been extended far beyond them, fold readily, without any improvement made upon them for three pounds per acre, The acre in America is the fame with the English acre, or the acre of Normandy.

Those who defire to understand the ftate of government in America, would do well to read the conftitutions of the feveral ftates, and the articles of confederation that bind the whole together for general purposes, under the direction of one affembly, called the Congress. These conftitutions have been printed, by order of Congrefs, in America; two editions of them have alfo been printed in London; and a good tranflation of them into French, has lately been publifhed at Paris.

Several of the princes of Europe having of late, from an opinion of advantage to arise by producing all commodities and manufactures within their

own

own dominions, fo as to diminish or ren der useless their importations, have endeavoured to entice workmen from other countries, by high falaries, privileges, &c. Many perfons pretending to be skilled in various great manufactures, imagining that America must be in want of them, and that the Congrefs would probably be disposed to imitate the prin ces above mentioned, have proposed to go over, on condition of having their paffages paid, lands given, falaries appointed, exclufive privileges for terms of years, &c. Such perfons, on reading the articles of confederation, will find that the Congrefs have no power committed to them, or money put into their hands, for fuch purposes; and that if any fuch encouragement is given, it must be by the government of fome separate state. This, however, has rarely been done in America; and when it has been done, it has rarely fucceeded, fo as to establish

a manu

a manufacture, which the country was not yet fo ripe for as to encourage private perfons to set it up; labour being generally too dear there, and hands difficult to be kept together, every one defiring to be a master, and the cheapness of land inclining many to leave trades for agriculture. Some indeed have met with fuccefs, and are carried on to advantage; but they are generally fuch as require only a few hands, or wherein great part of the work is performed by machines. Goods that are bulky, and of so small value as not well to bear the expence of freight, may often be made cheaper in the country than they can be imported; and the manufacture of fuch goods will be profitable wherever there is a fufficient demand. The farmers in America produce indeed a good deal of wool and flax ; and none is exported, it is all worked up; but it is in the way of domestic manufacture, for the use of the family.

The

The buying up quantities of wool and flax, with the design to employ fpinners, weavers, &c. and form great establishments, producing quantities of linen and woollen goods for fale, has been several times attempted in different provinces ; but those projects have generally failed, goods of equal value being imported cheaper. And when the governments have been folicited to fupport fuch fchemes by encouragements, in money, or by impofing duties on importation of fuch goods, it has been generally refused, on this principle, that if the country is ripe for the manufacture, it may be carried on by private perfons to advantage; and if not, it is a folly to think of forcing nature. Great establishments of manufacture, require great numbers of poor to do the work for fmall wages; thofe poor are to be found in Europe, but will not be found in America, till the lands are all taken up and cultivated, and the

excess of people who cannot get land want employment. The manufacture of filk, they fay, is natural in France, as that of cloth in England, because each country produces in plenty the first material: but if England will have a manufacture of filk as well as that of cloth, and France of cloth as well as that of filk,. thefe unnatural operations must be fupported by mutual prohibitions, or high duties on the importation of each other's goods; by which means the workmen are enabled to tax the home confumer by greater prices, while the higher wages they receive makes them neither happier nor richer, fince they only drink more and work lefs. Therefore the governments in America do nothing to encourage fuch projects. The people, by this means, are not impofed on either by the merchant or mechanic: if the merchant demands too much profit on imported fhoes, they buy of the shoemaker;

VOL. I.

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