Wesley Corpus

Again: Inquire, my friends, “In what respects and in what degree have any of our manufactures declined of late? Perhaps there is some decrease in a few branches, of weaving in particular. And this must be in the nature of things, while fashions are continually changing; so that a large demand for this or that commodity cannot be expected to continue long But is not this decrease in some branches amply compensated by the increase in others? Let it be more particularly inquired, Are the capital places less employed in manufactures, than they were in 1759? Are there fewer buildings now in use for the carrying on of great and extensive works? Are there fewer warehouses and magazines, and fewer machines and engines of every kind? How easily may you be convinced, that, in every one of these articles, far from a decrease, there is a very considerable increase, since the year 1759 | 4. “As to land and fresh-water carriage of goods, let any of you inquire, Are there fewer public waggons on the roads than there were formerly? And are there fewer roads fit for waggons to travel on? If so, our trade decreases. Are there fewer trows or barges employed on rivers and canals than there were heretofore? If there are, we allow the decrease of these is a sure sign of the decrease of trade. And, on the contrary, the vast increase of these proves a proportionable increase of it. ‘Are the rivers and canals fewer in these degenerate times than in the year 1759?’” See, my friends, by this plain, demonstrative proof, how sadly our trade is decreased ! And I cannot but observe, that arguments of this general kind are abundantly more conclusive than any which are or can be drawn from the case of particular persons. We always find a considerable number of these, both in London and elsewhere, who loudly complain of the decay of trade, and the hardness of the times. What does this mean? That “they themselves want business.” Perhaps they want industry too. But these particular cases are of no weight, opposed to those general considerations. 5. You may inquire next, with regard to “salt-water carriage of goods. Is the quantity of British shipping decreased since the year 1759? Are there fewer ships now employed in the coasting-trade? fewer in the Irish trade? or fewer for distant voyages?