THE WEALTH OF NATIONS.

585

^ le P eo P^ e both on ^is an d 011 l ^ e ot ^ ier side of the

antic.

W,

^ ® °n this side the water are afraid lest the multitude ofCo er . lcan representatives should overturn the balance of theth e ^don, and increase too much either the influence oft]j e Cr °Wn on the one hand, or the force of the democracy on°ther. But if the number of American representativesbe in proportion to the produce of American tax-

*en

ati,

et 0

on.

1 i j. i

- the number of people to be managed ujould increaseth Ct " '

*Cth • -• --—'“"g™ -

, v m proportion to the means of managing them ; and

1 hp t j eans managing to the number of people to be ma-

.' The monarchical and democratical parts of the con-

gj e l0r > would, after the union, stand exactly in the same de-

dj relative force with regard to one another as they had

r^r before.

tt)ei/ e .P eo P^ e on the other side of the water are afraid lestthJ' ^stance from the seat of government might exposeIj^ to many oppressions. But their representatives in par-sjA ea t, of which the number ought from the first to be con-p re f; Jole, would easily be able to protect them from all op-p e J l °n, The distance could not much weaken the de-C er *cy of the representative upon the constituent, and the4^ e r would still feel that he owed his seat in parliament,^ Q( l i the consequence which he derived from it, to thefo rtl) '' v ill of the latter. It would be the interest of the'Hi therefore, to cultivate that good-will by complaining,dthe authority of a member of the legislature, of everyth ^bich any civil or military officer might be guilty ofV f Se rem ote parts of the empire. The distance of Ame-\ t0 * the seat of government, besides, the natives of thattr y might flatter themselves, with some appearance of^ | a to °, would not be of very long continuance. SuchN>Ul • rto been the rapid progress in that country in wealth,VJS and improvement, that in the course of a littlea cen tury, perhaps, the produce of the American Ibe ^ e)Cce ed that of British taxation. The seat of the em-^Pire^d then naturally remove itself to that part of theSbnJ^ich contributed most to the general defence andh^h e a° ftlle whole.

| n ,! Sc °very of America and that of a passage to the, es b y the Ca P e of Good Hope, are the two greatest\j r St important events recorded in the history of mankind.c °asequences have already been very great; but, in2 P