Tea with ref peel to the Export of Gold and Silver . 291 
continue, under our prefent circumdances, to anfwer fuch de- 
mands as may be made on us, nor to provide for the accidents 
to which every great date is fubje<d. What figure fhall vve 
make, fhould we be distressed' for thefe metals? We may al- 
ways keep a fufficient quantity of them, if we pleafe, and in- 
dead of checking trade, promote, and even encourage all ufe- 
ful branches of commerce, by this very means. 
I have accounted for the exportation of £. 1,300,000, near 
the amount of the fuppofed importation, without reckoning any 
coin or bullion fent out for interest of money ; without efti- 
mating the extraordinary export neceffary for war and the affairs 
of the (late, nor yet the gold and diver which we wear out; con~ 
fequently inftead of laying up jT. 2 or 300,000 annually, as I 
think we ought to do, is there not reafon to apprehend we are 
now {inking our old {lock ? May we not too late repent our 
reafonings, and the indifference arifmg from fuch reafonings ? 
Tho’ the interest above-mentioned may be partly laid out in 
principal, which, by the way, ferves to augment our debt to 
foreigners : and tho’ the greated portion of fuch intered may be 
conddered as paid in the natural produce of this idand, or in that 
of our valuable poffeffions in America ; yet this makes nothing 
against the force of the general argument, but rather for it. 
’Tis acknowledged that gold and diver are but commodities. 
“ If,” fay they, tc you were poffeffed of all the gold and Iilver 
Cv you have imported for ages pad:, the value of it would be fo 
“ much the lefs : indead of five drillings and fix- pence for an 
<c ounce of diver, it might not be worth three drillings.” I am 
not fure of that; for let the quantity be ever fo large, the value 
i:r one country will bear a proportion to the value in another. 
But what is this to the purpofe ? Do gold and diver differ 
effentially from all other commodities? The returns of them, 
