ftJO THE BEE, OR Feb. l6, 



Statijlics. 



Sir Jolin Sliidaii-'s patriotic exertions have not been con- 

 fined to the foregoing- objeft only : His aclive mind, which 

 fuffers no abatement of exertion when ufeful inijuovements are 

 in view, has been, for fome time pad, bufy in purfuit of ano- 

 ther objedi of great national importance, which he has now 

 the profpect; of bringing to'a happy conclufion. In the courfe 

 of his extenfive inquiries refpefting the finances and refourc- 

 es of this country, he had innumeiable occafions to remark, 

 that without an accurate knowledge of the real Hate of the 

 country at the prcfent time, when compared with that at 

 former periods, with refpect to population, indultry, com- 

 merce, and other circumftances, a financier muft proceed in 

 the dark, and be not only obliged to grope his way at firft, 

 without being able to difcover any ray of light to dired his 

 fteps, but mud go on in the fame way without either he 

 himfelf or his fucceffors being able to know whether the mea- 

 fures have proved hurtful or beneficial. 



To remove this uncertainty in a matter of fo much im- 

 portance, no method appeared fo natural to our enlightened 

 legillator, as that of obtaining an authentic accouut of the 

 prefent ftate of the country, in refpcCt to every particular 

 that can tend to affe£l, direSly or indireftly, the happinefs 

 and the profperity of the people ; — and to obtain this, with 

 refpefl to Scotland, he has called in the affiflance of the 

 clergy, a fet of men in this country, which, confidered as a 

 lod)\ is perhaps as refpgftable a community as any on the 

 globe. By his own vigorous exertions, and the affiftance of 

 thefe worthy men, he has already obtained, as we are affur- 

 <^d from the mofl undoubted autliority, materials for giving 

 a very perfeil: ftatijiical * account of many pariflies in that 

 country 3 in digefting which into proper form, Sir John has 

 been bufily employed during the <hort rece'.s of Parliament j 

 a"d in the profecution of which, we are allured, he will go 

 on with unremitting diligence, during every hour that can 

 be fpared from his aftive duties as a Britiih fenator. 



* 5/fl///?«a/ is a word hardly yet naturalized in the country. — With- 

 out entering into a laboured etymolog)' of the word, it is fufficitnt to 

 inform oar readLts, that it means an account of the ftate of any couutry 

 rcfpcding populatioc aj':d induftry. 



