354
young’s travels in prance.
Imports.
Exports.
Imports.
Exports.
L .
L .
L .
’ 7 ' 7 »
6,346,768 —
9^47,700
177 C
12,821,995
— 17,161,1.16
* 7 2 5 >
7,094,708 —
1 1,352,480 '
W 8 3 >
13,122,235
— !5,450,778
I 735 »
8,160,184 —
13 ?5 ^'^3 * 44
i 7 8 5 >
16,279,419
— 16,770,228
* 73 ^
7,438,96° —
12,289,495
1787,
17,804 000
— 16,869,000
1 743 *
7,802,353 —
14,623,653
1788,
18,027,000
— : 7 , 47 ‘jooo
1 753 »
. 8,625,029 —
14,264,6'4
i 7 ° 9 ,
17,82 1,000
— 19,340,000
j 7 6 3 >
11,665,036 —
16,16°,1 8 1
1790,
19,130,000
—■ 20,120,000
As the
balance, or ideas
of a balance, ar
e a good deal vifionary,
we fhall find, by
adding the two columns together, that the trade of England has fuiTered no decline,but on the contrary, is greater than ever; it deferves attention, however, that theprogrefs of it has not been nearly fo rapid as that of France , whofe commerce, in thelaft period, is 3 1 times as great as it was in the firfl; whereas ours has in the fame pe-riod not much more than doubled. The French trade has almoft doubled fince thepeace of 17 3, but ours has increafed not near fo much. Now it : s o'ofervable, thatthe improvements, which in their aggregate mark national profperity, have, in thisperiod of twenty-nine years, been abundantly more adtive in England than in 1 *ranee,which affords a pretty flrong proof that thofe improvements, and that profperity, de-pend on fomet’ning elfe than foreign commerce; and as the force of this argument isdrawn dire&ly from facts, and not at all from theory or opinion, it ought to checkthat blind rage for commerce, which has done more mifehief to Europe , perhaps,than all other evils taken together. We find, that trade has made an immenfe pro-grefs in France ; and it is ellewhere fhewn, that agriculture has made little or none;on the contrary, agriculture has experienced a great increafe in England, though veryfeldom favoured by government, but commerce-an inferior one ; unite this with tiieva(t fuperiority of the latter in national profperity, and furely the leffon afforded byfuch facts needs no comment.
Of the Premiums for the Encouragement of Commerce in France .
The French adminiftration has long been infedted with that commercial fpirit whichis at prefent the dilgrace of all the cabinets of Europe A totally falfe eftirnate that hasbeen made of England, has been the origin of it, and the effedt has been an almoftuniverfal negledt of agriculture.
The premiums paid in trance for encouraging" their commerce are the following,and the amount for a year, ending the 1 ft of May 1789, is added:
liv.
Expence of tranfporting dry cod to the American ifles, and to variousforeign countries, at the rate, of 5,. 10, and 12 livres per quintal, by thearret of 18th Sept. 178,5, and nth Feb. 1787, — — 547,000
Bounty payable on the departure of fhips for the coaft of Guinea , andfor Mozambique , at the rate of 40 liv. per ton, by the arrets of 26th Obh1784, &c. - - - 1,950,000
Bounty on the negroes tranfported into the Colonies at the rate of 60 to100 liv. a-head, by the arret of 26th Odl. 1781, and of 160 liv. and 200
liv. by that of the icth Sept. 1786, - - 865,000
Bounty