G8C T1IE NATURE AND CAUSES OF

The abuses which sometimes creep into the local and pro-vincial administration of a local and provincial revenue, howenormous soever they may appear, are in reality, however,almost always very trifling, in comparison of those whichcommonly take place in the administration and expenditure ofthe revenue of a great empire. They are, besides, much moreeasily corrected. Under the local or provincial administrationof the justices of the peace in Great Britain , thesix days’ labourwhich the country people are obliged to give to the repara-tion of the highways, is not always perhaps very judiciouslyapplied, but it is scarce ever exacted with any circumstanceof cruelty or oppression. In France , under the adminis-tration of the intendants, the application is not always morejudicious, and the exaction is frequently the most cruel andoppressive. Such Corvees, as they are called, make one ofthe principal instruments of tyranny by which those officerschastise any parish or communeaute which has had the mis-fortune to fall under their displeasure.

Of the Public Works and Institutions which are necessary forfacilitating particular Branches of Commerce.

The object of the public works and institutions above-men-tioned is to facilitate commerce in general. But in order tofacilitate some particular branches of it, particular institutionsare necessary, which again require a particular and extraor-dinary expense.

Some particular branches ot commerce, which are carriedon with barbarous and uncivilized nations, require extraor-dinary protection. An ordinary store or counting-house couldgive little security to the goods of the merchants who tradeto the western coast of Africa . To defend them from thebarbarous natives, it is necessary that the place where theyare deposited should be, in some measure, fortified. The dis-orders in the government of Indostan have been supposed torender a like precaution necessary even among that mild andgentle people; and it was under pretence of securing theirpersons and property from violence, that both the English andFrench East India Companies were allowed to erect the firstforts which they possessed in that country. Among othernations, whose vigorous government will suffer no strangersto possess any fortified place within their territory, it may benecessary to maintain some ambassador, minister, or consul,