T11K WEAl/ril 01-' NATIONS.

501

vcnnnent must yield to their prejudices, and, in order topreserve the public tranquillity, establish that system whichthey approve of. It is upon this account, perhaps, that weso seldom find a reasonable system established with regardto either of those two capital objects.

IV. The trade of the merchant carrier, or of the importerof foreign com in order to export it again, contributes to theplentiful supply of the home market. It is not indeed thedirect purpose of his trade to sell his corn there, liut hewill generally be willing to do so, and even for a good dealJess money than he might expect in a foreign market; be-cause he saves in this manner the expense of loading and un-loading, of freight and insurance. The inhabitants of thecountry which, by means of the carrying trade, becomes themagazine and storehouse for the supply of other countries,can very seldom be in want themselves. Though the carry-ing trade must thus contribute to reduce the average moneyprice of corn in the home market, it would not thereby lowerits real value. It would only raise somewhat the real valueof silver.

The carrying trade was in effect prohibited in Great Bri-tain , upon all ordinary occasions, by the high duties uponthe importation of foreign com, of the greater part of whichthere was no drawback ; and upon extraordinary occasions,when a scarcity made it necessary to suspend those dutiesby temporary statutes, exportation, was always prohibited.By this system of laws, therefore, the carrying trade was iueffect prohibited upon all occasions.

ihat system of laws, therefore, which is connected withthe establishment of the bounty, seems to deserve no part ofthe praise which has been bestowed upon it. The improve-ment and prosperity of Great Britain , which has been sooften ascribed to those laws, may very easily be accountedfor by other causes. That security which the laws in Great

ntain give to every man that he shall enjoy the fruits of hisown labour, is alone suflicient to make any country flourish,no wit islanding these and twenty other absurd regulations otcommerce; and this security was perfected by the revolution,much about the same time tlsLt the bounty yvas established.

ie natuial effort of every individual to better his own con-dition, when suffered to exert itself with freedom and secu-is so powerful a principle, that it is alone, and withoutan y assistance, not only capable of carrying on the society to