: but I take it to be the weftern. By this time the read¬ er will begin to think that I have forgotten the point in hand, and yet I truft he will allow the contrary, when I have obferved, that, whatever, improvements may now be made of our recovered rights which could not have been made had Cana¬ da remained to the French, (hews the importance of Canada as an Englijh colony. And now what; little occafion is there for decrying Canada under the notion of a vaft but unprofitable foreft, extenfive ■but unprofitable empire . Should we reckon to Ca¬ nada the iflands in the gulph of St. Lawrence , then we muft put into the account all the difadvantages and Ioffes that the French fifhery fuftains through their not having thefe iflands. But to infift upon Gu ad a loupe. That the ex¬ ports and imports to and from this ifland, was it to remain to us, would for ieveral years exceed our trade with Canada cannot be doubted. But the I value r \ I t 60 ] value of a trade is not to be eftimated merely by the coft of the commodities exchanged in it. Should the commodities exported from one place coft dou¬ ble the commodities from another, yet if thefe laft are of double advantage to our manufactures, then the only fuperiority on either fide lies in the greater quantity of (hipping that is employed. The imports from Guadaloupe may be divided into eat¬ ables and raw materials to be wrought up ip our manufactures. The value of the latter, amounts to better than 100,0001. the fum at which I have fixed the imports from Canada: but then it muft be obferved, that Canada will admit of much great* er improvements than Guadaloupe , and may in time furnifh us with materials amounting to more than the whole imports from the latter; the far greateft part of which confift of eatables. If thefe are confumed at home, it will be in confequence of their growing cheaper than at prefent; but if they cheapen, the value of the imports will neceF farily be funk. If they are exported; and our ba- lance to other ftates is proportionably diminifhed, they will certainly be of great advantage to us. But if inftead of paying our debts, they ferve on¬ ly to bring in needlefs and luxurious articles, they will even prove a detriment to us ; not withftand- ing the advantages gained by carrying them to and fro, factorage and the like ; for it will be much the fame as tho* they had been imported from France and paid for by our cadi, ’till the planter has loft all his affection for his mother country, and t 61 J and inclines to fpend his fortunes in Great Britain: the only difference will be our furnifhing the plan¬ ter with the exports. We import from Guadaloupe fugars to the amount of 400,000 1. we look upon the whole as clear gain, and inftead of applying it towards paying off where the balance is againft us, we export it in return for ufelefs and unprofitable articles, which increafe not the real ftock of the nation, and which we fhould otherwife have done without: we pay the planter the 400,000 1. as we cannot fend him the cafli, he comes over and re¬ ceives it, transforms it into bullion or its equiva¬ lent, carries it over to France , for which he hath a natural affeCtion, and there fpends it. Thus would it be with the planter or planters for a generation at lead, was Guadaloupe to remain to Great Britain ; ’till a new race, and a long intercourfe with Bri¬ tain had obliterated the thoughts of their original extraction. Hence we may gather the weaknefs of the Examner* s affertion in the clofe of the fol¬ lowing paragraph *, The French inhabitants of Guadaloupe have moft certainly at this day in their poffeflion more gold in fpecie , than is to be found in all cur other Leward iflands put together . She far ' greater part of this treafure mufl y immediately upon a peace , of neceflity in one tide flow in upon that coun¬ try which fhall then be mafier of Guadaloupe. Did Guadaloupe remain to Great Britain , the balance of trade would be fo much in favour of the former,. * Page 54, note at bottom. I 2 tha£ { 62 ] that fhe would not want to expend any of this treafure for our commodities •, for if the imports from thence amount to 600,000 1 . and the ex¬ ports, with the negroes included, to lefs than 250,0001. there remains 350,0001. for her to fpend,, before fhe will want to touch this trea¬ fure. . And the French inhabitants of Guadaloupe would never come and fpend it in England ; no, but would retire to France with it. In like manner would they do with regard to the balance they might receive in the way of trade, tho* they might be obliged to come firfl to England for l'uch ba¬ lance. This feems to have been wholly overlooks ed by the Advocates for Guadaloupe , who have thought that there would be no difference between our own IVefi Indian planters and the French , when once the* latter were become Englijh fubje&s, as tho’ this would, to all intents and purpofes, make them Englijhmen. The Examiner tells us *, that the produce of Guadaloupe amounted from drift- mas 1760, to Chrifimas 1761, to 603,269 1. 3s. 9c!, and fets f the exports, including the purchace of negroes, at 238,569 b 5 s. 10 d. and endeavours to perluadi his reader, that was it to remain to us, there would be a confiderable increafe in both the inporrs and exports. But though the im¬ ports amounted to more than 600,0001. the pro¬ duce might be much lefs. In order to have known the produce of Guadaloupe^ we fhould have been in¬ i' P. 5*. formed 1 63 ] formed what were the annua! imports upon an average from thence to France before the com¬ mencement of the war. The imports of 1761 might be increafed by a ftock in hand, which had not been difpofed of the preceding year, from an apprehenfion that the Englijh market would not prove a good one *, and by the French Prize goods purchafed by the inhabitants; for the Ex¬ aminer acquaints us f, tho’ with quite different views, that Guadaloupe has been the market for all the French prize goods taken in the Weft Indies. As to negroes, its a queftiori whether Guadaloupe would have continued taking off 4000 a year ; the Exami¬ ner owns J, that fcarce any part of it is fully fiaved ; which might be the reafon of its purchafing fo many this year; the planter might alfo be inclin¬ ed to buy the more freely, from rhe imagination of his returning foon under the dominion of his former fovereign ; and then being unable to pur- chafe upon terms equally advantageous. As to the improvements that might be made of Guada¬ loupe in future years, it is at prefent a matter of Speculation, and not of fait, and the Examiner hath in divers places difeovered his diflike to fpe- culations. In his account of Guadaloupe he alfo takes notice, that the two ports of Glafgow and Leith m Scotland have carried on a confiderable trade with this ijland , and that a great number of (hips, and fame very valuable ones, have been taken ™.*rT, h i S thou 2 ht is confirmed by the lotv-ftate of its trade im- medrat y after us reduftion-in 1759. f A j,. + p. ' 8 . * by • t 64 ] - J by the enemy , coming from Guadaloupe to England, which ought to he taken into the account . Here I am put upon aiking, whether in the exports and imports to and from North America , thofe of Scotland were included ? And whether the many (hips, and fome very valuable ones, taken by the enemy, going to or fro, ought not alfo to be ta¬ ken account ©f ? But when the advocates for Gua¬ daloupe have faid all, what has been obferved con¬ cerning the imports from thence, if exported for ufelefs articles, and the planters going to France with the balance, will hold good; fo that it’s e- gregious folly to talk of its being an acquifition worth at this moment above 600,000 1. a year to our direft Britifh trade *; as tho* there was no difference between the trade between Britain and Guadaloupe' s amounting to better than 600,000 1 , a year, and being worth as much to the Britifh trade. Such perfons, inftead of reckoning the profits of the trade, make the whole trade profit . The cotton of Guadaloupe is doubtlefs an impor¬ tant article, but there’s no, call for keeping the ifland for want of territory fuited to the growth of this commodity, of which I fhall make men¬ tion elfewhere. Thus 1 have delivered my thoughts upon Trade in general, .qur West-In dian in particular, our Continental Colonies, Ca- , nada, and Guadaloupe, and hope, that in do- 5ng it, I have vindicated the conduct of the ho¬ nourable perfons employed in the negotiation of • P. 102, 6;, 68, 69. ij6i % E 65 ] 1761, and fhewn, that .they knew what they were about better than the author of the Examination ' of it did, when he engaged in that fervice. The Examiner , fenfible of the injury offered thofe ho¬ nourable perfons, apologizes for them after a mod extraordinary manner, fo as to increale his crime 5 for when his reader hath finifhed the apology, he is brought to think, either that fuch honourable perfons were ignorant of the true intereft of the publick, had their attention turned off from it by the cry about Canada , and our continental colo¬ nies, or to humour fuch cry and pleafe the pub- lick, knowingly facrificed their true intereft. The apology is more reproachful than the infult that occafioned it. There are feveral other things in the Examination that might be remarked upon, but I am tired with the performance ; however, let me make a few quotations from it, which I am at a lofs to reconcile with each other. They are thefe, the late negotiation , fo far as it regarded our colonies and commerce , was on onr fide conduced, I apprehend , on one ftngle idea , viz. to fecure to our - felves the poffeffion of all Canada *. The reader will not entertain any doubt , that the treaty was conduced on a principle wholly averfe to Weft-Indian acquisi¬ tion f. A preference and a rejection., which could by no poffibihty have arifen from any other fource , than the maxim which appears to have then governed our councils , viz. that the Weft-Indies There a part of the world in which we ought to afpirc at nothing . * P. 8. f P. 9, #fT The % [ 66 ] ‘The ft amp of this maxim is imprejfed on every part of the treat) *. The r.efolution , however it came to prevail, that we ought not to extend our trade, or 4 ur empire in the Weft*Indies i~• dl'fois very ground- Jej's opinion ^concerning Canada sncl our conti oentnl colonies) was the true fource of our neglett, in the late negotiation, of fuch real commercial advantages , as might augment the refources of Great Britain %■ The curious reader will poffibly be defirous of knowing who the Examiner is; I muft own my- felf wholly incapable of giving him the proper information •, but it I was to conjecture Ihould imagine, either, he or his employer is perfonally - interefted in Guadaioupe’n remaining to England , and is better acquainted with the trade of that ifland than of our own. I would now congratulate my country upon the preliminaries of peace, was it not unfalhionable, and would it not make me i'ufpected of favouring the prefent minittrv, after having been employed in defending our great Commoner, and of being a Scot under covert. However, to (hew that I am a true Englijhman , and am not afraid of fpeak- ing my mind, 1 heartily congratulate them upoo this occafion, and to juftify myfelf in this Angula¬ rity, 1 will aflign feme reafons for it. When I look back to the year 1757, and con- fider wlut was then our fituation, 1 am amazed and thankful, that our dominions will at a peace be fo enlarged and fecurcd, and fuch a wide door • P«je 11. t ‘ 3 - t Psje 69. r 67 j we had reafon to fear that both would be greatly contracted. Yea, all ranks of people were fo dif- pirited and terrified, that they could fcarce fleep foundly in their beds, for fear of invalids, and would have been ready to have agreed with our enemy upon any terms, fo that they could have fe- cured their lives and liberties. What are the pre¬ fent preliminaries, compared with what they mull have been, had our affairs been as badly conduct¬ ed throughout, as at the beginning of the war, before our great Commoner was employed, and proved the rn^ans of recovering us out of our fright, and our affairs out of their woful condition. It is with national fuccefs as with the fun, each hath its meridian * whether ours had reached it no one knows ; but had the war continued, and the event fhewn that it had paffed it, the uneven fpi- rits of the nation had been funk, and we fhould have been glad of a peace upo*n much better terms for the enemy. ,A confiderable mifearriage or two Would have frightened us almoft into defpondency, and we fhould have dreaded one misfortune upon the back of another. Such is the temper of our country. When I confider this, I am rejoiced, that we fhall get out of the war with fo much ho¬ nour and advantage. Had we refufed making peace upon the prefent terms, and our enemies iubmitting to any worle, the war muft have continued : but a peace on thefe terms is better than to have run the hazard of ano¬ ther campaign. We have every year expected, K tli at [ 6S ] that the French , by the great fnperiority of their numbers, would prevail againft the army of the allies, tho* commanded by one of the ableft generals ot the age: and have been furprized at finding that they have been baffled. Would it have been fur- prizing then, if at length they had carried their point 1 I will venture to fay, that very few would have wondered at it, while almoft all had wonder¬ ed, that they had not carried it before. Had our affairs required it, we could have had little or no a ffl fiance from Prujfia \ he would either have had full employ for his troops in oppofing the Aujtrians •, or would have loft no opportunity of giving them a home thruft when he had got them at an advantage, in order to have helped us, when there was no more fubfidy treaty exifting, and we had fo much in hand with which to make reftitu- tion. Would it not have been too great a venture to-have refilled agreeing to the prefent terms, and to have profccuted the war, when attended in dif¬ ferent places with fo much uncertainty, even the improbability of fuccefs : I fay, different places, with a view to Portugal. The Spaniards , humanly (peaking, muft have made themfelves mafters of it, in another campaign. And however fome may talk, we muft have parted with more or lefs of our conquefts to have redeemed it. It is really divert¬ ing to hear it faid, that had the Spaniards conquer¬ ed and retained Portugal , we (hould have been gainers by it, as wc fhould have had a dirett trade to Era/d. It is not only likely and highly probable then. [ 69 J then, but certain , that the king of Portugal would have continued his friendfhip for us, and have fa¬ voured us with a trade to the Br aft Is, though we had refufed giving back fome of our con¬ quefts to the common enemy, in order to recover his kingdom. Rtfum teneatis amici l Would he not rather, finding what an ungenerous ally he had to do with, have made a friend of France , by promifing her the whole woollen trade, have given up all regards for our intereft, and have extricated himfelf out of the war as well as poffible. The importance of Portugal , and our trade with her, is well known to the manufadlurers, and may be per¬ ceived by all that can recolleft, how the Ports pre¬ vailed among us before and at the beginning of the war, ’till lent to Germany , melted down and coin¬ ed into guineas. They that will facrifice nothing for the benefit of allies, will never have allies than are worth any thing : and to think, that, becaufe we are an ifiand, we have no concern with the af- * fairs of the continent, is to forget that we trade with the continent, and is to claim that indepen¬ dency that is inconfiftent with the prefent fyftem of the univerfe. How fhould we have blamed ourfelves, had a change in our affairs, or thofe of our allies, reduced us to the difagreeable necefflty of complying in 1763, with what we have not complied with in 1762. To adapt my language to the ideas of too numerous apart of the community, I hug myfelf, that we are got from the table with fo much booty, e’er a run of ill luck had taken place* K 2 Wc • . J r «• ✓ * • *. % ! ? . i * t* r 7o i - e in a II retain in our hands, more than we flioulu have uonc, nad we made peace upon our own terms the preceding year. Bcikles, the pro- poieu acquifkions or that year, we fliall have an immense tract of country lying between the Jakes Superior and Michigan , the river Ouo.bache to its junction with the Ohio, and the Ohio from thence to the Mijg/Jippi on the one fide, and the head of the MiffiJJippi to its forks on the other. This tract contains many thoufand fquare miles, and runs from Norib to South near as low as North Caro - l:na. We have the free navigation of the river MffiJrpph lb that this tract might be made ufeful • to us, could we tell how to peop e it. But the na¬ vigation of the Mijjijfippi is or the. great eft impor¬ tance, as it opens an euiy communication with the Qitabi'cbe , the Ohio , and the llogohcgee or Cbero- [CCS , whereby all the objections made againlt im- proving the lands adjoining to one or other of thefe rivers, by rcafon of their lying beyond the mountains, and lb far back from the coalt, are removed. 1 he lands of the Ohio will be greatly increafed in value by means of this inland navi¬ gation down to the gulph of Mexico. We are farther to have all that the French claimed or pof- kded to tne eait of the Mijjijfippi at the back of tlw Ci'tcai nSs and Ge rgia y excepting the town of (JrIt *;s y and the ifland in which ir is fitua- ted, containing a prodigious large traCt of coun¬ try, though not equal to that beforementioned, but likely to be much more ufclul, by reafon of * its / i ?f ] its being more to the fuuthward, lying nearer to the lea, and for three hundred miles bordering up¬ on it. In the fouthermoll part of this trac% we have that continental land, I doubt not, which will at nut of and favour the growth of the fugarcane. Becaule lugars are grown chiefly between the tro¬ pics, fome from thence weakly conclude, thac they will grow no where elfe : but experience (hews us, that the lame article will grow in very different cli- mates, and why fliould it not be lb with regard to fugars; yea, we have been told, that the Inhabi¬ tants of Louifmna have actually raffed this commo¬ dity; fliould inquiry (hew this report to be falfe, it is certainly incumbent upon us to make the trial, and we are encouraged to do it from hence, that the fouthernmort part of th eLouiJianian tract ceded to us, is not fo far from the French quarter of St . Domingo , as Surinam. But fliould it be found af- tei trial, that the lugar cane cannot be cultivated in thele parts to an advantage, what fliould hin- dei its being cultivated in the fouthernmoft pare of Florida , about eight degrees more to the North than "Jamaica? If cotton can grow where fugar does, as in Guadaloupe , why cannot fugar grow ’whcie cotton does ? Cotton, we are informed by geographers, growswildin Florida. But all this time 1 have not obierved, that by the preient pwice we are to have all Florida about three bun¬ dled miles long, and upon an average one hun- died broad, fo that we have the whole North dW- coail lor our own, and the whole country as ■ far 0 [ r- 1 ., vV '.. far back as to the Mifflippu We are alio to retain the i(lands of Grenada and the Grenadines , and are to have three, inftead of two, ot the neutral iQands. It may be faid, that the trench are to have the ide oiMiquelon on the coall of Nczvfound- land, which was not allowed them by the laft trea¬ ty. ’very true; but this ifland the French deemed of fo little importance, that they tell us in the hi- ftorical memorial of the negotiation, that the Duke de Choifeul declared it (hould not be infilled upon. However, I with it had not been granted, as 1 am for living France nothing by way of compliance, for fear die (hould retaliate as the viper in the fa¬ ble. With regard to St. Lucia , which is to be re¬ ared to France , it does not appear, but that would h ive been contented to the lad; year. As to Goree, it was refuted by the former negotiation, and fome other expedient was to be thought of. Everyone mud fee, that by the pretent treaty, we are to hold much more than we (hould have gained by that ot the preceding year. ’Tis a matter of tad then, that by the pretent preliminaries we are better oft, than we (hould have been had we made peace the 1 ill yeai u >on our own terms, even though it (hould be thought that thefe preliminaries are not adequate to our the cedes. Ii may be objeded, that we have been loaded wi:h the c.xpence of millions in conle- qoenceof the war’s having been continued and en¬ larged. This neceffarily followed, from our (land¬ ing upon high' r terms than France would agree to, a. d our retufing to comply with the unjuftifiable demands [ 73 ] demands of Spain. But are the expences only on our fide, have not both the French and Spaniards had their expences, and have not the captures made upon the laft paid us well for the extraordinary charge they have put us to. We have got confi- derably from them, to the amount of millions in goods, (hipping and cafh ; not only fo, but ws have obliged them to give up their claim to the Newfoundland fifhery, to allow us the free and un- molefted liberty of cutting, loading, and carrying away logwood, and to cede us Florida. I fhould have been very well pleafed, could we have kept the Havanna , Gotee , Martinico , Guada- loupe , and St. Lucia , all or any of them : but I am not difpleafed though we reftore them, when I re¬ coiled how much we fecure to ourfelves. We have never been noted for making a good peace, for thefe many years; it has been ufually the cafe, that our interefts have been facrificed to the benefit of our allies. It muft be fome fatisfadion therefore to confiderate perfons, that we have improved in the arts of negotiation, though it (hould not appear that we are as yet adepts. It muft be acknowledg¬ ed by all, that our negotiators have taken ample care to prevent all future quarrels between us, the French , and Spaniards , with regard to limits on the continent; and that they have fettled the affair of the logwood trade ; but I cannot find in the pre¬ liminaries a word about the Spaniards examining or not, with their guarda coaftas, our trading fhips as they pals and repafs in the American feas ; this point [ 74 J point ought to be the more carefully fettled, as we ihall navigate thole Teas more than ever, by reafon of our poiTelTing all on this fide the MijfjiJJippi. 1 hope, the minillry will give it proper attention be¬ fore the definitive treaty is concluded. There is al- fo no mention made of the fhips taken from France before the declaration of war. The honour of the nation requires, that this matter fliould be fo fet¬ tled, as that France's commencing hoftilities* in A* mcrica fliould warrant our commencing hoftilities in Europe. Care hath b en taken to demolilli the family compact by the twenty-third article, which renews former treaties inconfiilent with it. But to make a few remarks, with refpecl to the places to be reflored. One would be apt to fuppofe, from what fome fay of the Havanna, that had this remained to us, it would have been an amazing fund of wealth to our nation. So far from it, that unlefs we had applied ourfelves to the cultivation of the country, it would no more have paid the expence of keeping, than Minorca. The inter- courfe between that, Cartagena , Puerto Bello, and i era Cruz had been at an end. The galleons had no longer made it the place of rendezvous, and then it had been foon impoverifiled. If we had re¬ tained the llavanna ,we fliould not have been allow* cd to have traded with the Spanijb IVejl-Indies , and fo fliould have milled of our imaginary gains. Un- Icfs with the harbour we could have had the trade with the other dominions of Spain in thofe Teas, we Ihould have done the Spaniard a confiderable da¬ mage [ 75 J mage by keeping it, without doing ourfelves any ' good, 'fhe main and aimod: only benefit it could be of to us, would, be in war-time, as it would prove an excellent harbour for out fhippmg, and in cafe of a rupture with Spain would endanger their galleons. But what! is there no place ei-* ther on the eaflern or weflern coaft of Florida , or on the coaft that runs from Florida to the Miffifjip- .pi, where we might make a harbour? Is there no bay from St. Auguftin all round Florida to the ifland of New Orleans , an extent of nine hundred miles, where we might have a fafe port for our fhips to run into, careen and repair ? The bay of Mo¬ bile and the bay of Penfacda make a fine appear¬ ance in the map, and if they have a good entrance and proper depth of water will afford our (hipping all the {belter wanted, and by lying in the gulf of Mexico will,in cafe of a frefli rupture with Spain, favour our views upon the galleons. I cannot but think, that, within that length of 300 miles of coaft on the gulf of Mexico that France cedes to us, we may find a convenient fpot where to e- re6t docks, and yards, for the fervice of our navy ir. thofe parts, and that may fupply the place of the Ha r oanna. This at lead ought to be examined into. As to the Fluvanna, while it would be of no great advantage to ns in a time of peace, it would be of fuch detriment to the Spaniards, that they would fcarce have, confented to any peace but upon condition of its being reflored and^ tho*- Florida is not an equivalent to them, it may be L made [ 7 6 3 tnade almoft of as much, if not of more confe- quence to th^ Englijh. Bcfides, by rcftoring the llavanna , we fettle the difpute about the fdhery and logwood trade, and recover to our ally ol Portugal the places that Spain hath taken from him. Goree hath been represented as necefiary to the Security of Senegal, and it hath been argued, tha c for this reafon, it lliould have been retained *, and yet, Senegal was taken May i, 1758, and Goree not ’till December 29, two different expeditions were fet on foot againft -them at diftant periods, and the mouth of the river Sanaga is full a hun¬ dred miles to the northward of Goree. Can it be thought, that the laft is necefiary to the fecurity of ''Senegal , or can afford fuch fecurity, when it lies at : f U ch a diftance from it, and when we were not o- bli^ed to reduce that, e’er we had taken the other, inftead of, before we attacked the other! They that will believe againft inferences fairly deduced from fads, are too far gone to be argued with *. That we fiiould have kept Martinico , Guada- Jcupe , and St. Lucia , is not argued for, except by thofe that are for keeping all that we have con¬ quered. But many think, that we fhould have retained either Guadaloupe or St. Lucia , or both. And what, and if the trench would not have con¬ tented to it, and we had been obliged to have pro- • I fay nothing of the importance of Senegal, as the vigorous endeavours of our merchant* to prevent hie monopoly ot its trade are an indifputablc pioof of it. longed 177 j longed the war, and our affairs had taken a new and unhappy turn ! This is uot thought of. We have been fo ufed for years to fuccefs, that it does not once enter our minds that we may pofiibly meet with rebuffs. But what is thought of, is the advantage that we might reap from the poffelfion of Guadaloupe and St. Lucia. The latter may have a fine harbour, and may therefore feem neceffary ; but we have in Granada one, if not equally fine, as fine * as is wanted ; and it’s certain, that tho’ we have wanted the harbour of St. Lucia , we have done without it hitherto. The want of fuch a one may have fubjedted us to fome difficulties-, but ftill we have done very well notwithftanding *, and nothing can be a better proof, of its not being fo very necefiary as what feme would iniinuate. Tho* we have not had this port to repair to in the hurricane feafon, I do not recollect that we have loft a fingle fhip in confequence thereof, the whole war. Guadaloupe would have without doubt been of great ufe to us *, and yet not of fuch ufe as the advocates for keeping it pretend ; this hath been fhown above under the article of Guadaloupe • W ith * The principal port, called Lewis* Hands in the middle of a large bay on the weft fide of the ifland, which has a fandy bottom, where a thoufand barks from three to four hundred tens may ride fafe from florins, and the harbour will hold a hundred (hips of a thoufand tons moored. By reafon of a fand bank, great (hips are obliged to pafs within 80 paces of one of the two little mountains which are at the mouth of the harbour, and half a mile or thereabouts afunder. L a regard regard to cotton, the main particular in which for the prefent it would have been uleful to us, 1 have oblerved that it grows wild in Florida . Now there is no proportion between Florida and Guadeloupe as to iize, the former being fo much larger than the latter. We may argue from rhe coecqns grow¬ ing wild in Florida that the foil is natural to it, and that of courfe it may be eafily cultivated, and will pay well for the trouble. Why then fhould we dehre to retain Guadeloupe for the fake of its cotton ! Rather let us promote the fettling of Flo¬ rida . The enfuing peace will cut off the means of fupport from thou lands—thouiands that have been employed in fighting our battles for us. Let our acquifitions be peopled with colonies out of this body of brave men. Let every encouragement be given to thofe of them that are married, or that wiji marry, and go to fettle abroad. And what can be a more iuitable place than Florida , or em¬ ploy than the cultivation of cotton. When once the ground is cleared, they will have little difficul¬ ty in cultivating it, the foil being natural to it. They may low and gather it themfclves •, and a number of children would in a few years, inftead of being a burden to them, be of confiderable fcrvicc. They might cultivate this commodity, notwithflandingthc iownefs of their circuinflances, and be ioon able to maintain themlelves without any further help from the government than pro?* teefion. But I muff not overlook the addition of fugar land, that we ffiould have gained by retain- ing L 79 3 ing Guadaloupe and St Lucia ; and that more fu- gar land is wanted than what our former Weft-In¬ dian iflands contained, I am ready to allow. I have mentioned the neceffity of continental land capable ot producing fugars, and have fpecified where 1 apprehend we have that land j I would now obierve, that by the prefeftt preliminaries we increafe our iniufar lugar land in the IVeIt-Indies confiderably. Notwithstanding our claim upon the neutral iflands, the French were in poffeffion of them; whereas now we ffiall have three out of four in our own hands. Before we had only our title to them, which was difputed;* but now, by entering upon them, theie is an actual addition of fo much to our IV 0 -Indian territory. This addition is not trifling. Dominica is about 32 miles in length and 12 in breadth. Tobago is about 36 miles in length, 12 in breadth, and 90 in circumference. St. Vincent is ftill larger, by the acknowledgment of the Examiner *. Either of thefe iflands is bigger than St. Lucia. In time of peace, the fi¬ xation of thefe iflands will .be of no difadvanta^e to them; and in time of war, that which pro¬ tects our other iflands from being conquered, will fuffice to protect them, notwithftanding the neigh¬ bourhood of the French iflands, viz. the fuperi- ority of our navy. But befides having the aftual pofleflion of the above neutral iflands, we are to * Page 63. have r>« • [ *° ] lvive Grenada about 75 miles in circumference, to¬ other with the adjacent fmall iflands called the Grenadines *, and in Grenada , as hath been above ob- ferved, we fhall have a mod excellent harbour. It may be feared, that by making the reftitutions we have agreed to, and by fuffering the French to have a {hare in the filhery, we have left it in their power to begin a frefh war with us after a few years ; and that we fhall foon fee them in as flou- rifhing a condition as ever. Though they are not excluded from the filhery, yet their liberty of fifli- in CT , compared with what it was before the war, is^o curtailed, that they mult fuffer a confiderabie prejudice. Surely there is a vaft difference be¬ tween their having Cape Breton , and all the other idands in the gulf of St. Lawrence , on which to cure their fifli caught upon their coafts, and their not being allowed ‘ to excrcife the fifhery but at * the diftance of three leagues from all the coafts « belonging to Great Britain , as well thofe of the * continent, as thofe of the iflands in the gulf; « a nd out of the gulf, but at the diftance of fif- * teen leagues from the coafts of the ifland of Cape * Breton .* Thofe reftriclions will be preventive of their carrying on fo extenfive a fifhery as for¬ merly ; and the poftelTion of • G ape B) elon and the other iflands, with fecurity upon all the coafts of Nova Scotia , will give us fuch advantages in. the filhery, that it will be our own fault if we do not exclude the French from a great part of the fo¬ reign trade for fifli. That. France will commence a new [ Si ] new quarrel with us, whenever fhe can hope to gain by it, I do not in the leaft queftion ; and had we retained all that we have taken, this would not have prevented it. If the fituation of our own affairs, had warranted her expecting to make an advantage by breaking with us, fine would have done it, tho’ flie had not been fully recovered of the wounds received in the prefent war: but when • fully recovered of them, fhe will not dare to do it unlefs our own circumftances give the tempta¬ tion. Let there be a thorough good underftand- ing between the feveral parts of the legiflature, and unanimity among our great men, fpreading its balmy influence through the lower ranks of the body politick, to the preventing or healing of their diviflons. Let our miniftry be fpirited, re- fuflng to be the dupes of foreign princes, and dif- covering a determined refolution properly to refent, not only real injuries, but mcer indignities offered folely with the view of trying their courage. Let individuals move in their own fphere, and each obferve to keep the ftation he is pofted in by his birth, rank, and character. Let principles of oeco- nomy be adopted, government fine-cures be an¬ nihilated, expendve perquifites be reduced, luxu¬ riant penfions (given for vote and intereft, and not the rewards of real merit,) undergo a good lopping, and the extravagant profits of places be brought within due bounds. Let us not live up to the income of our common eftate, but remem¬ ber how deeply the fame is mortgaged, and ap- ply / t 82 J ; ; ; , ' \ " ply ourfelyes to the leffening the incumbrance, tiiat pofterity may think of us with gratitude, and revere our memories. Let us attend to the im¬ proving our new acquired or recovered territories, by planting colonies and enlarging our trade, that fo the iuperfluous hands thrown in upon the na¬ tion by the peace, whether Tailors orfoldiers, may neither itarve, beg. Heal, or quit an ungrateful chrijlian country (which after having ferved its turn by them, hath no further concern about them) to enter into foreign fervice. In doing this, let us oblerve, to make a fettlement one or more up¬ on the banks of the Miffiffippi, and to enter as foon as poflible upon the a&ual navigation of it, that it may appear we meant not to ftipulate for rights which we intended to make no ufe of, and that future periods may produce no litigations by our buffering them to lie dormant. Let us alfo for the futurc maintain in peaceable times a more powerful navy than we have been ufed to do, that fo we may not hazard being fatally furprized, as " c ii! V » ■ * • * * * • v *- • -- « - * • .• > - ’i-x. r . • . - " •■ ' **• - , *« ' •:* 1 . * * ♦. ^ * ■*, - * • ' * 0 ♦* - V* * • + * .v , < * - ' • • « — V * * V* v •;'/ ' •V '*..*-**; ^*v\, „ *.'X V v /■* * * • «• * »* . ' :. • •: * • •• ' ■ V *• : *' * * \ + m • * **■ - X* - i '* *'• • . i - . . 4 . t* • V A*' .. • • : • *. . • „ ' : •' ' > *o>>;-♦ ‘ « . : >* -V % .*• . ^ % - +1 ■ \ - * - ' • ‘ . UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA thoughts on TRADE in general, lond 0112 025307734