608 
fubfience that the inhabitants of 
thefe countries have. determined to 
tranfport themfelves to America : 
it is high rents, the want of leafes, 
the want of fecurity for their pro- 
perty and the fruits of their labour, to 
which their poverty, want of induftry, 
and their difcontents are uniformly af- 
eribed, and added to thefe, the opprei- 
five operations of the duties upon ialt.” 
Ef proper fteps are taken, Mr. Frafer 
feels confident that the maritime parts 
of Scotland will fuftain a population 
increafed ten fold: and to the fifher- 
yes he looks for the principal means of 
fupply. It appears, from the adduc- 
tion of many melancholy examples, 
that the prefent reftrictions operate, in 
many inftances, asa complete prehibi- 
tion of the fifheries, which. will never 
be profecuted with fpirit and energy 
without the total abolition of the fait- 
duties. An object of fach national 
importance would be worth attam- 
ment, were there evena pofitiye dimi- 
nution of revenue ;.but the lofs would 
be abfolutcly nothing. Thote parts of 
Scotland denominated the Highlands, 
and the Weitern Hfles, comprebend the — 
counties of Argyle, Invernef{s, Rofs, 
Sutherland, Caithne‘s, Orkney, and 
Shetland; and from thefe fix counties, 
which include the whole of the Wef- 
tern Ifies, and form’ an extent of ter- 
ritory equal to more than one fixth ‘of. 
reat Britain, the net produce annu- 
ally accruing from.the duties on fait, 
en. an averaze of ten years, amounted 
to. no more than the fum of 1721. 6s; 
‘Fo the abalition of the falt-duty, Mr. 
Prafer would add that of the expences 
on the importation of coals: this duty, 
mdeed, has been abdlifhed, but the 
matter of the veflel is obliged, accord- 
tag to the forms of the cuftom-houle,. 
to return a. certificate that his coal nas 
been landed. according to the entsy: 
this certificate muit be made by a cuf- 
tom-houfe officer. Therefore, fays Mr. 
Frafer, inftead of going along the coalt, 
and felling a few barrels at one creek 
and a few at another, the mafter mutt 
either go where there is a cultom-houfe, 
or wait until an officer comes to fee the 
veffel. break. buik, ,and this officer 
it may be neceflary to fend for at the 
diftance of an hundred or an hundred 
and fifty miles, and his expence, betides 
his fees, paid. by the importer, which 
together may be more than the value 
of the cargo, operates.as an effectual 
prohibition for the greateft part of the 
country, and prevenis any confideralle 
Reirofpect of Domeftic Literatire—Political Economy. 
advantage from the indulgence to the 
lower clafs of people, for whofe relief — 
this regulation was chiefly intended. — 
In a letter, addrefied to Mr. Frafer, 
by Dr. Anderfon, it is ftated to have 
been fully afcertained, notwithftanding 
the abolition of the coal-duty, that in 
feveral cafes the Highlanders have been 
reduced to the. neceflity of tripping 
the thatch from their houfes, and: 
thus expofing themfelves.to the danger 
of perifhing from the inclemency of 
weather, becaufe no coals, on account — 
of the cuflom-houfe clearances, could pot- 
fibly be fent to them! ' 
Mir. Wuarety has publithed fome 
very valuable “* Hints for the Improve- 
ment of the Iei/h Fifberye . 
The two-fold object of this excellent 
pamphlet is to recommend the ufe of 
the trammel-net, in hake fifhing, in- 
ftcad of the hook, and the proteétion 
of government over the trammel-fifhery 
againft the crews of the hookers,* who, 
jealous of the aftonifhing fuperiority of 
the trammel-net, have committed the 
moft malicious and deftructive depre- 
dations. ; 
<< A Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Pel= 
ham, on the State of Mendierty in the Me-. 
tropolis, by MaTTHEW Martin, Efq.” 
This gentleman has for feveral years 
employed himfelf im making inquiries © 
concerning the fituatioen of the mendi- 
cants in London, and the means of af- 
fiftance: for this purpofe he inftituted 
an office, and twice: has;had a grant - 
from government of sool. In the! pre- 
fent Letter he gives ‘therefult of his 
inquiries into 2000 cafes, and propofes 
a plan for relieving the town from the © 
alarming number of beggars which m- 
fet it. Mr. Colquboun eftimated their 
number at 30005 Mr. Martin, iaclading 
their children, at mo lefs than 15,288, 
tor {carcely any of whom has the coun- 
try pgovided any relief whatever! 
‘* An Efjay on the Principle of Popula- 
tion 3 or, a View on its Paft and Prefent. 
Efed&s on Human Happinefs 3 with an 
Enquiry into our Profpecis refpecaing the 
future Removal or Wiitigation of the Buils 
whieh it occafions; by FoR. MALTHUS, 
A.M. Fellow of ' fefus Coitege, Cam- 
bridge.” AHN G Scale 
About five years ago, Mr. Malthus 
publithed, anonymoufly, an Efflay on. 
the Principle of Population, in reply to’ 
the theory which Mr. Gedwin, Condor- 
cet, and others endeavoured toeftablith 
* A hooker is a {mall veflel, with one 
maf, built for the purpofe of fishing. 
of 
