lue of all the rights of commonage, and other charges and expences that might attend the fale. And the refidue, it is obvious, would fo far exceed every prefent demand that it would afford a very great and capital addition to the other fupplies and ftrength of the kingdom in cafe of another war. Many other advantages would arife from the cultivation of thefe lands. Even the land tax to be paid by them, would, at 35. in the pound, amount to above 37,500l. per Ann. which would be a faving in proportion, to the landed estates of the kingdom. If foreign proteftants were admitted to purchase these lands, with the privilege of naturalization for themselves, and families, by the purchase of 100 acres; and a further privilege of naturalization, for every family that should occupy a part of them, or a tenement of 10l. per ann. within a limited time; and continue in the fame for three, or five years. It may reasonably be imagined, that many would grafp at fuch an opportunity; and even that opulent families would chufe to eftablish themselves in a country, whofe fituation, and conftitution, with refpect to religion, and liberty, cannot be equalled which would be a great inducement to many useful hands to come along with them; and affift in cultivating their lands, or establishing manufactures on them; to which, their being near the metropolis, where they are always fure of the best market, would be an extraordinary encouragement. So that not only the fums of money that foreigners might pay for fuch lands; but probably the whole fortune of such families, as well as numbers of useful hands might be acquir ed; which is a point that may deferve our ferious attention, as the numbers of our people must have been greatly diminished by the laft war, and are likely to be more fo, by the very extenfive addition of foreign territory we have acquired. Whoever reflects on the impolitic conduct of Lewis XIV. in forcing fuch numbers of his proteftant fubjects to seek an afylum in this kingdom, on account of their religion, may from thence date the rife and progrefs of feveral of the moft ufeful and profitable branches of our manufacture. By their fettling in Spitalfields, then the worst inhabited part of the fuburbs, it is become in little more than half a century, as opulent and populous, as most other parts of the town. And the defcendants of thefe induftrious people, as heartily attached to our conftitution, as any other men in the kingdom. Although war is no more, at leaft not for the present, we are fill to deal with an induftrious people, who will always be ready to vye with us in the arts of peace; and are certainly endeavouring to beat us out of foreign markets, by under felling felling us; which they may poffibly effect with greater fecurity, than they could ftand before us in the field of battle. The moft certain means of avoiding an evil of this nature, which would be much more fatal to us than the lofs of any battle, is by encreasing our number of useful hands, and reducing our taxes on the neceffaries of life; by which our artificers will be enabled to work at moderate wages, and our manufactures find their way to foreign markets, at as reafonable prices as theirs. The measures that have been long purfued, were quite the reverfe; every neceffary of life has been taxed, and retaxed, in fuch a manner, that it must puzzle the greatest adept in ways and means, to find any new tax that can well be laid. So that neceffity feems to enforce some other fyftem, than the ruinous one of borrowing and funding. in If we confider the use that has also been made of our national credit; we fhall find, that were it not for the foundness of our conftitution, it must have betrayed us into ruin. We borrowed 10 millions on it in king William's war; this debt was increased to near 50 millions in queen Anne's wars; the next to 80 millions; and in this last war we have stretched it to 148 mil. For this 148 mil, we owe, the nation in reality never received above 100 millions, and the remainder has been fquandered in jobs, and contracts. How much farther our credit would bear being ftrained in this manner, without breaking, is more than any but jews, stockjobbers or contractors will pretend to determine: and who that has any regard to his country, will try the experiment? at best it is verging. on a precipice, and a few paces more in the fame road may become irretrievable. Like a fpendthrift, heir to a large eftate, in the hands of rapacious ufurers, we have given the most extravagant premiums, paid the higheft intereft, and mortgaged even the equity of redemption of a confiderable part of the eftate, for a number of years to come. The benefit the public would receive by the cultivation of 250,000 acres of land, at prefent, in a manner useless; as well as the advantage it might be to acquire a number of useful hands; do not properly come within the proposed eftimate. I fhall therefore only rate the value of thefe lands açcording to what may be produced by the fale. This I imagine might be fufficient not only to discharge the arrears of the civil lift but 3 millions and of the debt due to the bank of England, which is at 3 per cent. and would be a faving to the public 105,000l. per ann. To which may be added, the land-tax as before mentioned (for thefe lands, when properly cultivated, cannot be rated at less than 20s, per acre, one with another) which would produce a fum not less than 37,500!. per ann. at only 35. in the pound. X x 2 Fa |