1810.] 
cause they are apt to mortgage or sell 
them; they should be permitted to live 
in them, on condition of never having 
parochial relic’, and paying to the insti- 
tution; and so many cottages of this 
kind, as the quantity of annual workmen 
requires upon each farm, sould be an- 
nhexed to each farm, I would also sug- 
gest, that twice a year accounts should 
be taken of the state of the population 
by the vestry, and the increase or de- 
crease noted, as well as the sex. I 
would then suggest, a bounty to be of- 
fered to boys not wanted, upon condi- 
tion of enlisting jn the navy, or army; 
and apprenticing girls. The advantage 
of females in trade is inconceivable. 
They spend, if single, most of their mo- 
ney in dress, all manufacture; and, if 
married to labourers or workmen, the 
income is consequently doubled of the 
husband and family. 
I think that I may safely say, that I 
have proposed no more (ratios of the po- 
pulation excepted) than what is abso- 
lutely done by the wise and prudent 
poor themselves. To render wisdom 
and prudence compulsory in them by 
the authority of the master, is uo bard- 
ship, unless it can be deemed one, to 
convert 2 fool into a: sensible man, or 
make a thoughtless fellow less.imjurious 
to society. The advantages to the poor 
themselves, to men of property, and to 
government, are self-evident, and the 
trouble infinitely less, Nothing but mi- 
litary discipline can reform ihe drunken 
or worthless character; and the custom 
of sending such persons on board a ten- 
der, is the wisest that can be adopted. 
Parliament rarely interferes to any ex- 
tent in the internal concerns of the coun- 
try; but how any body of men can accu- 
rately legislate, without annual returns of 
the population, and their several employs 
and avocations distinguished, is to me in- 
explicable. Iam’ satisfied that it would 
be wholly in its power, by easy means, 
and better, perhaps, than I have sug- 
gested, for the Quakers have actuaily 
done it, gradually to abolish poor’s rates ; 
but it is the curse of every honest heart, 
and every friend to improvement, that 
he is compelled to find ‘‘ oracular dog- 
“mas,” and ‘lions in the way,” :et the 
good proposed be ever so mighty. In 
the imposition of taxes, difficulties are 
‘only made to be overcome; in the alle- 
viation of them, the converse is the tact. 
In every country where interest is paid 
for money, its whole income is in some 
3 
On the present State of the Cotton Colonies. 
Sil 
form or other expended upon the popu. 
lation; and whether through the con. 
quests of the enemy, the decay of trade, 
may not render the pooi’s rates an into~ 
Jerable burthen, will, to politicians who 
do hot consider it scientific to admit 
mere hope into their calculations, be a 
subject which merits very serious reflec-_ 
tion. 
Txromas DupLey Fosprooxr, 
Horsley, Aug. 26, 1810. 
P. S. If any of the local newspapers think 
that my ideas would be attended with any 
utility, at least excite attention to the sube 
ject; perhaps, in the present scarcity of news, 
they may copy this article. 
=e 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
OBSERVATIONS On the PRESENT STATE of 
the COTTON COLONIES. 
. (Concluded from page 234.) 
bata scheme of reasoning is 
derived from the fancied injury to 
the manufacturing interest, which would 
accrue from any restriction being im- 
posed: on the introduction of foreign pro- 
duce. This would be very true, if we 
had any great manufacturing rival, which 
possesed similar naval resources to our 
own ; but as nosuch power has existence, 
the reasoning is inapplicable. ‘There is 
no market in Europe that can enter the 
lists with that of Great Britain, for cot= 
ton-wool; and America, from moral 
causes, cannot be a manufacturing coun 
try for a very long time. Ages may yer 
revolve, ere such events take place. 
Great Britain therefore is, and must be, 
the great mart for this kind of produce, 
America must pour it in increasing quan- 
tities; nor can she be restricted from 
doing so, but by regulations which no 
man in his senses would wish to see pro- 
mulgated. 
One means of bringing the American 
and the British cotton-planter to an 
equality, is to double the duty on alt 
‘foreign cotton, now taxed the same as 
that of our own colonists, and. to take off 
the whole of the duty paid by British 
cotton-wool. By doing this, the public 
revenue would be increased to a sum 
exceeding the preseht duties on cottons 
wool of British as well as foreign 
growth, by several thousand pounds, 
while the average price would remain the 
same, the exorbitant profits of the fo- 
reign cotton-planter being reduced ; and 
those of the British proprictor reasonably 
increased: or, in fact, by making foe 
reigners eontribute something to a coun. 
try, 
