G 



The British Empire possesses within itself, 

 to an extent without example, these elements of 

 power, in a state of combination peculiarly favor- 

 able to the excitement of industry, and to the 

 development of the means of protecting the pro- 

 perty which becomes the effect of industry. 

 The soil and climate, the minerals, the fisheries, the 

 insularity of the United Kingdom ; the variety 

 of soil, climate, production and the maritime dis- 

 tance of the British possessions and dependen- 

 cies, in North America, in the Antilles, in New 

 Holland, in Asia, in Africa, and at the entrance 

 and in the Isles of the Mediterranean Sea ; 

 and the numerous people who inhabit these coun- 

 tries — laborious, inventive, enterprising and per- 

 severing, present a combination unparalleled in the 

 History of Nations. It is the province of the 

 Statesman, to develop these vast resources ; and 

 however extensive the object may be, an atten- 

 tive and undeviating regard to first principles will 

 produce a simplicity of action, the least exposed to 

 the risk of error or miscarriage. 



Considered in reference to the intercourse of 

 trade, a due regard to first principles would require 

 that duties and taxes should be limited, through- 

 out the Empire, to the proper annual expenses 

 of the State, and of the several local Govern- 

 ments ; that the readiest and least expensive com- 

 munication, by means of roads, bridges, internal 



