THE WEALTH OF NATIONS.

G87

who may both decide, according to their own customs, thedifferences arising among his own countrymen; and, in theirdisputes with the natives, may, by means of his public cha-racter, interfere with more authority, and afford them a morepowerful protection, than they could expect from any privateman. The interests of commerce have frequently made it ne-cessary to maintain ministers in foreign countries, where thepurposes, either of war or alliance, would not have requiredany. The commerce of the Turkey Company first occasionedthe establishment of an ordinary ambassador at Constanti-nople. The first English embassies to Russia arose altogetherfrom commercial interests. The constant interference withthose interests, necessarily occasioned between the subjects ofthe different states of Europe , has probably introduced thecustom of keeping, in all neighbouring countries, ambassadorsor ministers constantly resident even in the time of peace.This custom, unknown to ancient times, seems not to be olderthan the end of the fifteenth or beginning of the sixteenthcentury; that is, than the time when commerce first began toextend itself to the greater part of the nations of Europe , andwhen they first began to attend to its interests.

It seems not unreasonable, that the extraordinary expense,which the protection of any particular branch of commercemay occasion, should be defrayed by a moderate tax uponthat particular branch; by a moderate fine, for example, to bepaid by the traders when they first enter into it, or, what ismore equal, by a particular duty of so much per cent, uponthe goods which they either import into, or export out of, theparticular countries with which it is carried on. The protec-tion of trade in general, from pirates and freebooters, is saidto have given occasion to the first institution of the duties ofcustoms. But, if it was thought reasonable to lay a generaltax upon trade, in order to defray the expense of protectingtrade in general, it should seem equally reasonable to lay aparticular tax upon a particular branch of trade, in order todefray the extraordinary expense of protecting that branch.

I he protection of trade in general has always been consi-dered as essential to the defence of the commonwealth, and,upon that account, a necessary part of the duty of the execu-tive power. The collection and application of the generalduties of customs, therefore, have always been left to thatPower. But the protection of auy particular branch of trade18 a part of the general protection of trade; a part, therefore,