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curred, but the anxiety to procure a nursery for seamen, at acheaper rate than by a standing navy: where, too, the mere ser-vice of parade could never be expected to produce that hardi-hood, and presence of mind in the midst of danger, which maybe expected to be acquired in the course of strenuous enterprize,inspired by the hopes of gain.
It seems, however, very questionable, whether any quantity ofseamanship lias ever been created by the herring fishery,—amiwhether what is found doing no good in it, would not have ex-isted profitably elsewhere, and has merely been attracted to itby the force of extra encouragement. Laying open the EastIndia trade, would be a measure of much more efficacy ; whilst,instead of proving a source of expense to the public, it wouldrelieve it from the oppression of monopoly.
Sect. IV.
Of Manufactor.es and Commerce.
It is evident, that artificers of conveniencies, or negotiatingmerchants, cannot exist, but in proportion as agriculture, foreignor domestic, provides the means of subsistence. It is equallyevident, that cultivators of the soil could have no rational induce-ment to provide a surplus produce, above what suffices for theirown support, unless as the material of exchange against suchconveniencies as they prize.
The great business of society, (the raising of the greatestquantity of the means of subsistence and conveniency, and theproportional distribution of these through the whole body of thepeople), depends upon the mutual stimulus given to each otherhy manufacturing and agricultural industry, and the facility ofthe mutual interchange of their products through tire industry ufcommerce.
Tire immediate object of attainment held in view by the wholeindustrious classes, is the possession of the precious metals; butthese, of all the metals, are the most unimportant to human life,for any essential purpose of accommodation or defence ; their on -ly use, in this respect, is, the trifling one of mere ornament; itis as the agreed common measure of value that they are prized,and as giving, in this capacity, the command of both necessariesand conveniencies, which, if they could not purchase, they wouldbe perfectly insignificant. Of course, the whole industrious ex-ertions of the population are ultimately resolvable, as to their ex-citing motive, into the desire of obtaining necessaries for conve-niencies, or conveniencies for necessaries, in the way of mutualexchanges, the only way in which, through mutual subserviencyin the subdivision of labour, they can be obtained in abundanceand perfection, so long as self-interest shall continue to he thesteady and prevailing motive to human action.
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