Thoughts of doing it by way of Boston; but the untoward Situation of American Affairs here induc'd my Friends to advise my staying another Winter. I should have been happy in doing any Service to our Country. The Tide is yet strong against us, and our Endeavours to turn it have hitherto had but little Effect. But it must turn, if your frugal and industrious Resolutions continue. Your old Governor, Mr. Pownall, appears a warm and zealous Friend to the Colonies in Parliament, but unfortunately he is very ill-heard at present. I have been in constant Pain since I heard of Troops assembling at Boston, lest the Madness of Mobs, or the Insolence of Soldiers, or both, should, when too near each other, occasion some Mischief difficult to be prevented or repaired, and which might spread far and wide. I hope, however, that Prudence will predominate, and keep all quiet. A great cause between the City of London and the Dissenters was decided here the Year before last in the House of Lords. No Account of it has been printed; but, one having been taken in writing, I obtained a Copy of it, which I send you, supposing it may afford you and your Friends some Pleasure. Please to present my respectful Compliments to Mrs. Cooper, and to Mr. Bowdoin, when you see him. With sincere and great esteem, I am, Rev'd dear Sir Your affectionate & most obedient humble servant 498. TO JOHN WINTHROP DEAR SIR, (A. P. S.) London, March 11, 1769. At length after much Delay and Difficulty I have been able to obtain your Telescope, that was made by Mr. Short before his Death. His brother who succeeds in the Business has fitted it up and compleated it. He has followed the Business many Years at Edinburgh, is reckon'd very able, and therefore I hope every thing will be found right; but, as it is only just finish'd, I have no time left to get any philosophical or astronomical Friends to examine it, as I intended, the Ship being on the Point of sailing, and a future Opportunity uncertain. Enclos'd is his Direction-Paper for opening and fixing it. I have not yet got the Bill of the Price. It is to be made from the deceased Mr. Short's Book of Memorandums of Orders, in which he enter'd this Order of ours and as it is suppos'd, the Price. I do not remember, it is so long since, whether it was £100, or 100 Guineas; and the Book is in the Hands of the Executors as I understand. When I have the Account, I shall pay it as I did Bird's for the Transit Instrument, which was 40 Guineas, and then shall apply for the whole to Mr. Mauduit.2 By the way, I wonder that I have not heard from you of the Receipt of that Instrument, which went from hence in September by Captain Watt. I hope it got safe to hand and gave Satisfaction. The Ship was the 1 James Short, optician, died June 14, 1768. — ED. 2 Israel Mauduit (1708–1787) was agent in England for the Province of Massachusetts Bay. — ED. same that Mr. Rogers went in, who I hear is arriv'd; and by him too I sent the Philosophical Transactions, with a Number of Copies of your Paper as printed separately. But I have no Letter from you since that by the young Gentleman you recommended to me, Grandson to Sir W" Pepperell, which I think was dated about the Beginning of October, when you could not have receiv'd them. By a late Ship, I sent your College1 a Copy of the new Edition of my Philosophical Papers; and others, I think, for yourself and for Mr. Bowdoin. I should apologize to you for inserting therein some part of our Correspondence without first obtaining your Permission; but, as Mr. Bowdoin had favoured me with his Consent for what related to him, I ventur'd to rely upon your Good-Nature, as to what related to you, and I hope you will forgive me. I have got from Mr. Ellicot the Glasses, &c. of the long Galilean Telescope, which he presents to your College. I put them into the Hands of Mr. Nairne, the Optician, to examine and put them in Order. I thought to have sent them by this Ship, but am disappointed. They shall go by the next, if possible. There is nothing new here in the philosophical Way at present. With great and sincere Esteem, I am, Dear Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant, P. S. There is no Prospect of getting the Duty acts repeal'd this Session, if ever. Your steady Resolutions to consume no more British Goods may possibly, if persisted 1 Harvard College. - ED. in have a good Effect another Year. I apprehend the Parliamentary Resolves and Address will tend to widen the Breach. Inclos'd I send you Gov' Pownall's Speech against those Resolves; his name is not to be mention'd. He appears to me a hearty Friend to America, tho' I find he is suspected by some on account of his Connections. 499. POSITIONS TO BE EXAMINED, CONCERNING NATIONAL WEALTH. DATED APRIL 4, 1769. I. ALL food or subsistence for mankind arises from the earth or waters. 2. Necessaries of life, that are not food, and all other conveniences, have their values estimated by the proportion of food consumed while we are employed in procuring them, 3. A small people, with a large territory, may subsist on the productions of nature, with no other labour than that of gathering the vegetables and catching the animals. 4. A large people, with a small territory, finds these insufficient, and, to subsist, must labour the earth, to make it produce greater quantities of vegetable food, suitable for the nourishment of men, and of the animals they intend to eat. 5. From this labour arises a great increase of vegetable and animal food, and of materials for clothing, as flax, wool, silk, &c. The superfluity of these is wealth. With this wealth we pay for the labour employed in building our houses, cities, &c., which are therefore only subsistence thus metamorphosed. 6. Manufactures are only another shape into which so much provisions and subsistence are turned, as were equal in value to the manufactures produced. This appears from hence, that the manufacturer does not, in fact, obtain from the employer, for his labour, more than a mere subsistence, including raiment, fuel, and shelter; all which derive their value from the provisions consumed in procuring them. 7. The produce of the earth, thus converted into manufactures, may be more easily carried to distant markets than before such conversion. 8. Fair commerce is, where equal values are exchanged for equal, the expense of transport included. Thus, if it costs A in England as much labour and charge to raise a bushel of wheat, as it costs B in France to produce four gallons of wine, then are four gallons of wine the fair exchange for a bushel of wheat, A and B meeting at half distance with their commodities to make the exchange. The advantage of this fair commerce is, that each party increases the number of his enjoyments, having, instead of wheat alone, or wine alone, the use of both wheat and wine. 9. Where the labour and expense of producing both commodities are known to both parties, bargains will generally be fair and equal. Where they are known to one party only, bargains will often be unequal, knowledge taking its advantage of ignorance. 10. Thus, he that carries one thousand bushels of wheat abroad to sell, may not probably obtain so great a profit thereon, as if he had first turned the wheat into manufactures, by subsisting therewith the workmen while producing those manufactures; since there are many expediting and facilitating methods of working, not generally known; and strangers |
