OF SCOTLAND. 109 



unacquainted with the abilities of the country, or 

 inattentive to the fallacious caufes of that increafe, 

 exult on the imaginary ftourifhing date of the king- 

 dom, and the progreffive revenue which may be 

 expected to flow therefrom. 



That this increafe is derived from impolitic fources, 

 every reader will readily allow, when informed, 

 that it arifes chiefly from additional duties on fait, 

 foap, printed cloths, mullins,lawns, and other articles 

 highly prejudicial to fifheries, and infant manufac- 

 tures ; alfo from diftilleries, though the kingdom de- 

 pends upon other nations for daily fupport in meal 

 and grain. 



Moil certain it is, that nature hath put a negative 

 againft productive revenue, and extenfive agricul- 

 ture in that kingdom; endowing it, however, by 

 means of other channels, with the fourccs of 

 beneficial, active bufinefs. Were government, 

 therefore, to follow this unerring guide, to co- 

 operate with it in the great lines of political admi- 

 niftration, and to confider Scotland, not as an ob-r 

 ject of revenue, but of trade, the following eftimates 

 will Ihow the prodigious advantages that mull flow 

 to England from the proportions before ftated. 



Admitting 200,000!. annually to be the utmoft 

 extent of neat revenue in Scotland, and alfo the 

 given fum for its improvement ; the progrefllvc 

 increafe of population, naval ftrength, imports from 

 England, and the influx of fpecie to that kingdom, 

 would, we conjecture, from the above-mentioned 

 circumftances, be found at the end of fifty years as 

 follows : 

 Wefliall ftate-^ 



the populati- 1 1,300,000; and in 18343^3,000,000 



on in 1784 at J 

 The men em-" 



20 > 000 - ditto 5 

 the fifheries in f 



the belt years J 



The 



