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I.

SECTION XV.

The real Intereft of Tradefmen.

WH

HAT are the Privileges of Freemen? Are they real, or imaginary? Would the Inhabitants of Birmingbam, Manchester, and Leeds, accept fuch Privileges if they were offered them?

II. ARE the Tradefmen in Westminster the poorer for being without, or the Tradesmen in London the richer for being within the Liberties of the City?

III. IF a Tradefman fells the dearer by excluding those who are not free, doth he not buy the dearer of other Tradefmen for the like Reafon? -If his Intention is only to exclude Rivals, do not the Freemen of other Trades exclude their Rivals upon the fame Motives?

-And when other Tradefmen exclude their Rivals, do they not in fact exclude fuch as might be his Customers?

IV. Is not every Tradefman willing to buy. as cheap, and fell as much as may be? But how can he do either where Trade is not free?

SECTION

SECTION XVI.

There must be Rivals in Commerce either at Home or Abroad.

I.

'I'

F there will and must be Rivals either at Home or Abroad,-which is the most detrimental to a Kingdom?-To have Competitors at Home? or to be out-rivalled Abroad?

II. WAS a Nation ever hurt by Competitions at Home? -And is not the Proverb, Penny wife and Pound foolish, manifeftly verified in thefe, who would prevent Competitions between Merchants, Tradefmen, and Mechanicks?

III. WHAT is the Publick Good? Is it not, for the most Part, the Refult of Emulation among the Members of the fame Society? And what would become of Industry, Temperance, Frugality, and the Defire of Excelling, if there were no Emulation?

IV. WHICH is beft for the Publick, To have Emulations among Tradefmen and Manufacturers, or Combinations? And which of these hath the strongeft Tendency to heighten the Price of exportable Goods, and impoverish our Country?

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SECTION XVII.

The Objection, "That Foreigners would take "the Bread out of the Mouths of the Na"tives, and carry away the Mysteries of **Trade," confidered and examined.

1.

W

HICH Sort of Foreigners are moft to be dreaded, as taking the Bread out of the Mouths of the Natives? Those thout the Kingdom? or thofe within?

II. IF the good People of England could fee through a Telefcope thofe Merchants and Manufacturers in the feveral Parts of Europe who out-rival them, and prevent the Sale of their Manufactures, would they not rather fay, Thofe are the People that take the Bread out of our Mouths? But will the Refufal of a Naturalization Bill be a Means of curing this Evil?

III. WHO are those that have carried the Myfteries of Trade out of this Kingdom?— Foreigners? or Englishmen? And whether there are not Englishmen very lately fettled in moft Kingdoms in Europe, who teach the Natives of thofe Countries the particular Trades in which we moft excel? Whether alfo there are not undeniable Proofs of their having

folicited

folicited Charters to exclude Goods of the fame Kind coming from England?

IV. ARE there not a Variety of Tools now making in England, and daily fhipping off for the use of Manufacturers in Foreign Coun tries? And will not the English Masters and Journeymen go over to teach Foreigners the Use of thofe Tools, if they are invited and sufficiently encouraged?

V. IF the Kings of France, Spain, Portu gal, Pruffia, &c. are intent upon setting up any English Manufactures,-which would be their likelieft Way to fucceed?—To draw off English Manufacturers by Premiums and Salaries? or to be at the Expence of fending their own Subjects, and maintaining them here a long Time to learn the Trade? Which is the most expeditious Method? The moft fecure, the cheapeft, and that which has been moft frequently and fuccefsfully practifed?

SECTION XVIII.

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The permitting the Natives to go to our Colonies and Plantations, and the Inviting of Foreigners to come in to increase our Numbers, fhewn to terminate in the fame good Policy?:

I.

1. W

HETHER there is not a certain
Fundamental Principle in Govern-
F2

ment

ment and Commerce, That an Increase of Labour will be attended with an Increase of People?

II. WHETHER Colonies and Plantations, under proper Regulations, do not increase

Labour?

III. WHETHER the Kingdom of Spain would have been depopulated by the Spanish Settlements in America, if all the Manufactures fent to that Country had been worked up in Old Spain?

IV. As great Multitudes of French, Englifh, Dutch, Italians, and other Nations, are now employed in the making of Manufactures, and the fending of Provifions to the Spanish West Indies, -would not Old Spain be a very populous Country, if these People, with their Wives and Families, were tranfplanted there?

V. If there is an Increase of Labour in any free Town, will not the People flock thither from other Parts of the Kingdom, in Proportion to that Increase? And whether the like

would

*THE Regulations here referred to may be seen in the VIIIth Propofal of the Brief Effay on Trade, zd Edit. Page 92. printed for T. Trye, Holborn. And I fuppofe Sir Jofiah Child muft have had fome fuch Regulations in his Thoughts, when he pronounced it to be a VULGAR ERROR to fay, That Colonies do leffen the Number of People in the Mother Country.

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