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bufinefs ; and that, with a little encouragement, might 
be eftablifhed in either Scotland or Ireland, without 
the importation of Grangers. 
The next thing I propofe to be ruminated is the 
affertion, That our commerce at fea is one caufe of 
the decay of our fencible men : which founds in my 
ear like faying, that if we had lefs trade, we fliould 
have more people. And if this is the purport of it, 
I am afraid it is a paradox, literally fo called. 
That emigrations to our colonies do leffen our 
numbers in appearance, is beyOnd difpute : but then 
it is only in appearance : for if employment begets 
people, the filling our plantations muft increafe us 
beyond imagination, it having been made out, if I 
mifremember not, that every man rightly occupied 
in America finds employment for three perfons in 
Old England. But then care fhould be taken, that 
the planters were generally employed in railing rough 
materials ; and that every thing imported there were 
manufactured by ourfelves ; becaufe, if we fettle 
colonies, and then fupply them with Eaft-India fluffs 
and foreign linens, it is neither better nor worfe than 
being at a vafl expence to maintain other people’s 
poor. 
I cannot conclude without begging leave to ob- 
ferve, that this gentleman’s doctrine is, from begin- 
ning to end, to fay the bell of it, ill timed. We 
are contending with our hereditary enemy, the mofl 
powerful prince in the world, not for fuperiority, 
but for independence, pro aris et focis. And, at 
fuch a time as this, to be told, that we are but little 
better than half peopled, and the few we have 
dwindling: 
