e Bounty , to encourage the Exportation of Com. 427 
cannot luffer materially in the failure or lols 
of his crops, but the public will be affe&ed by 
it: and, what is worfe, while he plants wheat, 
for the fale of which the public are loaded with 
a heavy tax, he omits planting other grain, 
which England, is obliged to import from abroad. 
At the fame time that we have paid two hundred 
thoufand po_unds a year for bounties on corn 
exported, we have paid five hundred thoufand 
pounds for oats imported, making together feven 
hundred thoufand pounds. Can a more ftriking 
proof of the folly of the meafure be defired, 
than giving fuch a fum to force a trade in one 
article, which neceftarily obliges us to be pur- 
chafers for fo large a fum in another, without 
any the leaf: allowance whatever ? 
But, there are thole who would perfuade us, 
that to grow corn, or trade in it to any advan¬ 
tage, our ports fhould be always open, that the 
merchant might export or import, as bed fuited 
his intereft. If the merchant were the only man 
in the kingdom whofe welfare was to be 
confidered, perhaps it might be right 3 or, if 
mankind confidered all nations as brethren, 
among whom charity univerfally prevailed, the 
maxim might be juft. But whilll neighbouring 
nations calculate their own intereft, by the lol's 
of it in others, the country which fhould be 
anxious to provide bread for its neighbours, 
would be lure to want it for itfelf. On this 
plan. 
