20O 



faftures. Few people difcriminate fufficiently; when they projeft the 

 eflablifhment of new manufaftures, they are too apt to imagine, that 

 all forts are equally beneficial to the flate ; or have no rule to govern 

 them, but the proportional value of the manufactures, that may be 

 worked up in a given time. 



Where the means of a country are not fufficient to give aftivity to 

 the whole range of manufa£lures, to which the natural advantages of 

 luch a country may be adapted ; a wife legiflator will enquire to what 

 manufaftures his attention may be directed with the greatefl: affurancc 

 of confulting public .utility. To direft him in making this enquiry, 

 he will confider, not merely the intrinfic excellence and value of the 

 manufadure abftractedly confidered. He will weigh other motives of 

 a moral and political nature, refulting from the flate of fociety j the 

 temper and habits of the people, the progrefs of agriculture, the diffu- 

 fion of fcience and induftry, the pecuniary refources, the popular pre- 

 judices, the form of government, and the foreign relations of a country 

 for all thefe muft have more or lefs influence, on the profperity of par- 

 ticular manufaftures. 



Sect. 2. 



Manufactures confidered on the ground of intrinfic Excellence and Value. 



Manufactures are to be confidered — with regard to the wants and 

 comforts of human creatures in fociety — the quantity of labour of in- 

 dividuals, or productive induftry, that they employ — or the quantity of 

 a pital, that is requifite, to carry them on, with effeCt. Some manu- 

 factures are neceffary to the proteftion of the individual, from the in- 

 clemency of the elements — to his fubfiftence, health, eafe, and comfort. — 

 Thefe (to a certain degree) mufi be procured ; and of courfe the arts 



which 



