A. D. 1760. ^^^ 



ufe of the redundant number of them, or on grounds hitherto ufelefs 

 for want of manure, in order to raife corn, &c. to increafe the breed 

 of men, whole numbers in ail countries are exadly in proportion to 

 the means of fubfillence : and men, induflrious men, not horfes, con- 

 flitute the true riches and ftrength of a well-regulated nation. 



It has alfo been objeded, that the increafe of inland navigation muft, 

 by its fuperior cheapnefs, eafe, and certainty, diminifh our coafting 

 trade, and confecjuently weaken the navy, the natural and conftitutional 



bulwark of Great Britain This objeftion is fomewhat like the former 



one : it is regretting the enjoyment of an advantage ; and the apprehen- 

 fion is apparently unfounded : for, as all rhe various branches of com- 

 merce mutually depend on, and fupport one another, the extenfion of 

 the inland commerce will not diminifli, but greatly enlarge, the number 

 of iTiips and feamen, elpecially the later by the acceflion of vaft num- 

 bers of young men, trained up in the management of fails and oars, in 

 parts of the country where no fail nor oar was ever feen before the in- 

 trodudion of canals. And experience has adlually confirmed this rea- 

 foning, not only in the general increafe of fhipping, and confequently 

 of feamen *, but by the certain knowlege, that the interior part of the 

 country has begun to rival the coafi; as a nurfery of feamen both for the 

 merchant fliips and fliips of war. 



Another objedion is, that vaft fums of money have been funk in. 



making canals But this is a very frivolous cavil. If an eftate is pro- 



dudive, the owner will never objed to its being too great. And this 

 kind of property has never failed of being advantageous to the public, 

 even in thoi'e inflanccs where it has not been profitable to the proprie- 

 tors. But granting the worft, that the canal is ufelefs to the public, 

 and confequently a dead lofs to the proprietors, there is ftill no national 

 lofs : the money is only transferred from the pockets of the numerous 

 lubfcribers, who are generally in circumilances to bear the lols of the 

 lums fubfcribed, into the hands of induftrious mechanics and labourers, 

 who immediately return it into the general circulation. None of it is 

 either hoarded or fent out of the country. Many turnpike roads coft 

 more by the mile than fomc canals do : and :is one horle can draw as- 

 great a weight of goods upon a canal, as thirty can draw upon a road, 

 the fuperior ferviceablenefs and profit of the canal are obvious. 



There is yet another objection to canals, which, though rather too ri- 

 diculous to merit notice, has been repeatedly urged, that tliey deftroy 

 great quantities of land, which might be better employed in raifing 



• III the year 1760, juft before the duke of burthen was 1,379,329 inns (regular moafuic- 



Bridgcvvalcr's lirll c.inal was finiOitd, the fiilps inent), wliicli mull h.m- lequircd coiifiderably 



cleared out of the ports of F-iighnd were rate<i to more than d'luble the number of failors; and there 



carry 471,241 tuns. In the year 1790, when al- can be no doubt that the inland navigation ha; 



moll all England was iiitcrfcclcd by canah, their, contributeil its projxjitiun to the great increafe. 



