That every industrious Person adds to the Wealth, and Support of a Nation; and every Idler, detracts from both, by living on the Labour of Others.
That it is the best Policy in any Government, to encourage, and provide for the full Imployment of the People; since thereby, the Number, Wealth, Strength, and Quiet of the Inhabitants are increased.
That the Gain, or Loss of any Nation by Trade, is known, and determined by the Proportion, which the Exports bear in Value to the Imports. On this depends the absolute Quantity of Money in a Nation; the Relative Quantity of the several Species, that composeth this Money, being ascertained by the Value imposed on those Species; either as it agrees with, or differs from the Value set thereon by other Nations.
A Nation certainly loses by a Trade, whose Exports are not compleatly manufactured, and whole Imports are fully wrought.
A few Manufactures will serve to exchange for great Quantities of the simple Produce of the Earth. The Value of Manufactures, being principally owing to Labour and Art.
If upon these Principles, we examine the State of the Trade of Ireland; I fear we shall find it, in a very declining, and ruinous Condition.
Our Exportations are made up of Wool, Woorsted, Linnen, Yarn, Beef, Butter, Cheese, Tallow, Hydes, Skins, and a few other Articles.
We are not allowed to export our Wool and Woorsted, but to a few Ports in England, and are prohibited from sending thither, or any where else, any other of our Woollen Manufacture. Linnen, and some tanned Hides are the only Commodities we export, compleatly Manufactured; Yarn and Woorsted may be accounted but as half-wrought; Almost all the other Articles are but little removed from the State, Nature has given them to us, and have little or no Labour or Art employed about them.