7 ea with refpeSl to the Export of Gold and Silver . 29 g 
be a difficult talk to perfuade a foldier, native or foreigner, to 
accept a bit of tin or lead in the place of gold or filver. 
Can vve fupport an extenfive credit, without gold or filver ? 
If there is not a quantity of thefe to bear a due proportion to 
the riches ; or, to exprefs myfelf more properly, to the pro- 
perty, for which the public is engaged, the paper which now 
anfwers all the purpofes of gold and filver, may very eafily ceafe 
to have any value at all. 
The stress of my argument is laid upon the confumption of 
tea, as an article which drains us, mofl unprofitably, of our gold 
and filver. If it is urged that we have gone on well for a great 
number of years, and therefore there can be no necessity to 
trouble ourfelves about a change : I anfwer, that we ought to 
change, becaufe the course of things are changed. Com- 
mercial wars, in time of nominal peace, were things unknown 
to us : but our wars in east-india have drained us of great 
quantities of gold and filver, intirely independant of our trade. 
r Till about the year 1733, we accumulated great quantities of 
gold by importation from china, not lefs than £ 100,000, to 
£ 200,000 annually. It is true this gold was purchafed with fil- 
ver ; but as the profits were not lefs than forty to fixty per cent,. 
our ftock was confiderably augmented every year by this com- 
merce. Such profits could not lafl long : but you will be glad to 
know how this trade came to ceafe intirely.. Tho’ the Chinese 
prohibit the extract of their gold, they were glad to connive at 
exchanging it for silver, with thofe who would trull them to 
carry the filver up into their country. But whether it is that their 
gold. 
