On Commerce* 2C9 



either weakens or invalidates my former propositions, (viz.) 

 That there was no country, however highly it may be favour- 

 ed, which can produce oil that is necessary for the comfort, 

 health, protection, and security of its inhabitants. 



I will here confine my observations to our own country: 

 St the same time I am confident that in a great variety of 

 articles such observations are applicable to every nation. I 

 believe none will deny that this country is highly favoured, 

 whether we consider the mildness of the climate, the pro- 

 ductiveness of the soil, the astonishing improvements ia 

 agriculture, the skill and persevering industry of our manu- 

 facturers, the enterprising spirit of our merchants, &c, — Yet 

 with all these how numerous are our wants ! It is a fact well 

 ascertained, although not generally known, that this country 

 does not on an average raise as much corn as is absolutely 

 necessary for the support of the inhabitants. When this is 

 the case, it would certainly be worse than folly to occupy 

 any part of the land which is proper for the production of 

 corn to any other purpose. How are we to procure our flax 

 and hemp? the consumption of which, I scruple not to say, 

 is immense; and I think it will be generally admitted, that 

 the various purposes to which linen is adapted add much, 

 very much, to our comfort, in almost innumerable instances. 

 Now for protection, without these two articles what would 

 become of our navy, the glory and boast of our country, as 

 well as all the vessels employed in commercial concerns? 

 But this is not all ; for even in wood we are deficient, parti- 

 cularly for masts, as well as some other kinds needless to 

 mention. Another artiele for which we are entirely depen- 

 dent on foreign supplies is gunpowder, which in the present 

 state of the world (and there is no appearance of its being 

 better) is of the most absolute necessity. Must we not bring 

 our sulphur from abroad, and our nitre from almost the ends 

 of the earth? { turn my eyes to our large bleaching-grounds: 

 From whence do we draw the principal materials forcleaning 

 and whitening our linen, by which means it is rendered fit 

 for all the various purposes to which it is adapted ? If I sur- 

 vey our more extended print-fields in all their various de- 

 partments, but particularly in the variety of those colours 



where 



