il land, com pn red with those of France, were not yet more dccu 

 '* sive." Young's Travels in France, vol. 1. chap. 4. p. 343. 



The above considerations seem to me perfectly just, and I 

 think they admit of an important application to the present cir- 

 cumstances of our country. Such is now the condition of En- 

 rope, that whether we have peace or war, we must continue in 

 a posture of jealous defence for a longer period than any human 

 prospect can calculate. We must dedicate a large proportion 6f 

 our numbers to the protection of the state, or we cannot ex- 

 ist in any tolerable safety. In considering the several nations of 

 Europe, I imagine it will be found, that most of them have al- 

 ways maintained, and still do maintain, a much greater armed 

 force, in proportion to their numbers and resources, than we 

 have ever done. I believe the proportion of their population, 

 which they have maintained in arms, has been uniformly larger 

 than ours ; and yet, if there be any truth in the principles I have 

 tated, we should be able to maintain at least as large a propor- 

 tion of our people in arms as any nation, in the world ; and bet. 

 ter appointed and supplied. 



Let it, therefore, be no excuse for our failing to adopt suffi- 

 cient measures of defence, now when all is at hazard, that we 

 cannot support a larger military and naval establishment. Other 

 nations have made greater exertions to serve the purposes of con. 

 quest and ambition than we have yet made for our immediate 

 safety. That safety, I fear, is only to be preserved by the exten- 

 sion and improvement of a regular force. I am not free from 

 the old constitutional jealousy on this subject (though I think 

 that has been extreme) but there is now only a choice of evils, 

 and we have at present more to fear from the standing armies 

 of other states than from our own. If we outlive the present 

 stornu the vigour of our system will renovate itself: What we 

 have now to provide against, is the risque of perishing in the 

 commotion. 



Some general plan of armament subsidiary to the regular force, 

 and calculated to keep up its supplies, such as that lately recom- 

 mended by Lord Selkirk, I should think also highly advisable. 



NOTE (B.) p. 21. 



" Do you think, that we could at present spare the market 

 <J that our distillery affords without injuring our agriculture ? It 

 " seems to me, that it is impossible to spare it without a direct 

 <{ injury to the agriculture of the kingdom]; for though the 

 ** amount of the distillery has beeu stated at only one sixteenth t 



