VIII.

CHAP. The former mode of fupply encourages external commerce, the latter internal industry. Commerce fhould rife out of, or follow, internal industry; but should never be suffered to precede it, as it would do, if resorted to for articles which a country has hands enough to fabricate.-Besides, external commerce tends to injure, and internal industry, properly regulated, to promote morality and civilization. In every African colony, therefore, all the hands that can be spared from cultivation, fhould be employed in the arts necessary to prepare apparel, buildings, furniture, tools and fuch articles of food as require fome artificial process. The natives, whom I always fuppofe mixed with the colonists, will thus not only be excited to use articles manufactured in the European manner, but will be taught to fabricate them with their own hands; and, having the paths of honeft industry opened to them, will no longer depend, as too many of them have hitherto done, on a pernicious traffic, for a precarious fupply of foreign goods, baubles and trash. fhort, next to agriculture, their taste for, and employment in, useful manufactures will be the most effe&tual means of promoting their civilization. (See § 36, 37.) It seems neceffary, therefore, that there should be a department, in the government or direction, to superintend and inspect the manufactures, to deliberate on the introduction of new ones, and to encourage, by rewards, or otherwife, those which they may deem it expedient to establish.

Commerce.

COMMERCE.

In

165. This article, like several of the preceding, has been pretty largely treated of in Chap. VII. (see § 113, et feq.) whence may be seen the neceffity of inftituting a distinct department in the direction to promote,

I.

II.

The internal, or colonial, trade.
The exportation commerce,

III. The importation commerce;

to promote them, I mean, in such a manner, that surplus produce may be taken off by exportation, without interfering with the neceffary and ample fupply of the colony. By promoting, however, I do not mean any thing like an exclusive surrender of the colonial commerce into the hands of the directors; but only that they should watch over, or, as the name of their office imports, direct the general course of commerce to the general good, leaving to individuals the full, free and open exercise of all legal, commercial purfuits.

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VIII.

DEFENCE.

166. On the internal polity and external defence of a new colony, I have beftowed much thought; and, on the whole, the ancient English fyftem of frankpledge appears to me to be the best calculated to fecure both these objects*.

167. In this, as in many other particulars, I fo entirely agree with the Right Hon. Paul le Mefurier, the present worthy and spirited Lord Mayor of London, that I hope he will pardon me for taking the liberty to insert an extract from a few hafty, but judicious remarks, with which he was pleased to honour me." The common law and polity of England," says his lordship, "being founded on the system offr ankpledge, will naturally form the basis of the internal

*This fyftem is explained at large in "An account of the constitutional English polity of congregational courts," &c. by the excellent Granville Sharp, Esq. who has applied it to the cafe of a new colony, in his "Short sketch of temporary regulations for Sierra Leona."

Internal pofence, by

lity and de

frank pledge.

VIII.

CHA P. government of the colony.-It may be divided into districts, each to contain, as near as can be, 50,000 acres, or 100 grand lots, and be fubdivided into tythings of 5000 acres, or 10 grand lots each. Every district to have one head constable, and every tything, one petty conftable, or tything man, who should have power to call the tything together, on every emergency. The head conftable to be captain of the militia in his district, and to nominate such of the tything men under him, as he should chuse for officers.-Every proprietor, or proprietors, of 500 acres to furnish one man for the militia, whereby there would, in every district, be 100 militia; and the civil police there would consist of one head, and ten petty, conftables.-The tything man to be elected annually in each tything; but the head constable to be named annually by the prefident and council, to be possessed at least of 500 acres, and to be responsible, to the prefident and council, for the fafety and peace of the district; as the tything men would be responsible to him, for that of their respective tythings. In parts of the colony distant from the feat of government, it may be proper for the prefident and council to name a chief, who might have the <power of a juftice of peace, and be alfo at the head of the militia of the several districts under his inspection; and where his command was extensive, he should be affifted by proper persons to collect the taxes, if any, superintend the public works, and see that the orders of government were duly executed, &c. The chief and his affistants to have some salary; but the head constable, tything men, &c. to serve without falary.”

168. "Wherever there fhall be towns established, that contain 500 or more males, above the age of fifteen, every fuch town to be confidered as a district in itself, wherein

every ten families fhall conftitute a tything, and shall annually chufe a tything man who shall act as conftable; and, from among the tything men fo chosen, the prefident and council shall annually nominate a mayor and three aldermen, who shall prefide over the town, and take charge of the police for the year.—Each family, in every town, shall also be obliged to find a man for the militia; and they shall be enrolled and exercised under such persons, from among their own townsmen, as the prefident and council shall annually appoint, who, as well as the mayor and aldermen, shall serve without salary, fee or reward."

169. To these valuable hints from his lordship, I have only to add, that the defence of the colony ought to be committed to a diftinct department of the government or direction, in order to protect the colony from hoftile attacks by land, by fea or by noxious animals.

FINANCES.

170. Many may think that in a colony or community, where the public good is the interest of every individual, a public treasury would not be a material confideration. But when the neceffity of the three following institutions is confidered, it will foon be found, not only that the raising of colonial finances will come to be unavoidable, but also that a board of the direction must be established for applying them to these neceffary uses, viz.

I. Public charities, fuch as public inftitutions for orphan children, for all useful perfons after the age of fixty, or when they become incapable of labour; for hospitals, &c.

II. Public works useful, ornamental and recreative, fuch as public buildings, highways, bridges, harbours, gardens, &c.

CHA P.

VIII.

CHA P.
VIII.

Political arrangements,

III. Public defence, fuch as fortifications, arms, ammunition, &c.

POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS.

171. Comprizing alfo foreign affairs. This is placed the laft of all public functions, because it is the link by which every individual within a colony, and every colony with it's mother country, neighbours, and other countries, are connected together in relations whose basis is, or ought to be, mutual friendship and affiftance. The order which connects individuals in fociety is called police and polity; and that which connects nations and colonies, politics. Both are equally neceffary, and require specific departments in the direction; the two former, namely police and polity, are referred to the 4th department in the 1ft clafs, § 179; the fuctions of the laft, or politics, may be referred to the three following objects.

I. The political balance, between the colonists, or subscribers, and the direction, or the government, both in the colony, and in Europe.

II. The political balance, between the colonial establishment, and other mercantile companies, or colonies, in Europe, or elsewhere.

III. The political balance, between the colonial establishment, and the neighbouring African nations, which require a different mode of intercourse and treatment, as being uncivilized.

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