tifh-markets ought to be established in other countries; and the colonies, under certain restrictions, and paying duty for what they carry to market, fhould be permitted to export their produce (fuch as are the bafis or materials of any British manufacture excepted) directly to foreign countries, provided they fell it to a British houfe: they fhould also be permitted, provided they bought their fupplies from a British houfe, to take in return the natural fruits and produce of that country (all manufactures interfering with those of Britain excepted) paying to fome British officer there, or at their arrival in the colonies, the fame duties as they would have paid, if they had purchased the fame commodities in England. This would answer every end pro. pofed by the Act of Navigation, which is now of neceffity defeated, and would greatly encourage the exports of the colonies, and greatly extend the British-market. The fame principles which became grounds for establishing factories at Peterbourg, Riga, Hamborough, Lifbon, Cadiz, &c. would become grounds for establishing thefe British-markets, in every region to which our trade extends. If it be not true, that the profits of foreign factories finally center in Great Britain, the establishment of them is false policy; if it be true, the permit- ting our colonies to go directly to ports where fuch factories are established, muft coincide with the principle upon which the Act of Navigation was formed, and coincide with it. The method of fecuring the duties propofed, and preventing our colonies from difpofing of their exports to any but British houfes in foreign parts, may eafily be contrived; and as this exportation would be a favour to the colonies, and promote the intereft of the factories, the laws that thould be made with this view would execute themfelves, and be eafily administered by any conful, or naval officer refident at fuch factories, to whom proper powers fhould be given. The colonies might alfo be fupplied with East-India goods, in a way that would totally prevent the contraband trade, and establish one of the greatest marts in the world, the advantage of which would wholly center in Britain. In confequence of measures to be taken between the government and Eaft India company, one of their ships might annually stop at fome ifland in the WestIndies, where the traders of North America might fupply themselves not only for home confumption, but for trade of great extent; and the East-India company in return would become the collector of all the furplus filver in America, and perhaps also some of the gold and ivory of Africa. Some island among thofe lately ceded to us, as the Granadas, or fome neutral island, might be made the place of this mart, and the duties that the trade should pay easily fecured. Some revision of the trade of the colonies belonging to the several maritime powers, among each other will be neceffary. These powers have in general prohibited all trade of foreign colonies with their own; and yet, if the Spanish provinces were not fupplied with British goods and provifions; if the British colonies were not fupplied with Spanish filver; the French with British lumber, fish, horfes, and live stock; and the British colonies with French melaffes, the trade of the colonies would be greatly impeded and impaired. We have a law that expressly prohi bits the importation of French melaffes into our colonies, by loading it with a duty that it can never pay. Happily for us, the execution of this law is impracticable; for if it was effectually executed, a very beneficial branch of trade would be destroyed, and the Britist. American distillery would probably be driven into the French, Dutch, or Danifh iflands, or the French, contrary to their falfe policy, forced into a profitable manufacture of that produce, which they now fell as refufe materials. It is the intereft, and confequently, the duty of government, not only to permit but to encourage, under proper regulation, these branches of trade. When it is remembered, that the law prohibiting the importation of French melaffes into the British colonies was obtained at the folicitation of the British islands, it will appear to have been meant, not so much to prevent the introduction of French melaffes into the British trade, as to determine a struggle between the Weft-India and North America traders, who should have the profits of it. Thus, by the predominant interest of the West-Indians, the government has been led to coincide with their partial views, and embarrass the general courses of its trade. The West Indians, however, must at length be convinced, that this law has not, never had, nor ever will have, the effect propofed; and the government muft alfo know, that the enacting it was falfe policy. There is therefore no doubt but it will ceafe, and that those by whose influence it was made, will be content that it should, so far as to reduce the duty to a practicable charge, which will raise to the crown a very confidera ble revenue. Some revifion alfo of the laws relating to naval ftores will be neceffary. We have at prefent a law, which, with a view to preferve the white pine for mafts, operates to the total deftruction of those trees, before they are fit for mafts. It is by this law enacted, that no pines (not being private property) of 24 inches diameter, 20 inches from the ground, fhall be felled: the confequence is, that those who find their profit in cutting down these trees, either for logs or shingles, and thofe who know how much they fhould be embarrassed by having trees the property of the crown grow on lands, for which they should apply for a grant, never fail to cut down thefe pines before they come to that dimention, which makes them royal property. We are now, by the falfe policy of this law, obliged to go to a great diftance for mafts, and in a fhort time there will be none at all within any distance from which it will be practicable to fetch them. But if, instead of making these trees royal property, the crown was to permit a free mafting in lands not granted, and not only to make mast trees of all dimenfions private property, but to give a bounty, befides the price, to whoever should bring them down to the water-fide, we fhould be fupplied with masts at a much cheaper rate than we now can be, when they must be brought, in the middle of winter, over the fnow, with 70 or so yoke of oxen, from a remote inland part of the country, which muft very foon be the cafe, if the prefent law continues. The following general and important remarks conclude this performance, which is only the first part of a more extenfive work, and feems to be written with great knowledge of the subject, and upon the most enlarged and comprehenfive principles. Were fome fuch arrangements taken for a revifion and further establishment of the laws of trade, upon the principle of extending the British general commerce, by encouraging the trade of the colonies, in fubordination to, and in coincidence therewith, the trade of the colonies would be administered by that true fpirit from whence it arose, and by which it acts; and the true application of the benefits which arife to a mother country from its colonies would be made. Under this spirit of administration, ́the government, as I faid above, could not be too watchful to carry its laws of trade into effectual execution. Some of the laws of trade direct the profecution and punishment of the breach of them to take its courfe in the courts of vice-admiralty. And it has been thought, by a very great practitioner, that if the laws of trade were regulated, on a practicable application of them to the state of the colony trade, that every breach of them should be profecuted in the fame way, by an advocate appointed to each court from Great Britain, with a proper falary, who fhould be directed and impowered to profecute in that court, not only every trader that was an offender, but also e very officer of the customs, who through neglect, collufion, oppreffion, or any other breach of his truft, became fuch: but I own, was it not for the precedent established already by fome of the laws of trade, I should doubt the confiftency of this measure with the general principle of liberty, as established in the trials by a jury in the common law courts. Under the prefent ftate of those laws, and that trade, whatever be the course of prosecution, there is great danger that any severity of execution, which should prove effectual in the cafes of the importation into the colonies, of foreign European and East India goods, might force the Americans to trade for their imports, upon terms on which the trade could not fupport itself, and might become, in the event, a means to bring on the neceffity of these Americans manufacturing for them felves. Nothing does at prefent, with that active and acute people, prevent their going into manufactures, but the dearnefs of labour, in comparison with the terms on which they can import; but increase the price of their imports to a certain degree, let the extent of their fettlements, either by policy from home, or invafion of Indians abroad, be confined; and let their foreign trade and navigation be, in fome meafure, fuppreffed-their money-currency limited within too narrow bounds, by a total prohibition of paper-money;-this dear. nefs of labour will much fooner cease to prevent manufacturing there, than is commonly apprehended. And if the colonies, under any future ftate of administration, which they fee unequal to the management of these affairs, once come to feel their own ftrength in this way, their independence on government, at least on the administration of government, will not be an event fo remote as our leaders may think, which yet nothing but fach falfe policy can bring on. For, on the contrary, put their governments and laws on a true and conftitutional basis, regulate their money, their revenue, and their trade, and do not check their settlements, they must ever depend on the trade of the mother coun try for their supplies, they will never eftablish manufactures, their hands being elsewhere employed, and the merchants being always able to import fuch, on terms that must ruin the manufacturers, unable to fubfift without, or to unite against the mother country; they muft always remain subordinate to it, in all the tranfactions of their commerce, in all the operations of their laws, in every act of their government ; and, to repeat what I have already said, as they will thus conscientiously in each individual, fo will they constitutionally, in their respective governments, become fubordinate, attached, and obedient to the mother country, and to the fupreme government thereof;-and the several colonies, no longer confidered as demefnes of the crown, mere appendages to the realm, will thus become, united therein, members and parts of the realm, as effential parts of one organized whole, the commercial dominion of Great Britain. The taking leading measures to the forming of which, ought, at this juncture, to be the great object of government. From the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. I Have hitherto had as good an opi nion of the Majority as I ought, and of the Minority as they deserve. They have each declared themselves zealous for nothing but the good of the coun try, and I always believed they were each equally in earnest. But for Hea ven's fake, in what does all this pa triotic virtue confift? Not in talking! And yet, where fhall we find the in ftances of its breaking out into ac tion? There furely never was a better opportunity of difplaying public fpirit than the prefent; and if the world is not ftrangely mistaken in the characters of men, one would imagine, that abilities are not wanting for the invention of ways and means to remedy an evil which every day increases, to the mifery of of the inferior clafs of people. We live in a country fertile by nature, and improved to the highest degree by the arts of manure and cultivation; nor is there a real fcarcity of any article among the neceffaries of life. But avarice and villainy have contrived to make an artificial famine in this land of plenty. Provifions of all forts are grown, by management, fo exceffively dear, that a family of a moderate income can hardly live, and the poor muft, literally, ftarve. Are the great guardians of our rights and liberties fo inattentive, or fo ignorant of our misfortunes, that they fee not the dearth that is at hand? had the miniftry seriously applied themselves to redrefs the evils that fo manifeftly affect the people, the deluded public would foon have opened their eyes to fee who were real friends and guardians of their country. Had the gentlemen on the other fide efpoufed the interests of the people, and in their senatorial capacity called upon government to redress their grievances, and prevent growing evils, their oppofition would have appeared rational, conftitutional, and well grounded, and they might have rendered signal fervice to their country. But both the one and the other have fat equally unconcerned, while the evil complained of is every day increasing. Britons! here is a criterion whereby to try your patriots: fee who are the worthies that will stand up to deliver the poor from their cruel oppreffors. Thefe, of whatever party, are your friends, and worthy of the highest eftimation; you need not fear to pronounce them true patriots, whether of the Majority or Minority. ***** I am, Sir, &c. cert with Peter Caffovius, bailiffe of Lubin, formed a fociety, which the Polith writers call The Republic of Babine, and which the Germans denominate The fociety of fools. This fociety was inftituted upon the model of the republic of Poland; it had its king, its chancellor, its councellors, its archbishops, bithops, judges, and other officers: In this republic Plomka had the title of captain, and Caffovius that of chancellor: when any of the members did or faid any thing at their meetings which was unbecoming or ill-timed, they immediately gave him a place, of which he was required to perform the duties till another was appointed in his ftead; for example, if any one fpoke too much, fo as to engrafs the converfation, he was appointed orator of the republic; if he fpoke improperly, occafion was taken from his fubject to appoint him a fuitable employment; if, for instance, he talked about dogs, he was made mafter of the buck-hounds; if he boasted of his courage, he was made a knight, or, perhaps a field-martial: and if he expreffed a bigotted zeal for any fpeculative opinion in religion, he was made an inquifitor. The offenders being thus diftinguished for their follies, and not their wildom, gave occafion to the Germans to call the republic The fociety of fools, which, though a fatyr on the individuals, was by no means fo on the inftitution. It happened that the king of Poland one day afked Pfomka if they had chofen a king in their republic? to which he replied, God forbid that we should think of electing a king while your majefty lives; your majefty will always be king of Babine, as well as Poland. The king was not difpleafed with this fally of humour, and enquired farther to what extent their republic reached? Over the whole world, fays Płomka, for we are told by David, that all men are lyars. This fociety very foon increated to much, that there was scarce any perfon at court who was not honoured with some post in it, and its chiets were alfo in high favour with the king. The view of this fociety was to teach teach the young nobility a propriety of tho' the fire was kept 50 hours; for behaviour, and the arts of conversation; and it was a fundamental law that no flanderer should be received into it. The regiment of the Calot, which was fome years fince established in the court of France, is very fimilar to the republic of Babine. Yours, &c. J. H. From the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. An Account of a Metal, called Platina, PLAT or White Gold. LATINA is found in the gold mines of the Spanish West Indies, in fmall smooth grains, generally of a triangular pyramidal figure, with the points a little blunted; its colour.is nearly that of coarfe bright iron filings, but it becomes more bright and filverly by the action of acids, and by receiving a white heat in the fire. It is fuppofed to derive its name Platina from the Spanish word Plata, Silver. It has many properties in common with gold; it is very nearly equal in weight; it refifts the action of lead, fulphur and antimony, of cement-royal, and all the pure acids, and is foluble only in aqua regia, and liver of fulphur. It is not perfectly homogeneous; a fine fparkling black fand is found mixt with it, which is attracted by the magnet as forcibly as the beft fteel: It is alfo found fometimes to contain gold, The Platina, tho' fufible with other metals, could never be melted alone, or with the most active fluxes, by any of the chemists that had attempted it. This induced M. Macquer, of the academy of fciences at Paris, to try various methods of increafing the power of fire; but no improvement either of the blaft-furnace or the forge fucceeded, the grains of the Platina, of which an ounce had been subjected to the experiment, in a German crucible, had not run, but were only glued together, and formed one mafs in the shape of the crucible. The most remarkable phænomenon that refulted from this experiment was, that the ounce of Platina, when taken out of the furnace, was increased in its weight 14 grains, tho' it was perfectly fecured from the accefs of all foreign substances. After being exposed a fecome time to the fame heat, it in creased in weight 2 grains more. The increase of weight in fubftances that have long suffered the action of a violent fire, is very astonishing; it is, however, common to most of the femimetals in calcination; but as it never happens to perfect metals, among which the Platina must be reckoned, the increafe of its weight in the furnace is imputed to the calcination of fome he terogeneous fubftance mixed with it, efpecially as it left a feruginous coat in the crucible, and its furface was of a dingy colour*. M Macquer, by adapting four pair of bellows to a furface, fo as to unite the blafts in a focus, produced a heat that in an hour and a quarter melted the infide of the furnace, and petrified' the crucible itself, yet a few grains only of the Platina appeared to have received a good fufion, they being perfectly spherical, and of a bright filver colour; a few strokes of a hammer, however, reduced 'em to powder. M. Macquer then thought of expofing this metal to the rays of the fun, collected in the focus of a burning-glass. The glass which he ufed for this pur pofe was a mirrour of two and twenty inches diameter, and eight and twenty inches focus: this mirrour melted a black flint into tranfparent glafs in half a minute, vitrified the Heffian and glass In what proportion femi-metals increafe in weight by calcination, the author has not told us; but his conjecture here will appear very improbable, if it is confidered, that the quantity of the whole mafs in the crucible was but an ounce, that it encreafed fixteen grains, which is a 30th art, and that, if it was only in the heterogeneous part that increafed, this proportion must be very great indeed; for the heterogeneous part muft cer tainly bear a very fmali proportion to the whole. houfe |