BOOK II. CHAP. IX. 199 



a publick channel, Iffue proclamations for exprcfsly encouraging the 

 importation of gold coin from Portugal ; is there any doubt, but 

 every Brltifh veliel, and their crews, would be fcarched in the mort: 

 rigorous manner before they were fuffered to depart from Lifbon and 

 Oporto ? or may it not rather be queftioned, whether anv Britifh 

 vefl'el would ever be admitted to enter them apain ? 



I have faid enough to point out the ill confequence of this mea- 

 fure, and the ground of complaint among the Jamaica-traders, who 

 are all fenfible that, inftead of being ferved by it, they have loft 

 what perhaps may never be retrieved. And, unfortunately, things 

 are fo circumftanced, that a repeal of the free-port law would only 

 tend to make bad matters worfe. We mud therefore leave it to 

 the operation of time, and the dexterous management of thofe 

 parties who are to be reciprocal gainers by this traffic, to revive it 

 again extenfively. It is a very juft obfervation I have fomewhere 

 met with, that, confidering the native wants of Spain, the vaft 

 expences (he is at in endeavouring to prevent her colony-fubjedls 

 from fupplyingthemfelves with various conveniences in a clandeftinc 

 manner, which they cannot procure, at leafl: in fufficient quantity, 

 or equally cheap, by any other channel at prefent ; — That, notwith- 

 flanding all thefe precautions, no lefs than fifteen millions of every 

 annual cargo have been fuppofed to belong to foreigners ; and that 

 it is, in every view, fo much for the intereft of that nation to culti- 

 vate the friendfhip of Britain, and admit the latter to a fair and 

 regular commerce by treaty : — Thefe circumftances confidered, it 

 is amazing that ihe fhould rather have chofen to reje£l what might 

 fettle a perpetual harmony between the two nations, and to perfift 

 in thofe ftubborn maxims, of whofe inefficacy fhe has had fo 

 long and uniform an experience. It is in vain for her to expedi, 

 that her numerous fubje£ls here will obey thofe refcripts, in the 

 breach of which their natural wants, as well as their intereft and 

 inclination, concur. Inftead of an equitable tariff, admitting the 

 free importation of certain enumerated goods and manufactures 

 from Britain ; fhe has often unneceffiirily infulted and provoked its 

 vengeance : and the iflue of all her quarrels has only ended in 

 wafte of her treafure, lofs of fhips, and the affording more conve- 

 nient opportunity for the fubjeds on bpth fides to profecute that 

 6 very 



