turalization, unlimited I mean as to the Power givers lhould pass uncensured,—an Act, which gave even foreign Jews a Power to bear Offices Civil, and Military, to purchase Lands, to be Patrons of Livings, &c. &c. while the Nation hath been worked Up into a general Ferment, as if Hannibal was at the Gates, at the very Proposal of other Naturalizations, though all possible Inconveniencies, and the most distant Dangers, were guarded against*

You will now be the more desirous of knowing, what a Naturalization Bill is, against which so ter.1 rible an Outcry hath been raised.

As to the Bill itself, it only empowers rich Foreigners to purchase Lands, and to carry on a. free and extensive Commerce* by importing all Sorts of Merchandise and Raw Materials, allowed by Law to be imported, for the Employment of our own People, and then Exporting the Surplus of the Produce, Labour, and Manufactures of our own Country, upon cheaper and better Terms than is done at present**

This

This is all the Hurt that such a Bill can do; for this* is the Meaning of that odious Word Naturalization. It gives no Encouragement to poor Foreigners to come over; it proposes no new Advantages, nor doth it grant any Privilege, even to the Rich, beyond what hath been already mentioned. Nay, what is still more, as to the Power of Purchasing Lands, that may be obtained by Virtue of Letters of Denization from the Crown; so that there is no need of a Naturalization Bill meerly for that Purpose. But Letters of Denization cannot convey a Right to demand the Freedom of the Turkey, the Russia, and some other exclusive Companies j—nor will they exempt a Foreigner from that absurd and unreasonable Imposition of paying Alien Duty, for the Importation of Raw Materials to employ our own Poor. Now this Alien Duty is scarce known in any other Trading Country; it is never imposed in Holland, nor in France, except on English Protestants, and is one Trick, among many, devised by Monopolists here in England, to prevent the extending the Trade of the Kingdom, and to confine it to a few Hands. It is therefore artfully called a Tax upon Foreigners;— whereas in Reality it is a Tax upon ourselves of the very worst Sort, viz. a Tax upon Raw Materials imported for the Employment of our Poor; a Tax upon the Exportation of our own Produce, Labour, and Manufactures, to be sold and consumed in foreign Parts; an Impediment to the Circulation of Industry

and

{as the avoiding so much Trouble and Expence hath a natural Tendency to make him) then he gets some dishonest Freeman to make a false Entry, and cover the Goods in his own Name. Now this js practised every Day in the most shocking Manner, and sometimes with the Sanction of an Oath :—Let the Reader therefore judge, whether it is unbecoming the Character of a Clergyman to animadvert upon such continued Scenes of Fraud and Perjury, and to be desirous of seeing these Temptations removed out of the Way; especially if he knows, that the particular Situation of his own Parilhioners exposes them greatly to such Temptations.

and Labour, and a general Burden upon the Landed Interest.—Yet, whenever an Attempt hath been made to free the Nation from this destructive and impolitic Restraint,—great is the Cry of Demetrius and his Craftsmen: "Sirs, This is the Artifice, by which we "have our Wealth; by which we are freed from "disagreeable Rivals and Competitors, and can se"cure the Trade of the Kingdom to ourselves, and '* put what Price we please on our Commodities. •* But as this is not proper to be publicly avowed, "therefore let us apply to the Pajsions and Foibles ** of our Countrymen, and harangue upon such po** pular Topics, as may keep them still in the dark. "For if they were to know the true State of the '" Case, how soon would all our Schemes be rendered ** abortive! And how quickly would the Popular ** Odium fall upon ourselves!"

Thus, for Example, the honest Country Gentleman, who trusts too much, in the Affairs of Commerce, to the Report of those, whose private Interest it is to deceive him, is made to believe, That if a general Naturalization Bill was to pass, swarms of poor Foreigners would come over to eat up his Estate by an enormous Poor Tax.—He is alarmed at this Report, as well he might; therefore it is sounded and resounded from all Quarters; — though the first Spreaders of such idle Stories know in their own Consciences, that every Tittle of what the say is. False. If they had told him the naked Truth, they are well aware, that he would have taken the contrary Part; because it is the immediate Interest of every Country Gentleman, that all Merchandise should be free and open; that Raw Materials should be brought in, and our own Manufactures carried out, in the most advantageous Way; that the Poor should be employed, be industrious, and able to pay their Rents; that the Price of Lands should be kept high, and the Interest of Money low; and,',in a

Word

Word, that no Impediments mould lie jn the Way of Commerce, but every Thing be calculated to promote and extend it.—This, I say, is the true Interest of all the Landed Gentlemen in the Kingdom; and therefore such a State of the Case, as would lead them to a right Notion of the present Subject, is industriously concealed; and another put in its stead, in order to seduce and mislead them. But this is not the only Instance, in which the Landed Interest are made the Dupes and Bubbles of wily Monopolists.

Again, Great Pains are taken with the English Shop-keepers and Manufacturers to terrify them with false Alarms, That a general Naturalization would introduce Thousands and Tens of Thousands of Foreigners, to take away their Custom, and to sink their Profits. Now if Thousands, or even Millions were to come over, it is impossible, they could be all of the same Trade; and therefore they would become Customers to the Natives in some Respects, though their Rivals in others: Just as we see the Case happening every Day in flourishing Towns or Cities, which, as they increase in Numbers, occasion both new Customers and new Rivals, to the former Inhabitants, and find Employment for all.

But waving all this, I do affirm, that Foreigners of every Denomination, except Merchants, may as well settle in England without a Naturalization Bill, as with one. For such a Law gives no Privileges to foreign Shop-keepers and Manufacturers more than they may enjoy without it ., because they may at present set up in any open Place, such as Westminster, Southwark, or any of the extensive Suburbs about London; also in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, and many other Places considerable for Trade and Manufactures; and there they may exercise what Mechanic Arts they please. What can a Naturalborn Subject do more!

B . Now

Now, Sir, do you imagine, that our Shop-keepers and Manufacturers in London, Bristol, or other Places, would be against taking off Alien Duty, —against buying Raw Materials on the cheapest Terms, — against exporting the greater Quantity of our own Manufactures, or against employing Foreigners abroad as Factors and Agents, if they will be contented with.half the Commission Money, which must be paid the English, and if they will dispose of our own Labour and Produce in larger Quantities, or to greater Advantage, and make better Returns ?—No, in no wise : — And when our Tradesmen are once made sensible, that a Naturalization Bill meant no more than this (and in Reality it means no more) they will be as zealous for it, as they are now prejudiced against it.

The fame Artifice is used with regard to poor Journeymen and Day-Labourers. For it seems, they likewise are to be frightened with Bug-bears and Scare-crows about lowering their Wages, and reducing them to a starving Condition. This is the Craft,, by which these poor ignorant People are caught, and made to act against their own Interest. For a Naturalization Bill could never sink their Wages, nor touch their Privileges, real or imaginary; but, on the contrary, it must procure them a more constant Employment, by the brisker Circulation of Trade and Commerce. In short, Foreigners of all Countries may come in at present without Naturalization, and work as Journeymen and Day-Labourers -, nor can any send them away: So that they are naturalized already, as far as the Poor can either want, or enjoy that Privilege. The rich, I repeat it again, the rich Foreigners are the only Persons, who are in any Degree excluded by the Laws of this Kingdom.

Lastly, Some well-disposed Christians, who have mpre. Zeal than Understanding, are taught to believe