878 LAISSEZ FAIRE 
the commodities which they import from both Indies, than 
they used to do formerly: and that in consequence they are 
greater gainers by it, and can afford, better than ever, to pay 
taxes. In all the well governed states of Europe the ex- 
penditure has been rising for the last thirty years, and the 
revenues have risen in proportion. 
«He who doubts the advanced flourishing condition of 
the British commerce and the wealth of the nation, may 
sasily convince himself of his error, merely by comparing the 
former and present English custom-house entries, the list of 
imports and exports, and the amount of the duties which 
they necessarily occasion: to this ought to be added, that 
the English are now in possession of the greater part of the 
commerce of the world, and by these means have it in their 
power to fix the standard price of almost every commodity. 
They have besides this, immediately after the commencement 
of the present war, captured from the French and Dutch 
great numbers of ships with rich cargoes, the amount of 
which is estimated to exceed £14,000,000 sterling. 
Ba « Allowing that the other commercial nations who are 
nglan . . oh 
ould defy competitors with the English in trade over all the world, even 
ompeliton ¢}t themselves inclined to undersell the English in their 
prices, it would in the first place be incompatible with their 
interests; in the second, it is out of their power to supply all 
nations sufficiently, out of the scantiness of their stores. The 
English possess quantities immensely larger than they do, 
and barter them for the produce of their manufactures; which 
is generally the case in every corner of the globe. There 1s 
scarcely a single commodity, a single article either of luxury 
or convenience, that is not manufactured by the English, 
with the most consummate skill, and in the highest state of 
perfection, 
“The soil of Britain does not indeed produce a quantity 
of corn sufficient for the exigencies of its inhabitants; and 
for this reason it becomes necessary, every year, to remit 
large sums of money for its purchase to the ports in the 
Baltic; but then nature has indemnified that country with 
through ker her rich coal mines, the envy of foreigners, who by this means 
wealth in : : 
iy become, in a certain manner, tributary to England; for the 
A.D. 1776 
—1850. 
from 
customs,