CONTENTS. CHAP. I. Value of the West Indies to Great Bri- tain—1, As a market for her manufactures.— 2, As a nursery of seamen.-3, As productive of CHAP. II. Distressed condition of the West-India CHAP. IV. Means of relieving the West-India colo- nies-1, By the use of sugar in the breweries, and more particularly in the distilleries.-2, By the interruption of the American intercourse with the Enemy's colonies.-3, By an increase of bounty on exportation. Observations on the A state of the West Indies. Their proposed re- CHAP. V. Advantages of peace to the British West N.B. When the price of sugar is mentioned, the market price, or 1 INTRODUCTION. ANOTHER Coalition against France has failed, and has served only to consolidate the greatness which it was intended to humble. Britain must now seek, in a judicious direction of her own resources, that success which she has in vain expected from the co-operation of her allies. It is worthy of the spirit which we inherit from our ancestors, to bid defiance to a presumptuous enemy, and to meet, undismayed, the dan-gers which have overwhelmed our weaker neighbours. The means we possess amply justify our confidence, for they require only a skilful de-velopement to render us invincible. Our numbers, our wealth, and, above all, the free and undaunted character of our people, form a bulwark, against which the efforts of France will be directed in vain. But while the country is animated by a just confidence in regard to the extent of its re sources, a considerable difference of opinion exists about the efficacy of the various modes in which these resources are called into action.The legislature has been lately told by one of its own members*, that after spending fifteen years in endeavours to improve our military force, it was still at a wide distance from its object. This opinion is mentioned here, not with an intention of commencing a discussion foreign to the purpose of this Work, but to afford an example of the imperfection of several of our public measures. Indeed, the more we investigate the nature of our internal regulations, the more shall we be impressed with their inadequacy, both to the exigency of the times, and to the extent of our resources. The laws - of our national economy will be found, in several respects, as objectionable as those of our military establishment. A change of circumstances has rendered many of our early regula tions inexpedient and pernicious; but they have, notwithstanding, been allowed to subsist; not 'that we have wanted statesmen equal to the task of correcting these errors, and of displaying the national resources in all their energy; but because, since the ill-fated revolution of France, * See Mr. Whitbread's speech, on July 31. |