THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS , AND THE ISLE OF FRANCE. 89

filks ; would prevent the emiffion of filver to that country, and occafion the dollars ofAmerica to take their courfe to Old Spain . Nor would thefe be the only advantagesaccruing from fuch meafures. . ,

The Spaniards by promoting on a large fcale the culture of cotton, would be enableto underfell the Englifh in China ; in this cafe the demand for the cotton goods otBengal would diminilh, and the Englifh Eaft India Company, no longer finding thefame nourifhment for its fpeculations, would be forced to make encreafed remittancesfrom London , and confequently have to carry on a trade, prejudicial in extreme to itsinterefts. In this contefl the Spaniards have nothing to hazard, but much to gain.The proximity of the places of intercourfe, and the moderate charge for freight,would neceffarily put it in their power to offer their cottons at a much lower price thanthe Englifh ; and the Chinefe would naturally prefer the cottons from Manila , torwhich they pay in filks, to thofe they purchafe of the India captains, who conit antlyreceive filver in part payment, and find means, notwithflanding the prohibition ot t emandarins, of carrying it out of the country. . ~

Manila might alfo become an entrepot, not only for the refort of Spamfh but, 1 go-vernment fhould allow it, of foreign veffels alfo. In fact this colony furmlhed witthe merchandize of China, either by means of Manila coafters or the Chinefe jun s,which annually refort thither from Emouy, merchant thips from Europe would rathertake in here their return cargoes than proceed for the purpofe to Canton, as by thelemeans they would not only fave time but likewife the charge of the factories and re-fidence, and of the tonnage payable at Canton.

The Spaniards of Manila might even themfelves proceed to the coaft of India withfilver, indigo, and merchandize from China , and there obtain in exchange cambayas,muflins, cloths, and handkerchiefs, either for inveftments on European fhips or onthofe for Acapulco. Trade conduced in this manner would become brilk, and beprofitable to the colony. Still if any great advantage be fought it will be requifite toplace the colony on a refpectable footing of defence by maintaining fome European troops; by fortifying the entrance of the bay, and the ifland of the L-orregidor; byfitting out fome frigates to cruize along the coafts, and prevent the Moors from makingincurfions upon the Spanilh territory; and by diminilhing and Amplifying the cuftomduties, and affording greater facility and difpatch to commercial tranfacfions. Highduties payable on articles of import into any country are not a tax on the foreignerbut on the fubject, as the vendor conffantly augments the price of what he fells in pro-portion to the impoft he pays; thus the purchafer pays the duties, and fo much moremoney goes out of the country *: moreover, proportionally as the duties are heavy isthe importer encouraged to elude them; and as in what is fmuggled the whole dutyis loir, the ftate becomes the lofer.

Let the duties exa&ed, as well from the natives as from foreigners, be leffened toa trine, and let a greater facility be affected to purchafes and fales, and commerce willmcreafe a hundred fold : moreover, in proportion to its increafe will be the augmenta-lon of the duties-; and the revenue will be found not only to equal the expences, but

e ii 0Vei ' e ^' n ’ in addition, will withdraw an excefs from a colony which at prefent an-

a y exacts a remittance from Spain for its fupport.

and ttad laft conclufion is erroneous. If a hundred pounds be the value of a parcel of goods imported,11011^ E ° n them be ei S ht pounds, when the buyer pays for thefe goods one hundred and eightthe treafu f" e , hundred pounds leaves the country, as eight had before been paid by the importer toury ° the country.— Translator, . _

vol. xi. For

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