ginning would turn from that employment to others; others would open almost as soon as the old ones were closed; and remember, that there are in the 400,000 more than 200,000 of children who have scarcely any employment, for all are included, down to the very cradle-Is this not, then, a bugbear? And is it not painful to hear men of real talents, like W. F. S., expressing alarm for the fate of a country like this at the prospect of a loss of her commerce! Let the hood-winked follower of the Pitts and the Roses suck in the deception, that it is commerce which maintains our fleets and our armies and pays the interest upon the enormous debt which prodigality and corruption have created; but, for the honour of human intellect, let not men of sound understanding and minds independent partake in the degrading belief, when the fact may, by any one, be ascertained, that, as I have once before stated, the barley of England, yields, in malt and in beer only, more, in the shape of taxes, to the national treasury, than all the commerce put together, and which commerce, were it annihilated, would, as has been clearly proved, leave the present means flowing from it, to flow through other channels, and that, too, unpolluted by the political corruptions now inseparable from them.The VIIth objection, to wit, respecting the injury which the country would sustain in the way of supporting is navy, has been anticipated, and, I think that my correspondents A and WROC will, by this time, supposing them to have read the last number of the Register from p. 839 to [p. 846 inclusive, be nearly at their ease upon this score. There is, however, an idea of WROC, at the close of his letter (page 766), which I cannot refrain from noticing. Having laid it down as a maxim, that commerce is the nursery of the navy, he says, "if I even "thought, that, abstractedly considered, "manufactures and commerce were rather prejudicial than of benefit to the country, "still should I think it wise to cultivate ra"ther than check their growth, being firmly "convinced, that our naval greatness is inse " " parable from our commerce, and, consequently, that commerce is of vital impor"tance to the country." I have, at the pages referred to, shewn, that the supply of our navy does not at all depend upon that part of our mercantile marine which is employed in commerce, but, that our home trade, our coasting, and especially our coal trade is the nursery of seamen, not only for the navy, but, for the mercantile marine also, which latter, together with the convoys and ships stationed for the sole purpose of protecting commerce, our navy. cost the lives of many more seamen than are lost in the navy employed in the defence of the country or in attacking the enemy. But, upon a supposition that our coasting trade be not a sufficient nursery for the navy (a supposition which I make merely for the' sake of the argument), and that commerce be prejudicial to the country, would it not be as well to nurse up seamen in ships employed for that express and sole purpose? A merchant ship of 500 tons does not contain more than about 17 seamen; but, such a ship of the same size fitted out as a nursery ship would very nearly contain two hundred seamen, whom, observe, you would always have at command. It would surely be as well to employ one ship in doing nothing, as ten ships in doing mischief. I am not proposing any such scheme as this; but, if commerce be prejudicial in other respects, and this is the case supposed by WROC, Isay that this scheme would be much more rational than that of continuing commerce.-So wedded, however, are men to these opinions about commerce being the nursery of the navy, that my correspondent A. seems to think that even wars, when carried on for commerce, are a great blessing, because, as he supposes, they add to the strength of "Had commercial wars never "existed", says he, in his 4th paragraph, we never should have had such a navy as we now have." To which he might have added, that we should not have had any occasion for a navy one third part so large. At this moment all the ships employed upon the American station; in the West Indies in South America; in the East Indies; at the Cape of Good Hope; at Gibraltar and in the whole of the Mediterranean; together with all the ships employed as convoys, or in waiting for that purpose; all these are devoted to commerce. They contribute not at all to the safety of the country; they cannot be employed to attack the enemy; they are just so much of national expence, without affording the nation any one benefit. If we had no commerce, or but little, what nation, who was foolish enough to be greatly commercial, would be able to withstand us fora moment? We maintained the DOMINION OK THE SEA when we had no commerce, and when our neighbours had much; and why should we not do the like again?The VIIIth objection relates to the necessity of luxury; and W. F. S. in, page 856, expresses his persuasion, that luxury is, in great states, an indispensable law. That it is so, there can be no doubt; for, when the land and labour has produced more food than is necessary to the subsistence of those 66 ; who fill the land, the superfluous food will na- return for it, are themselves kept in such turally and necessarily be used in feeding some a state of effeminacy as to be of no more s of them in making things for convenience; use in the way of national strength, than from convenience, the next step is neatness; so many lap dogs. The surplus produce from neatness and ornament men proceed to of the earth must be consumed, or it would what may be called luxury. But, we are cease to be raised; but, the question is, not to reckon as luxuries all those things whether it be not better for the nation which are not absolutely necessary to the that it should be consumed by men preservation of life and health. Castles and than that it should be consumed by lap-dogs? churches and large houses are not luxuries, whether men be not better than lap-dogs as in the sense in which I use the word. Neither the population of a state? whether the state are fine horses and carriages. Neither are be not stronger, better able to defend itself many other things which arise from the sur- and to attack its enemies, with half a milliplus food of the country. But, the evil of on of men than with half a million of lap-. commerce, and of its inevitable accompany- dogs? It is precisely in the same way, that ing financial operations, is that they as- a prodigality in the public expenditure opesemble men together in large bodies, and rates against a nation. It creates idlers. I shut them up in a narrow compass, in creates annihilators of corn. The surplu which state their taste and manners produce of the land is taken from those who become effeminate. To expend the labour, and given to others to maintain themurplus produce of the earth is necessa- selves without labour. If it were not so taken, ry; but, it does not follow, that it it would go to the producing of something in should be expended in effeminating luxu- its stead. There would be more, or better ries. If, for instance, the two or three cloth; more, or better, houses; and these thousand quarters of corn, which have, this would be more generally distributed; while year, been eaten by the Italian singers and the growth of vice, which idleness always their retinue, had been eaten by men em- engenders and fosters, would be prevented. ployed in the digging of clay, in the making By the gripe of taxation, every grain of the surof bricks, and in doing, in short, every thing plus produce of the country is taken from the appertaining to the making of buildings for lowest class of those who labour; they have the silly boobies who have been following the means of bare existence left. Of course, those squeaking wretches from cathedral their clothing and their dwellings become to cathedral, there would have been some- miserable, their food is bad, or in stinted thing produced in return for the corn; we quantity; that surplus produce which should should have something to shew for it ; go to the making of an addition to their stead of having to reflect, that it had been meal, and to the creating of things for their totally annihilated. The men employed in use, is annihilated by those who do nothing the buildings would have been better men; but eat. Suppose a community to consist and would have constituted part of the nation of a farmer, four cottagers, a taylor, a shoeal strength; whereas the singers and their maker, a smith, a carpenter, and a mason, crew are not only useless themselves, but and that the land produces enough food for spread about at large their contagious effemi- them all and no more. Suppose this little nacy.This misapplication of the surplus community to be seized with a design to imiproduce of the country proceeds from com- tate their betters, and to keep a sinecure merce; from that intimate connection and placenian, giving him the tenth of their almost intermixture with foreign nations, produce, which they formerly gave to the which our extended commerce has produced, shoe-maker. The consequence would be, and, above all, from the assembling of men that poor Crispin would die, and they would together in large bodies, which never fails go barefooted, with the consolation of reto enervate the mind and to produce an effeflecting that they had brought themselves minacy of taste and manners, not to mention the numerous vices, which now disgrace this country, in which, before the reign of commerce, they were scarcely known, or known only to be abhorred, though they now excite no particular abhorrence. In London in and its vicinity there are, probably, half a million of persons, who are constantly employed in nothing but the annihilation of the produce of the land; and, in place of producing any object of national wealth in into this state from the silly vanity of keeping an idle man. -But, suppose the land to yield enough food for all ten of them, and enough for two persons besides. They have this, then, besides what is absolutely necessary to supply their wants. They can spare one of their men from the field, and have, besides, food enough to keep him in some other situation. Now, which is best, to make him a second carpenter, who, in return for his food, would give tlrem addition al and permanent convenience and comfort in their dwellings; or to make him a sinecure pliceman or a singer, in either of which capacities he would be a mere annihilator of corn, at the same time, that, in case of emergency, he would not be half so able to defend the community.- -Suppose two of the cultivators become sinecure placemen, then you kill the carpenter or some one else, or, what is more likely, all the labouring part of the community, that is to say, all but the sinccure placemen, live more miserably, in dress, in dwellings, and in food. This reasoning applied to tens, applies equally well to millions, the causes and effects being, in the latter case, only a little more difficult to trace; and, therefore, though luxury be an inevitable law (if we mem by that word the possession or enjoyment of every thing beyond absolute necessaries), the existence of that sort of luxury, which arises from a misapplication of the surplus produce of a country, is an evil that admits of an effectual remedy; and, for the reasons, which I have before given, I am satisfied, that, with us, a remedy would be found in a great diminution of commerce, which has been, and is, the main moral and political corruption, of a wasteful expenditure of the public money, and, of course, of that system of taxation which is without an example in the annals of Europe, and hardly surpassed under the Aumils of Hindostan.. -The VIIIth objection, to wit, respecting the effects of commerce upon the civil and political liberties of England, I have not left myself room to answer, in a manner proportioned either to the importance of the matter (to which my motto applies), or to the respect which I wish to show my correspondent, W. F. S. who so urgently requests me to give him a convincing answer as to this point, and which answer, I shall, I flatter myself, be able to give him in my next. RUSSIA.If the "magnanimous Alex"ander" had not declared war against us, I should have been greatly surprised.-We shall now see what these " no-popery" men are made of. Will they resist the out-cries of commerce? Or will they make peace upon any terms, rather than risk their places? They are certainly in an " unsatisfactory state."I had almost made a vow, that I never would see St. Stephen's again; but, curiosity will, I am afraid, take me up to have one more look at them. It will be curious to hear them asserting, that we can do very well without commerce; for, to that thy must now come, or they must admit the necessity of peace, or, rather, of a capitulation; for, in this state of things, it cannot be a peace, in the usual sense of that word. But, it is no matter; war or peace, we have now, before it is over, to change our character; and the choice lies between real freedom at home, or subjugation from abroad. There will be a desperate struggle to prevent any change at all, but it must and will come. TYTHES.- -In my next I will endeavour to give an answer to my correspondent, in page 851, upon this interesting subject, which answer, as well from respect to my correspondent as from my desire to see maintained all the just rights of the church, I shall render as satisfactory as I am able, regretting, however, that the task had not fallen into more capable hands. Botley, 3 Dec. 1807. A. ON "PERISH COMMERCE." -I. As I have for a long time taken in your Register, which I have done for public information; and, as I conceive your reason for the publication is to inform every class of the community their political duties, and, what you consider to be for the public good; such a person as myself ought more particularly to benefit from its doctrines, since you mean to convey to the plainest understandings, public occurrences, public rights, and public reformation in the clearest and most convincing lights. ——II, With this view of your patriotism, I venture to send you a letter, to ask, if your approba tion of Mr. Spence's commercial pamphlet be not ironical, and done merely to exercise the humour and "funny"way of writing, your peculiar genius has adopted in your political lucubrations.-What I know of Mr. Spence's pamphlet is only from your quotation in your last Register, but the result stated, professed to be highly approved by you, is, that "agriculture is the only source of wealth." This position is attempted to be proved by a supposed state of society, wherein the landholder, the farmer, and the manufacturer, in bartering their property and labour for coin, exclude the necessity of the circulating mediums of gold, silver, or paper. That our internal intercourse might be regulated by this theory, no one will deny; but, who will doubt, that our riches, greatness, and our happiness, would not be diminished by such adoption, confining it as it must be, only to an internal intercourse?-III. But if we are under a necessity of having foreign connections as commercial ones, the visionary fabric of Mr. Spence leaves not a "wreck" behind. I suppose he will not deny our na vy is necessary for us, as a protecting bul wark, and from whence is its numerous stores to be furnished? Its cordage, sails, and timber? Will a country not wanting your grain or agricultural produce, take it in barter? Or, must not commercial operations be adopted to procure those articles? Let commerce be extinguished and see from what source you will man your navy; who over doubted but the mercantile shipping was the nursery for your seamen? These are a few of the many questions to be answered before Mr. Spence can expect the rational world to be his disciples; and until he can find out substitutes for these things, every one must admit the necessity of commerce. -IV. To continue. Will any rational inquirer, Mr. Cobbett, seriously say, that the "riches, greatness, and happiness" of a people depend upon agriculture only? Would agriculture ever have brought forward such a place as Manchester? Even you, Mr.Cobbett, I think will not again assert, that the taxes are the fruit of land or labour. Is there no fruit or revenue raised from the manufacture of cotton at Manchester, paid by the foreign consumer, What immense sums have been raised from the European, American, and African markets, from the manufactures of that single place alone! More instances are not necessary, but what article is there sent abroad that the foreign consumer does not contribute towards our revenue? If these be facts, the utility of commerce must be admitted, as well as its necessity, unless a sweeping clause comes in in the shape of commercial wars, which has been urged to overbalance commercial benefits. Is there no good from commercial wars? Is such a navy as we have, more than is necessary for our protection? Had commercial wars never existed, would the navy ever have arrived to its present magnitude, and, even in its present powerful state, is it too much to keep our enemies from our shores? Would you not have been a conquered people years ago, had you been confined merely to your "riches and greatness" arising from agriculture?-V. I am sure that Mr. Cobbett will not very readily determine that the "holders of the plough," and the "workers in the loom," are not brethren of the same family; and the habits of commerce, and the labours of manufactory have not materially contributed to the "riches, greatness, and happiness" of this country.I beg to assure you that I am with high regard, Sir, yours, &c.A.Nov. 10, 1807. B. ON" PERISH COMMERCE." you loudly praise a Mr. William Spence, who has published a pamphlet, endeavouring to prove that the wealth of Britain is in dependent of commerce, that no part of it is derived from manufactures, but the whole from agriculture. To promulgate such doc trines at such a period, when our commerce" is attacked by a person who well knows its importance, must be of the most pernicious tendency if they are erroneous. At least you will agree with me, that the subject is ́ one of the greatest importance, that our i commerce is not hastily to be abandoned, and that as the opinions you profess are calculated for extensive influence they ought not to be adopted without due deliberation. These considerations, I hope your candour will admit as a sufficient apology, for my stating a few arguments in opposition to them. II. In the first place then, I must contend that agriculture is itself only a spe cies of manufacture, which could not for a moment thrive, or even exist, without other manufactures. There are even some manufactures prior to agriculture; the spade and the plough must be made before the ground is tilled. Nothing can indeed be more absurd than to give one species of manufacture ** a pre-eminence over another. All human arts are linked and interwoven together; and the improvement of one always keeps pace with that of another. Suppose a cer◄ tain number of persons to resolve to employ themselves in agriculture, or the manufac ture of grain, these persons must either scratch the ground with their nails and go naked, or employ themselves occasionally in other arts. If we conceive them however to have the sagacity to discover, that by employing a certain part of their community exclusively in fabricating clothes, and the instruments of agriculture for the rest, they will derive the advantage of having these necessaries manufactured with greater expedition and skill, than by those who are engaged in different avocations; this will immediately lead us to the division of labour and exchange, which are the origin of commerce.III. Commerce is merely a reciprocation of industry, by which one person gives that portion of the produce of his labour which he does not need, for the superfluity of another person. The cultivator of the ground exchanges with the artisan that quantity of grain which he may have raised more than necessary for the consumption of his own family, for the tools and clothes which he requires. Both are equally dependant upon each other. It is as impossible for the cultivator to do without the imple SIR,I. In your Register of last week,ments of agriculture, as for the artisan to -- continue his labour without a supply of food. -IV. The industry of the one is always limited by the demands of the other; or, in other words, by the extent of the market. The way to encourage the manufacture of any commodity is to consume it; because nothing is given on one side without an equivalent upon the other. Now, where human talents are not restrained by oppression, the wants of men soon increase, and a compact is formed between the followers of different arts to produce articles of conveniency to be exchanged among each other. Industry and necessities increase together, desires and arts are multiplied in exact proportion, and enjoyments, luxury, and wealth, become united and extended. The relations between nations and individuals are the same. Commerce is, in all cases, merely to exchange the productions of industry; and the more extensive the exchange the greater the advantage V. So far from agriculture being the sole cause of wealth, it matters little though we did not till a field in Britain. It is industry alone which renders any nation opulent; and did we exercise every other species of manufacture excepting this, the loss of it would be of little importance. National wealth is independent of almost all local advantages; for those who possess commerce can command the productions of every climate and soil, and those who want it are poor in the otherwise most favourable circumstances. The Tyrians were rich on a barren rock, and Smollet informs us, that in his time the peasants of Italy were starving on fields which required only to be scratched to produce crops more than twofold superior to any in Europe, such is the importance of industry, and such are the magical charms of commerce.-VI. To deprive us of commerce, would be to deprive us of the arts, to extinguish industry, to debase agriculture and every species of manufacture, to degrade human nature, and reduce mankind again to the savage state. This is not, however, the age in which nations can be powerful without riches. Since the invention of gun-powder warfare has become an expensive employment; and, if naval power and independence are to be preserved, something more must be done than merely to till the ground. I fear much, Mr. Cobbett, were we to renounce our commerce, and exercise no art but agriculture, we would soon have Buonaparté to superintend our farms. This, however, I am sure you did not propose as the result of those speculations which I now oppose; and having already trespassed so long upon your time, I shall conclude by saying that, whatever I may think of some of your opinions, I believe them, in every case, to be dictated by a sincere regard for the interests of your country, and that your heart is truly English.-B. Νου. 12, 1807. C. ON 66 PERISH COMMERCE.". SIRI. The doctrine of Mr. Spence has been attacked by a correspondent under the name of WROC, in your Register of last week, only to darken the obscurity which formerly surrounded the subject This writer asks," how happened it that Mr. Spence overlooked the consideration that the master and journeymen manufacturers, if they had not been employed in building the coach, must notwithstanding have eaten, and would, in point of fact, have consumed the same quantity of food?" I answer, if they had done so for one year, they would not have done it for two, for want of encouragement, the produce of the land would, very soon, be reduced, exhibiting in the appearance of the country, evident signs of decay, and the "drone" would soon be found to have starved. To have eaten without producing something in return, would have been attended with a diminution of the wealth of the country; as on the contrary, the conversion of the corn into the coach, by means of the manufacturer, cannot be called a creation, but a transfer. But this transfer is made from a perishable to a less perishable commodity; and like the produce of the labour of the builder, the carpenter, and the smith, certainly forms one of the objects, by the presence or absence of which the wealth and prosperity, or the poverty of a nation is ascertained.--II. The argument, drawn from Wroc's assumption of the population of a country consisting of 100,000 persons, partly employed in agriculture, and partly not so employed, is equally liable to objection; for, if on his supposition, the produce of the soil should be so much greater than the consumption of the inhabitants, as to enable them to export a part, it is evident that the specie or whatever else the return may consist of, is nothing other than a direct transfer from such corn, and what is gained in specie is lost in corn two other arguments, from a deficiency of corn, and just as much of the necessary article as is sufficient for the maintenance of the population, require no answer after what has above been said-III. Now, Mr. Cobbett, although these observations go entirely against Mr. Wroc, it does not follow, that I am perfectly satisfied with all that Mr. Spence has advanced with regard to the effect of commerce on the wealth of a His |