of the weavers, that our great master manufactures
make their profits. As it is their interest
to sell the complete manufacture as dear, so it
is to buy the materials as cheap as possible. By
extorting from the legislature bounties upon
the exportation of their own linen, high duties
upon the importation of all foreign linen,
and a total prohibition of the home consumption
of some sorts of French linen, they endeavour
to sell their own goods as dear as
possible. By encouraging the importation of
foreign linen yarn, and thereby bringing it
into competition with that which is made by
our own people, they endeavour to buy the
work of the poor spinners as cheap as possible.
They are as intent to keep down the
wages of their own weavers, as the earnings
of the poor spinners; and it is by no means for
the benefit of the workmen that they endeavour
either to raise the price of the complete
work, or to lower that of the rude materials.
It is the industry which is carried on for the benefit
of the rich and the powerful, that is principally
encouraged by our mercantile system.
That which is carried on for the benefit of the
poor and the indigent is too often either neglected
or oppressed.
Both the bounty upon the exportation of
linen, and the exemption from the duty upon
the importation of foreign yarn, which were
granted only for fifteen years, but continued
by two different prolongations, expire with the
end of the session of parliament which shall
immediately follow the 24th of June 1786.
The encouragement given to the importation
of the materials of manufacture by bounties,
has been principally confined to such as
were imported from our American plantations.
The first bounties of this kind were those
granted about the beginning of the present
century, upon the importation of naval stores
from America. Under this denomination
were comprehended timber fit for masts,
yards, and bowsprits; hemp, tar, pitch, and
turpentine. The bounty, however, of L.1 the
ton upon masting-timber, and that of L.6 the
ton upon hemp, were extended to such as
should be imported into England from Scotland.
Both these bounties continued, without
any variation, at the same rate, till they
were severally allowed to expire; that upon
hemp on the 1st of January 1741, and that
upon masting-timber at the end of the session
of parliament immediately following the 24th
June 1781.
The bounties upon the importation of tar,
pitch, and turpentine, underwent, during their
continuance, several alterations. Originally,
that upon tar was L.4 the ton; that upon pitch
the same; and that upon turpentine L.3 the
ton. The bounty of L.4 the ton upon tar was
afterwards confined to such as had been prepared
in a particular manner; this upon other
good, clean, and merchantable tar was reduced
to L.2, 4s. the ton. The bounty upon pitch
was likewise reduced to L.1, and that upon
turpentine to L.1 : 10s. the ton.
The second bounty upon the importation
of any of the materials of manufacture, according
to the order of time, was that granted
by the 21st Geo. II. chap. 30, upon the importation
of indigo from the British plantations.
When the plantation indigo was worth
three-fourths of the price of the best French
indigo, it was, by this act, entitled to a bounty
of 6d. the pound. This bounty, which,
like most others was granted only for a limited
time, was continued by several prolongations,
but was reduced to 4d. the pound.
It was allowed to expire with the end of the
session of parliament which followed the 25th
March 1781.
The third bounty of this kind was that
granted (much about the time that we were
beginning sometimes to court, and sometimes
to quarrel with our American colonies), by
the 4th Geo. III. chap. 26, upon the importation
of hemp, or undressed flax, from the
British plantations. This bounty was granted
for twenty-one years, from the 24th June
1764 to the 24th June 1785. For the first
seven years, it was to be at the rate of L.8 the
ton; for the second at L.6; and for the third
at L.4. It was not extended to Scotland, of
which the climate (although hemp is sometimes
times raised there in small quantities, and of an
inferior quality) is not very fit for that produce.
Such a bounty upon the importation
of Scotch flax in England would have been
too great a discouragement to the native produce
of the southern part of the united kingdom.
The fourth bounty of this kind was that
granted by the 5th Geo. III. chap. 45, upon
the importation of wood from America. It
was granted for nine years from the 1st January
1766 to the 1st January 1775. During
the first three years, it was to be for every
hundred-and-twenty good deals, at the rate of
L.1, and for every load containing fifty cubic
feet of other square timber, at the rate of 12s.
For the second three years, it was for deals,
to be at the rate of 15s., and for other squared
timber at the rate of 8s.; and for the third
three years, it was for deals, to be at the rate
of 10s.; and for every other squared timber
at the rate of 5s.
The fifth bounty of this kind was that
granted by the 9th Geo. III. chap. 38, upon
the importation of raw silk from the British
plantations. It was granted for twenty-one
years, from the 1st January 1770, to the 1st
January 1791. For the first seven years, it
was to be at the rate of L.25 for every hundred
pounds value; for the second, at L.20;
and for the third, at L.15. The management
of the silk-worm, and the preparation
of silk, requires so much hand-labour, and
labour is so very dear in America, that even