who have such estates, reside upon and take care of them themselves, are they worse subjects than they would be if they lived idly in England?-Great merit is assumed for the gentlemen of the West Indies,* on the score of their residing and spending their money in England. I would not depreciate that merit; it is considerable; for they might, if they pleased, spend their money in France: but the difference between their spending it here and at home is not so great. What do they spend it in when they are here, but the produce and manufactures of this country;-and would they not do the same if they were at home? Is it of any great importance to the English farmer, whether the West India gentleman comes to London and eats his beef, pork, and tongues, fresh; or has them brought to him in the West Indies salted? whether he eats his English cheese and butter, or drinks his English ale, at London or in Barbadoes? Is the clothier's, or the mercer's, or the cutler's, or the toyman's profit less, for their goods being worn and consumed by the same persons residing on the other side of the ocean? Would not the profits of the merchant and mariner be rather greater, and some addition made to our navigation, ships and seamen? If the North American gentleman stays in his own country, and lives there in that degree of lu xury and expence with regard to the use of British manufactures, that his fortune entitles him to; may not his example (from the imitation of superiors, so natural to mankind) spread the use of those manufac tures among hundreds of families around him, and occasion a much greater demand for them, than it would do if he should remove and live in London ?-However this may be, if in our views of immediate advantage, it seems preferable, that the gentlemen of large fortunes in North America should reside much in England; it is what may surely be expected, as fast as such fortunes are acquired there. Their having "colleges of their own for the education of their youth," will not prevent it: a little knowledge and learning acquired increases the appetite for more, and will make the conversation of the learned on this side the water more strongly desired. Ireland has its university likewise; yet this does not prevent the immense pecuniary benefit we receive from that kingdom. And there will always be, in the conveniencies of life, the politeness, the pleasures, the magnificence of the reigning country, many other attractions besides those of learning, to draw men of substance there, where they can (apparently at least) have the best bargain of happiness for their money. Our trade to the West India islands is undoubtedly a valuable one: but whatever is the amount of it, it has long been at a stand. Limited as our sugar planters are by the scantiness of territory, they cannot increase much beyond their present number; and this is an evil, as I shall show hereafter, that will be little helped by our keeping Guadaloupe.-The trade to our Northern Colonies is not only greater, but yearly increasing with the increase of people: and even in a greater proportion, as the people increase in wealth and the ability of spending, as well as in numbers.*-I have already said, that The writer has [since] obtained accounts of the exports to North America, and the West India Islands; by which it appears, that there has been some increase of trade to those islands as well as to North Ame that our people in the northern colonies double in about 25 years, exclusive of the accession of strangers. That I speak within bounds, I appeal to the authentic ac counts rica, though in a much less degree. The following extract from these accounts will show the reader at one view the amount of the exports to each, in two different terms of five years; the terms taken at ten years distance from each other, to show the increase, viz. First term, from 1744 to 1748, inclusive. In the first term, total of West India islands, 3,363,337 10 10 In the second term, ditto 3,767,841 12 11 Increase, only £.0,404,504 2 1 In the first term, total for Northern Colonies, 3,486,268 1 2 counts frequently required by the board of trade, and transmitted to that board by the respective governors; of which accounts I shall select one as a sample, being that By these accounts it appears, that the exports to the West India islands, and to the northern colonies, were in the first term nearly equal (the difference being only 122,9361. 10s. 4d.) and in the second term, the exports to those islands had only increased 404,50 11. 2s. 1d.—Whereas the increase to the northern colonies is 5,927,7891. 3s. 1d. almost four millions. Some part of this increased demand for English goods may be ascribed to the armies and fleets we have had both in North America and the West Indies; not so much for what is consumed by the soldiery; their clothing, stores, ammunition, &c. sent from hence on account of the government, being (as is supposed) not included in these accounts of merchandize exported; but, as the war has occasioned a great plenty of money in America, many of the inhabitants have increased their expence. N. B. These accounts do not include any exports from Scotland to America, which are doubtless proportionably considerable; nor the exports from Ireland. [I shall carry on this calculation where Dr. Franklin left it. For four years, from 1770 to 1775 inclusively, the same average annual exports to the same ports of the West Indies is 994,4631.; and to the same ports of the North American plantations 2,919,6691. But the annual averages of the first and second terms of the former were 672,6631. and 753,5681: of the latter, 697,2541. and 1,482,8111. In ten years therefore (taking the middle years of the terms) the North American trade is found to have doubled the West Indian: in the next sixteen years it becomes greater by three-fold.—With respect to itself, the North American trade in 32 years (taking the extremes of the terms) has quadrupled; while the West Indian trade increased only one half; of which increase I apprehend Jamaica has given more than one-third, chiefly in consequence of the quiet produced by the peace with the maroon negroes. Had the West Indian trade continued stationary, the North American trade would have quadrupled with respect to it, in 26 years; and this, notwithstanding the checks given to the latter, by their non-importation agreements and the encouragement of their own manufactures. There has been an accession to both these trades, produced by the cessions at the treaty of Paris, not touched upon by Dr. Franklin. The average that from the colony of Rhode-Island ;* a colony that of all the others receives the least addition from strangers.--For the increase of our trade to those colonies, I refer to the accounts frequently laid before Parliament, by the officers of the customs, and to the custom-house books: from which I have also selected one account*, that of the trade from England (exclusive of Scotland) to Pensylvania+; a colony most remarkable for the plain average annual export-trade, from 1770 to 1773 inclusively, to the ceded West India islands, amounted to 258,2991: to the ceded North American territory it has been 280,4231. See Sir Charles Whitworth's State of Trade. B. V.] * Copy of the Report of Governor Hopkins to the Board of Trade, on the Numbers of People in Rhode-Island. In obedience to your lordships' commands, I have caused the within account to be taken by officers under oath. By it there appears to be in this colony at this time 35,939 white persons, and 4697 blacks, chiefly negroes. In the year 1730, by order of the then lords commissioners of trade and plantations, an account was taken of the number of people in this colony, and then there appeared to be 15,302 white persons, and 2633 blacks. Again in the year 1748, by like order, an account was taken of the number of people in this colony, by which it appears there were at that time 29,755 white persons, and 4373 blacks. Colony of Rhode Island, Dec. 24, 1755. STEPHEN HOPKINS. + An Account of the Value of the Exports from England to Pensylvania, in one Year, taken at different Periods, viz. |