202 Remarks on an Essau on Commerce. 



it must be known that corn, instead of rice, would as ill 

 a.gree with the constitution of a native Indian, as rice, sub- 

 stituted for corn, would with that of an European. Again, 

 to notice an example Mr. Graham has selected as one par- 

 ticularly worthy of attention — I mean the difficulty of this 

 island and the continent reciprocally obtaining wine and 

 porter; which he condemns as a piece of cruel policy, that 

 prevents a great bulk of people from enjoying those bounties 

 •of Providence which the earth sends forth in such abund- 

 ,5:^nce. Now, these articles are certainly, both of them, very 

 useful in the countries in which they are respectively manu- 

 factured, and custom may have led some persons to suppose 

 that they (particularly the first) are equally so in those in 

 which they cannot be manufactured ; but, taking the ques- 

 tion generally (which is the only way to determine it cor- 

 rectly), let me ask, how long an English brick-maker could 

 support himself upon French claret in lieu of porter, or 

 xvhat would become of a French peasant, were he to drink 

 as plentifully of Burton ale as he does of his native wine? 

 In the same manner, it may be argued, that the importa- 

 tion of tea, which, from its general use, is looked upon bv 

 many as a necessary of life, ought to be encouraged and 

 promoted in this country ; but, no one will undertake to 

 say, that its use in this country (where, notwithstanding its 

 prevalence, it is deprecated by the faculty) can be compared 

 with its use in China, to which it is indigenous ; it consti- 

 tutes there the common drink of all descriptions of persons, 

 from the highest to the lowest orders, and affords as much 

 nourishment and refreshment to them as beer or wine does 

 to the inhabitants of this country or the continent. 



It is moreover to be observed, that a person passing from 

 one country into another, where he settles as an inhabitant, 

 no longer stands in need of those articles on which he has 

 been in the habit of subsisting, and which can only be pro- 

 duced in the country he has left : these, indeed; so far from 

 being necessary to his support, are frequently injurious and 

 impioper, — the most fit being such as are produced, or are, 

 at least, capable of being produced, in the climate into 

 •which he has removed : which is another strong and con-? 



vincins: 



