1828.] Mr. Huskisson's Colonial Trade Bill, 1825. 273 



nation on this head. Even with the supporters of the hypothesis we 

 have assumed, we believe, it is universally admitted, that the benefits 

 proposed are to be sought only in a generally healthy and nourishing 

 condition of the colonies. Yet every page of colonial history here again 

 corroborates the conclusions of a priori reasoning. The examples of our 

 own colonies will, we apprehend, be familiar to our readers. Should 

 their knowledge and observation, however, here fail to supply them 

 with the proof, we have only to refer them to the loud complaints of 

 the colonists themselves, and the admissions on all sides of the depressed 

 state of our colonial possessions, which called forth Mr. Huskisson's 

 liberal measures for their relief. But it is not alone in the history of 

 the British Colonies that the same important reason is to be learnt: 

 While the Danish Colonies of St. Thomas and Santa Cruz were under 

 the restrictive dominion of an exclusive company they languished in 

 insignificance. The dissolution of the company became the epoch of 

 their prosperity. In the Dutch colony of Surinam, the privileges of the 

 company which possessed the monopoly of its trade, were at one period 

 exercised with great restriction. With the reservation of the monopoly 

 of the Slave Trade, the company were afterwards forced to forego all 

 privileges, but the power of subjecting the Dutch ships trading there 

 to a duty of two and a half per cent, upon the value of their cargo, as a 

 license for trading. The prosperity which had been previously denied 

 to Surinam followed this relaxation of the privileges of its company. In 

 the midst of colonies of great national superiority, Curaoa and Eustatia 

 were but a couple of comparatively barren islands. But the ports of 

 Cura9oa and Eustatia were open to the unrestricted intercourse of all 

 nations ; and while better colonies were languishing, Cura9oa and 

 Eustatia grew into importance. With the French colony of Canada, 

 the substitution of a more liberal policy produced precisely the same 

 results. While under the direction of a restrictive company, its progress 

 towards prosperity was very slow. With the dissolution of the company 

 it acquired a rapid increase. 



But in all that is urged about employment of capital, there are, after 

 all, two considerations, which must on no account be lost sight of : 



1. It must be remembered that colonies can neither be established, 

 governed, or defended without expense. But expense can only be pro- 

 vided by taxation, and taxation generally falls upon the individuals of 

 the mother country ; to all the extent then to which it is paid by those 

 capitalists who are assumed to benefit by the consumption of the colo- 

 nies, it is a premium for trade in other words, a drawback on profit. 

 To all the extent to which it is borne by others, it is a bounty paid out 

 of the pockets of those others, to enable third parties to obtain a suppo- 

 sititious benefit to themselves. What is the extent of these drawbacks 

 and bounties it is impossible adequately to ascertain. They will not be 

 found alone in the various departments of those prolific kinds of expen- 

 diture, government and defence; army, navy, commissariat, ordnance; 

 mal-administration of justice abroad, and correction of it at home ; they 

 will extend to all the wars to which colonial possessions contrive to give 

 birth. The Spanish war of 1739 was a colony quarrel. The war pre- 

 viously to the American war was equally so : and the latter was calcu- 

 lated to have cost this country ninety millions sterling. The American 

 war itself (a war which, in another part of America, we may one day be 

 driven to renew, if O ur rulers should be mad enough to desire the 



M.M. New Series VOL. V. No. 27. 2 N 



