Chap. IX.: The Kingdom is not more impoverish’d by the Consumption of Indian than of English Manufactures.

LAstly,The Consumption of English Manufactures is a loss of more value. The Kingdom is not more impoverish’d by the Consumption of Indian than of English Manufactures. Indeed whatsoever is consum’d in England, is loss, it can be no profit to the Nation; but yet to permit the Consumption of the Indian, is not the way to lose so much as if we shall restrain our selves to only English Manufactures. Things may be imported from India by fewer hands than as good wou’d be made in England; so that to permit the Consumption of Indian Manufactures, is to permit the loss of few Men’s labour; to restrain us to only English, is to oblige us to lose the labour of many; the loss of few Men’s labour must needs be less than that of many: Wherefore, if we suffer our selves to consume the Indian, we are not so much impoverish’d as if we were restraind to the Consumption of only English Manufactures.

It must be confess’d, that of Manufactures, whether English or Indian, of equal value, and already in our possession, the Consumption of one can be no more loss than of the other. But a Law to restrain us to use only English Manufactures, is to oblige us to make them first, is to oblige us to provide for our Consumption by the labour of many, what might as well be done by that of few; is to oblige us to consume the labour of many when that of few might be sufficient. Certainly we lose by being restrain’d to the Consumption of our own, we cannot be so much impoverish’d by the free and indifferent use of any Manufactures.

It was the first and most general Objection against Edition: current; Page: [(579)] the East-India Trade, That it carries great quantities of Bullion into India, and returns chiefly Manufactures to be consum’d in England; the Matter of Fact is not deny’d, but then it has been answer’d and made evident, That the exportation of Bullion for Indian Manufactures, is an exchange of less for greater value, is the way to import more Bullion into England, and that we are not more impoverish’d by the consumption of Indian than of English Manufactures; and these are sufficient Answers to the first Objection.