This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1770 edition. Excerpt: ... be quite extinguished; because, by this, last expedient, it may continue for some time to increase, their national stock. It is in order to cut off even this resource, that some nations lay not only importations under restraint, but also the importers *. Let such, precautions be carried to a certain length on all hands, and we shall see an end to the whole system of foreign trade, so much alamode, that it appears to become more and more the object of the attention as well as of the imitation of all modern statesmen. CHAP. XXV. JVben a rich Nation finds her Foreign Trade reduced to the Articles of Natural Produce, "what is the best -plan to be followed? and "what are the Consequences ofjitch a Change of Circumstances f THERE is now no more question of a trading nation; this character is lost, the moment there is a stop put to the export of the labour and in* genuity of her people. The first objects of her care should be to increase, by every possible means, the quantity of her natural produce; to be as frugal as possible in the consumption of it, and to export the surplus to the best ad.. vantage. If she finds her exportation of subsistence going forward, while some of her people remain in want, she may rest assured that industry is made to suffer by some internal vice; and the most probable cause of such an effect will be found to bean unequal.competition between those of the lower classes, who work for a 4 physical * By the act of navigation in England. physical-necessary. This must be removed, and the statesman should never rest, until he has set the balance of work and demand so far right, as to prevent at least the scale of work from preponderating; for this is the door by which misery gets in among the people. The scale...