B O U 
give all poflible encouragement to thofe who fliall eftablifli 
or improve any hazardous branch of manufacture or com¬ 
merce. Ail undertakings, in refpect either to mercantile 
enterprizes, or,in the ertablilhment of manufactures, are 
weak and feeble in their beginnings ; and if uhfuccefsful, 
either fink entirely, or are feldom revived in the fame age. 
Failures of this nature are not only defhuCtive to private 
perfons, but exceedingly detrimental to the public intereft. 
On this principle, more efpecially fince trade, for which 
Providence deligned us, hath been fo much increafed, fucli 
attempts have been thought deferving of public fupport. 
This in former times ufually flowed from the crown, in 
the form of letters-patent, charters, or other grants of 
privileges, which, however r'equifite they might be, were 
very frequently objects of cenfure. If fitch as obtained 
them failed in their endeavours, they were reputed projec¬ 
tors j if, on the other hand, they fucceeded, they were 
confidered as monopolizers. Corporations, which imply 
the uniting certain individuals into a body, that they may 
thereby become.more ufeful to the community, are created 
by the crown. Many of thefe were formed for promoting 
trade ; and, according to the old fyftem of our govern¬ 
ment, were neceffary and ufeful. On the fame principle, 
privileges were granted to private perfons, on a fuggeftion, 
that what was immediately of ufe to them, would termi¬ 
nate in public utility. Thefe ail did good in bringing in 
many arts and manufactures; though, in fome cafes, tend¬ 
ing to private intereft more than public emolument, they 
were liable to legal correction. In later times, and in con¬ 
cerns of moment, a much better method has been adopted, 
often as it hath been found practicable, by rejecting 
private or particular intereft, and propofing the deligned 
advantages to fuch as fliould perform the ftipulations on 
which they are granted. Thefe bounties, as they are paid 
by the public, fo they are calculated for the benefit of the 
public. They are fometimes given to encourage induftry 
and application in raifing a neceftary commodity ; which 
was intended.by the bounty on exporting corn. The in¬ 
tention of this bounty was to encourage agriculture ; and 
the confequence has been, that we now grow more than 
twice as much as we did at the eftablifliment of the bounty ; 
we even confume twice as much bread as we then grew ; 
yet in 1697, we exported a fifteenth part of what we grew, 
of late years a twenty-ninth part only. The bounty on 
this twenty-ninth part amounted to more than 50,0001. and 
the produce to more than 400,000!. It is evident that all 
this is fo much clear gain to the nation. But this is far 
from being all that we have annually gained. For if our 
cultivation is doubled, as indeed it is, then the rent of 
lands, the fubfiftence of labourers, the profits of thetradef- 
men fupplying them with utenlils, clothes, the value of 
horfes employed, &c. muft all be taken into the account. 
Befides this we muft add the freight (amounting to half the 
bounty), to make the idea of the advantages complete. 
Sometimes bounties are given to promote manufactures, 
as in the cafe of thofe wrought with filk. Many laws exift 
in favour of the filk manufacture, made with great wifdom 
and propriety, for the encouragement and fupporf of thou- 
fands of induftrious perfons employed therein. By flat. 
8 Geo. I. c. 15, a bounty was given on the exportation of 
ribbons and (tuffs', of filk only, of three (hillings upon a 
pound weight ; lilks, and ribbons of filk, mixed with gold 
and filver, four (hillings a pound ; on filk gloves, filk 
ftockings, filk fringes, filk laces, and fewing filk, one (hil¬ 
ling and three pence a pound ; on fluffs of filk and grogram 
yarn, eight pence a pound ; on fiIks mixed with incle or 
cotton, one (hilling ; on fluffs of filk mixed with vyorfted, 
fixpence a pound for three years; and, from experience 
of their utility, thefe were continued by fubfequent fta- 
tutes. Bounties are alfo fometimes given to fupport a new 
manufacture againft foreigners already in poffeflion of it, 
as in making linen and failcloth. The promoting of the 
manufacture of Britifh failcloth was undoubtedly an im¬ 
portant national object, as the confumption was very large, 
and of confequence the purchafe of it from foreigners an 
Vol. III. No. 132. 
BOV 3,3 
heavy expence on the public. Many methods were there¬ 
fore deviled, and countenanced by law, both here and in 
Ireland, for introducing and encouraging our own in pre¬ 
ference to that of ftrangers, more efpecially .in the royal 
navy. By flat. 12 Anne, c. 16, a bounty was given of one 
penny per ell on all that was exported for a term, and con¬ 
tinued by fubfeqnent (lattices. By 4 Geo. II. c. 27, an ad¬ 
ditional bounty of another penny an ell is granted. By 
the fame ftatute every (hip built in Britain, or in the plan¬ 
tations, is, under the penalty of fifty pounds, to be fur- 
nifhed with a complete fuit of fails of Britifh manufacture. 
The amount of thefe bounties mark the progrefs of the 
manufacture, which is alfo abided by the fund on which 
the payment is afligned. 
Thefe bounties are never beftowed but with a view to 
place the Britifh trader on fuch ground as to render his 
commerce beneficial to his country. In order to this, 
fome profit muft be fecured to himfelf; but whatever this 
be, it will prove inconfiderable in comparifon of what re- 
fults to the public. For if, by the help of fuch a bounty, 
one or many traders export to the value of 1000, 10,000, 
or 160,000, pounds worth of commodities or manufactures, 
whatever his or their profit or lofs may be, the nation is 
hire to gain the rooo, 10,000, or ioo,oool. thus brought 
into the Country, which was the object of the legiflature 
in granting the bounty. Upon this confideration, that the 
entire produce of what is exported accrues to the nation, 
the legiflature, when circurnftances require it, have made 
no fcruple of augmenting a bounty ; as in the cafe of.re¬ 
fined fugar exported, from three to nine (hillings per hun¬ 
dred weight. In jjke manner, the original bounty of one 
pound per ton in favour of veifels employed in the whale- 
fifhery hath been doubled, and many new regulations made, 
in order to render this branch of commerce more advan¬ 
tageous to the public. As a bounty is given on malt when 
allowed to be exported, fo an equivalent of thirty (hillings 
per ton hath been granted on all Britifh made malt fpirits 
when exported* which is a common benefit to land, ma¬ 
nufacture, and commerce.' Bounties are alfo given for 
difeoveries of a public nature, or whereby the community 
at large may be materially benefitted. On this ground 
Mr. Harrifon received io,oool. in 1764, for his difeove- 
rtes in the longitude. For the regulation and law of Boun¬ 
ties on Exportation, fee the article Navigation-Act. 
BOUN'TYof Queen Anne, for augmenting poor liv¬ 
ings under fifty pounds per annum, conlifts of the produce 
of the firft-fruits and tenths, after the charges and penfions 
payable out of the fame are defrayed. See the article 
First-Fruits. 
BOVOLEN'TA, a town of Italy, in the Paduan: feven 
miles fouth-ealt of Padua. 
BOU'PER (Le), a town of France, in the department 
of the Lower Pyrenees : ten miles fouth-weft of Mauleon. 
BOU'QUENON, a town of France, in the department 
or the Mofelle, and chief place of a canton, in the diftriCt 
of Bitche, on the Sarre : five leagues fouth-weft of Bitche. 
BOUR, a town of Afiatic Turkey, in the province of 
Caramania : four miles fouth-eaft of Akferai. 
BOU'R AC, a town in the Arabian Irak : feventy miles 
fouth-fouth-eaft of Bagdat. 
BOUR'BACH, or Grand Bourbach, a town and 
cattle of Germany, in the circle of Weftphalia, and prin¬ 
cipality of Nalfau-Dillenburg. There is a lead-mine near 
it: nine miles weft of Dillenburg. 
BOUR'BON, an iftand in the Indian ocean, about twen¬ 
ty leagues long, and fixteen broad. It was firft difeovered 
by the Portuguefe, who called it Mafcarcique , or Mafcaren - 
has ; other Europeans called it Saint Appollonion, till 1654, 
M. Flanconrt, governor of the French fettlements in Ma- 
dagafear, took poffeltion of it, and called it Bourbon. He 
fent over only eight French, and (ix negroes, who carried 
with them the cattle from which the ifland has. been (locked 
ever fince. They fet up huts, and laid out gardens, in 
which they cultivated melons, different forts' of roots, and 
tobacco; but, juft as the laft became ripe, the wholes plan- 
4 L tatiou 
