Ballance of Trade with FRANCE. 
3 11 
We have been lately told that the french will fend no Ihips 
this year to canton : but who will believe it is that they are 
not able to fell their tea to us ; or that it coft too dear in china, 
as they pretend? I rather apprehend, that France means to 
colled all her maritime force with a view to fupport the war 
againft thefe kingdoms with the utmost vigor. If we conft- 
der that the french china trade contributes little or nothing 
to the royal revenues ; and that the tea fhe exports pays hardly 
any thing, whilft ours pays three hundred and fifty thoufand 
pounds to the government, will not France always under-fell 
us, in a degree not to be refilled by smugglers ? But is not this 
a favorable opportunity, if not an urgent occasion, to try 
by fome bold and generous Broke in politics, to follow the ex- 
ample of the french, and fend no Ihips to china, but convert 
them into Ihips of war, to be employed in proteding the India 
trade ? We mull keep a good look-out, or they will get to 
the windward of us, and engage us with more advantage than 
we fhall gain by tea. The benefits which France mull de- 
rive from fuch meafures, will pro trad the war, and render it 
infupportably expenfive to us ; whilft the ifiiie of it will be the 
more precarious. But were we to follow their example, we 
might curb the excessive ufe of tea at home; and tho’ the 
price of this commodity would, by this means, be run up in 
favor of the east-india company, I can fee no injury in this, 
but great good to the community. And if our Ihips of war 
now on the feas, with fome additional Hoops, well ftationed, can 
prevent fmuggling from Sweden, Denmark, Prussia, and Hol- 
land, we (hall do our bufinefs completely. 
As 
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