RESTRICTIONS DEFEATED. 119 



I shall never cease to pray that these evils, which 

 paralyse all commerce, may be corrected. 



" Let those three articles be erased, and I pledge 

 myself, that, before a year shall have elapsed, the 

 beneficial influence of a commerce really free will 

 begin to be felt. Foreign merchants protected by 

 law, and seeing their speculations encouraged in 

 every way not opposed to the public advantage, 

 will flock to our market : this competition will 

 lower the price of articles consumed in the coun- 

 try ; while it will raise that of such as are pro- 

 duced in it for exportation, and opulence will 

 speedily take up her residence amongst us.**' 



The first of the three articles alluded to for- 

 bids the introduction of any goods, unless con- 

 signed to an inhabitant of the city, and a natural- 

 ized subject. The second directs that no stran- 

 ger shall be allowed to establish a factory, or a 

 commercial house, in the province ; and the third 

 is intended to give such advantages to the native 

 merchant, as must prevent all foreign competi- 

 tion. 



As might be expected, these laws were begin- 

 ning to be evaded by English and other capital- 



