Chap. IIL 0/ E N G L i S H AMERICA. 
one Year exceeded the Imports by two hundred fifty 
five thoufand two hundred and fourteen Pounds thirteen 
Shillings and Eight-pence, which for that Time was a 
great deal. At the Time Queen Elizabeth entered upon 
the Government, the Cuftoms produced thirty-fix thou- 
fand Pounds a Year ; at the Reftoration they were let to 
Farm for four hundred thoufand Pounds ; and produced 
confiderably above double that Sum before the Revolu- 
tion. The People of London^ before we had any Plan- 
tations, and but very little Trade, were computed at about 
one hundred thoufand •, at the Death of Qiieen Elizabeth 
they were increafed to one hundred and fifty thoufand, 
and are now about fix times that Number, In thofe Days 
we had not only our Naval Stores, but our Ships from 
our Neighbours. Germany furnifhed us with all things 
made of Metal, even to Nails ; Wine, Paper, Linen, 
and a thoufand other things came from France, Portugal 
furnilhed us with Sugars-, all the Produce oi America was 
poured into us from Spain *, and the Venetians and Ge- 
noefe retailed to us the Commodities of the Eafi Indies at 
their own Price. In fliort, the legal Interefl of Money was 
twelve Cent, and the common Price of our Lands ten 
or twelve Years Purchafe, We may add that our Manu- 
faftures were few, and thofe but indifferent ; the Number 
of Engliflj Merchants very frnall, and our Shipping much 
inferior to ivhat now belongs to the Northern Colonies. 
Thefe are plain and certain Fafts : But as foon as we be- 
gan to extend our Trade, and to make Settlements abroad, 
the Face of our Affairs changed •, the Inhabitants of the 
City of London were doubled by the End of the lafl Pe- 
riod, and were again doubled before the End of this our 
Shipping encreafed in a ftill greater Proportion we 
coined within twenty Years after that Queen’s Death 
about five Millions at the Tower, in twenty Years after 
that feven, and in the next twenty Years eight, which are 
indubitable Proofs that we had gained a prodigious Bal- 
lance of Trade in our Favour. 
The next Point I fhall confider is. What our Condition 
has been Jince? and, with refpefl to this, I may boldly 
affirm that it has altered for the better, almofl to a 
Degree beyond Credibility or Computation. Our Ma- 
nufadures are prodigoully increafed, chiefly by the 
Demand for them in the Plantations, w^here they at leaft 
take off one half, and furnifli us with many valuable Com- 
modities for Exportation. Inflead of taking the Quanti- 
ties we were wont to do of Goods from other Nations, 
v/e aflually export thofe very Goods, and fometimes to 
the very fame Nations Sugar, Rum, and Tobacco, are 
the Sources of private Wealth and public Revenue, which 
would have been fo many Drains, that would have beg- 
gared us, had they not been raifed in our Plantations. It 
is no longer in the Power of the Ruffians to make us pay 
what they pleafe tor Flax and Hemp. The Swedes can- 
not compel us to pay their own Price, and that too in 
ready Money, for Pitch and I'ar, nor would it be in their 
Power to diftrefs us, fhould they attempt it by raifing the 
Price of Copper and Iron. Logwood is funk feventy five 
per Cent. Indico, and other dying Materials, are in our 
Power, and at moderate Prices. In fhort, the Advan- 
tages are infinite that redound to us from our American 
Empire, where we have, at leaft, a Million of Britijh 
Subjects, and between fifteen hundred and two thou- 
fand fail of Ships conftantly employed. Such have been 
the Fruits, fuch is the Condition of our Plantations, and 
let any Man doubt of the Benefits refulting from them 
to this Nation if he can ^ or when he refiefts on the Num- 
bers maintained here by their Induftry, and even by their 
Luxury, let him deny or envy their Wealth if it is in his 
Power. 
When our Plantations were in their Infancy, they were 
fome Burthen and Charge to this Nation, and then it 
was that fome wife and public-fpirited Perfons took upon 
them to become Advocates for a thing which they fore- 
faw would prove highly ufeful and advantageous, I have 
read many of their Difcourfes with great Pleafure, be- 
caufe I confidered them as written with a kind of prophe- 
tic Spirit, in which their Authors have exhibited to the 
Eye of the Ages in which they wrote, a very juft Picfture 
of what has palled infucceeding Times j but with this re- 
299 
markable Clrcumftance, that though feveral of them 
were Men as remarkable for bold Flights of Imagina- 
tion, as for Penetration and Judgment, yet in this Cafe 
they have not reached the Truth ; the prefent State of 
the Plantations exceeding vaftly all that they promifed^ 
or even hoped from them ^ the Reafon of which I con- 
ceive to be their framing Conjedlures from the State the 
Nation was then in, and our Trade was at that Time fo 
inconfiderable in Comparifon of what it is at prefent^ 
that I think there is no wonder the Writers who fiou- 
rifhed in thofe Days fliould fall fo much ftiort in their 
Expedtations from our Settlements in America. But, per- 
haps, it may be objedled, that though they did not fore- 
fee many things that have fince fallen out in thofe Parts 
of the World, yet it is very evident that they believed 
many Advantages would arife from thofe Colonies that 
have never yet come to pafs ; which leads me to the third 
Point I propofe to mention in thefe Remarks. 
This third Point is, L'he Improvements and additional 
Benefits that may be fiill made in,, and accrue from, our 
Plantations, We ought, in this refpedt, to confider of 
what a vaft Extent that Country is, which we adlually 
poftefs in the New World, to which I will be bold to fay 
this Ifland does not bear a greater Proportion than the 
County of Norfolk, to the whole Kingdom of England ; 
whence we may eafily conceive what room there is for 
making new'' Improvements in fuch a vaft; Tradl: of Coun- 
try. It is, indeed, true, that fome of our Settlements on 
tlie Continent, fuch as New England, New 7'crk, Penfyl- 
vania, Maryland, and Virginia, are already tolerably 
well peopled ; but then Nova Scotia is fcarce fettled^ 
Nezv Britain is a vaft Country, and capable of being 
turned to our Advantage is fo far from being fettled^ 
that it is fcarce known to us *, and the fame thing may 
be faid of all the Country bordering upon Hudfen’s Bay. 
As to the Southern Colonies, by which I mean the tw^o 
Carolina^ s and Georgia, they are very thinly peopled, and 
very little improved, though beyond all Comparifon the 
moft valuable PoflefTions we have in thofe Parts. In re- 
gard to the Iflands of Bermudas and Barbadoes, they are tho- 
roughly peopled, and moft of the Leeward Iflands tolera- 
bly inhabited but then there are feveral Iflands to which 
we have as clear and as good a Title, as to any of thefe, 
that are not fettled at all, though from the Nature of 
their Climate, Soil, and Situation, they are not inferior 
to any, but on the contrary, foperior to moft of thofe 
of which we are poflefied, as will be hereafter fhewn. 
The noble Ifland of Jam.aica, which of itfelf might 
ferve to inrich any Country to which it belonged, is not 
a third Part cultivated, fo that there is every where room 
for us to exert cur Induftry, for the Honour and Advan- 
tage of the Britijh Nation ; which as it has already drawn 
fuch immenfe Profits from its Settlements in America, fo 
beyond all Qiieftion we may ftill draw much greater, if 
we proceed with the fame Spirit and Vigour that our An- 
ceftors did, having much more Power in our Hands, 
much fairer Opportunities than they had, befides the 
Light and Authority of Experience, to guide, encourage, 
and fupport us. 
In order to this, and that we may a6lually add thefe 
Advantages in profpeft to thofe which we at prefent pof- 
fefs, the Steps neceflary to be taken fall under the two 
following Heads : The firft is, Improving fuch of our Co- 
lonies as are already well fettled and the next, Providing 
for the thorough Planting fuch as are at prefent but very 
indifferently, or fcarce at all, peopled. It -w'ould require a, 
large Treatife to expatiate fully on thefe Heads, and 
therefore I ftiall content myfelf with only a few Hints 
as to each of them. In refpe£l to the firft, I cannot con- 
ceive that any thing would be more advantageous than 
providing every Colony with fome Staple Commodity, 
which would infallibly produce the following defirable 
Confequences : It would make the Inhabitants of thofe 
Colonies perfedly eafy, and at the fam.e Time it would 
vaftly inrich us. As for Virginia and Maryland they are 
poffeffed of the Tobacco Trade, in which, if any Eafe, 
Encouragement, or Advantage can be granted them, they 
moft certainly deferve it : But with refped; to New Eng- 
land, Penfylvama, New Tork, and the Jerfeys, Ways' an-d 
Means 
