Excerpt
O but a little consider, and you will soon find, Pride and Luxury, Corruption and Bribery, are the greatest Causes of our present Calamities; and if you do not discourage the Two first, and punish the Two last Evils, we shall speedily come to Destruction, and God will blast all our Endeavours.
The lively Instance of late, proves to us the Ruin those Evils carry with them: And is there not one good Man, that dares to stem the Tide that is come in upon us, and save us from being drown'd?
Is there not one Man that has Honesty, Interest or Ability, to put in Practice what is so necessary to preserve their Country?
Let us shake off then those plaguy Sores that corrupt our Vitals; and if we intend to be a Happy and Flourishing People, we must promote Piety, which admits of no Corruption; Honesty, that listens to no Temptation; Sincerity, which never deceives his Neighbour; Sobriety is the Way to Honour, and Industry brings Riches, which Frugality preserves: He therefore that desires to be truly Great, must possess these Virtues, and prefer Publick to Private Interest.
What is the Reason that all Inferior Places of Profit and Trust are bought and sold, and true Merit wants its Reward? Is it not because the Devil, when bought, will be sold?
Are not our Exports of Bullion so great, that, as fast as it arrives, it goes away? Which the Publick Entries every Week demonstrate. And were it not for the daily Supplies from Portugal, we should have nothing but our own Specie to answer all Demands.
It is obvious, that One Single Corporation has put us into this Confusion: And will the Government again trust to that, or any other? I should not desire a Friend of mind to be the Adviser.
Can all the Corporations in London, put together, be so well depended upon, as the Exchequer; which is supported by the Government, who are able and willing to make good all their own Contracts, but are not answerable for the Losses of any Corporation; all being oblig'd to sit down and be content with their own?
Can any Corporation desire more, than that the Government compel their own Members, and their Estates, to make good to answer for their Mismanagement?
Separate then the Standers-by from the Gamesters, and let the Unconcern'd declare their Opinion, Whether, in all Corporations, the Directors have not an unknown Advantage over all the other Members? Is it so in the Exchequer?
Tell me then, why a Hundred Pound in a Corporation, is more valuable than a Hundred in the Exchequer? Is it not because you can part with your Property with much more Ease by way of Transfer in London? Which is not practis'd at the Exchequer: Besides, the Transferring is near at Hand.
The Directors of any Corporation, if not truly honest, may impose at all Times upon the rest of the Proprietors, by making a Dividend above the intrinsick Value of the Nett Produce of Profit; and the Legislature would do well to provide against such Practices for the future.
If due Encouragement was given for the Importation of Iron, Hemp, Pitch and Tar, from our own Plantations, the Export of a great deal of our Bullion would be sav'd, our Colonies encourag'd, and we should be then able to supply the Dutch, French, Spaniard, Italian and Portugueze with Iron, and bring in Two Hundred Thousand Pounds per Ann. Balance of Trade....