N A T 
to which, fee the article London, vol. xiii. p. 173, 4. anc! 
Life-annuity, vol. xii. p. 647. Yet, with both thefe 
helps, fo expenfive have been the wars and other follies in 
which we have been recently engaged, that, from the year 
1786, when the finking-fund was put in operation by 
Mr. Pitt, the fum total of the debt has increafed above 
threefold; ithavingbeen thenfomewhatover 266,000,000; 
now upwards of 800,000,000. 
The only advantage that can refult to a nation from 
public debts is the increafe of circulation, by multiplying 
the cafh of the kingdom, and creating a new fpecies of 
currency, affignable at any time and in any quantity ; al¬ 
ways, therefore’, ready to be employed in any beneficial 
undertaking, by means of this its transferable quality; 
and yet producing fome profit even when it lies idle and 
unemployed. A certain proportion of debt feems to be 
highly ufeful to a trading people ; but what that propor¬ 
tion is, it is not for us to determine. This much is in- 
difputably certain, that the prefent magnitude of our na¬ 
tional encumbrances very far exceeds all calculation of 
commercial benefit, and is productive of the greateft in¬ 
conveniences. For, firft, The enormous taxes that are 
railed upon the neceflaries of life for the payment of the 
intereft of this debt, are a hurt both to trade and manu¬ 
factures, by railing the price as well of the artificer’s fub- 
fillence as of the raw material, and of courfe, in a much 
greater proportion, the price of the commodity itfelf. 
Nay, the very increafe of paper-circulation itfelf, when 
extended beyond what is requifite for commerce or foreign 
exchange, has a natural tendency to increafe the price of 
provifions, as well as of all other merchandife. For, as its 
effeCt is to multiply the cafh of the kingdom, and this to 
fuch an extent that much mull remain unemployed, that 
cafh (which is the univerfal meafure of the refpeCtive 
values of all other commodities) mull neceflarily fink in 
its own value, and every thing grow comparatively dearer. 
Secondly, If part of this debt be owing to foreigners, 
either they draw out of the kingdom annually a confi- 
derable quantity of fpecie for the intereft, or elfe it is 
made an argument to grant them unreafonable privileges 
in order to induce them to refide here. Thirdly, If the 
whole be owing to fubjeCts only, it is then charging the 
aClive and induftrious fubjeCl, who pays his lliare of the 
Taxes, to maintain the indolent and idle creditor who re¬ 
ceives them. Laftly, and principally, It weakens the in¬ 
ternal ftrength of a Hate, by anticipating thofe refources 
which Ihould be referved to defend it in cafe of neceflity. 
On the whole, then, the national debt is undoubtedly 
a fubjeCl of vail importance, and as fuch it has been al¬ 
ways confidered; for much has been faid and written 
upon it, and many fchemes have been propofed at various 
times and by various perfons for gradually removing it; it 
being confidered by the moll judicious as a very perni¬ 
cious encumbrance to a commercial country. Some, W'e 
are aware, think it of vaft utility; but this opinion is too 
feebly fupported to be convincing. The public debt is 
indifputably a great grievance ; and every lover of his 
country mud furely wifli to fee it removed : the period, 
however, when this blefiing (hall take place, if indeed it 
ever arrive, mull at lead be very didant. We refer fuch 
as widi for farther information on this interefting topic 
to thofe who have treated of it at full length ; as Smith 
in his Wealth of Nations, and Sir John Sinclair in his 
Hiftory of the Revenue. The writings of Dr. Price like- 
v/ife deferve confiderable attention, efpecially as one of 
his plans for the reduClion of the debt (the finking-fund) 
has in faCl been adopted, and in confequence edablilhed, 
by the legiflature: his three plans may be found in a 
pamphlet by his nephew William Morgan, F.R.S. entitled, 
A Review of Dr. Price's Writings on the SubjeCl of the 
Finances of this Kingdom. And it is but judice to that 
accurate and laborious calculator and amiable man to 
obferve, that the whole of the national debt, which had 
been accumulated up to the end of the American war, 
Vot. XVI. No. 1138. 
NAT 593 
has already been caneelled by the finking-fund; and, 
though the country is now involved in a debt of three 
times that amount, owing to the lavifti expenditure of 
the late war, yet, if we ihould be permitted to enjoy an¬ 
other peace of the fame duration as that which took place 
in the adminidration of fir Robert Walpole in England and 
of cardinal Fleury in France, the prefent finking-fund 
would be found to poflefs powers fully equal to the re- 
dudtion of the debt within very moderate limits, and 
without any violation of the national faith. If any one 
circumdance, more than another, has tended to exalt 
this nation in the eyes of Europe, and to raife us to a 
height of moral pre-eminence which no other people ever 
attained, it is the uniform conftancy with which we have 
preferved our national credit. 
NATIONALITY, _/! National character.—Let our 
friendfliip, let our love, that nationality of Britilh love, 
be dill drengthened. Howell's Letters. —lie could not but 
fee in them that nationality , which I believe no liberal 
Scotfman will deny. BoJ'well's Tour to the Heb. 
To NA'TIONALIZE, v. a. To diftinguilh nationally. 
This is a very modern word, like denationalize. 
NA'TIONALLY, adv. With regard to the nation.— 
The term adulterous chiefly relates to the Jews, who being 
nationally efpoufed to God by covenant, every fin of theirs 
was in a peculiar manner fpiritual adultery. South. 
NA'TIONALNESS, J'. Reference to the people in ge¬ 
neral. 
NATI'SO, in ancient geography, now Nat fone, a river 
rifing in the Alps, and falling into the Adriatic ealt of 
Aquileia. Pliny iii. 18. 
NATISTAG'OET HAR'BOUR, a harbour on the 
fouth coad of Labrador. Lat. 50. 6. N. Ion. 60. 55. W. 
NA'TIVE, adj. [natif, Fr. from nativus, Lat.] Pro- 
duced by nature ; natural, not artificial: 
This dodlrine doth not enter by the ear. 
But of itfelf is native in the bread. Davies. 
She, more fweet than any bird on bough, 
Would oftentimes amongd them bear a part. 
And drive to pafs, as fhe could well enough. 
Their native mufick by her Ikilful art. Spenfer. 
Natural; fuch as is according to nature ; original.—The 
members, retired to their homes, reafl’ume the native fe- 
datenefs of their temper. Swift. —Conferred by birth ^ 
belonging by birth : 
But ours is a privilege ancient and native. 
Hangs not on an ordnance, or power legifiative ; 
And fird, ’tis to fpeak whatever we pleafe. Denham. 
Relating to the "birth ; pertaining to the time or place of 
birth.—If thefe men have defeated the law, and outrun 
native punifhment; though they can outltrip men, they 
have no wings to fly from God. Shahefpeare's Hen. V. 
Many of our bodies fliall, no doubt, 
Find native graves. ShakcJ'peare's Hen. V, 
Original ; that which gave being : 
Have I now feen death ? is this the way 
I mud return to native dud ? O fight 
Of terrour, foul, and ugly to behold. Milton. 
Born with ; co-operating with ; congenial : 
The head is not more native to the heart, 
The hand more inftrumental to the mouth, 
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. Shaltefpcare. 
NA'TIVE, J‘. One born in any place; original inhabi¬ 
tant.—Make no extirpation of the natives , under pretence 
of planting religion: God furely will no way be pleafed 
with fuch lacrifices. Bacon's Adv. to Vi itiers. —There flood 
a monument to Tacitus the hiflorian, to the emperors 
Tacitus and Fiorianus, natives of the place. AddiJ'on. 
Tully, the humble nnilhroom fcarceiy known, 
The lowly native of a country town. Dryden'sJuv. 
7 M Offspring* 
