daily
supplied by our commerce with the Portuguese, in opposition to their
laws, and which our merchants are, therefore, under the necessity of
concealing.

It is not, indeed, easy to foresee all the inconveniencies that may
arise from new regulations of commerce; but the difficulty is not so
great as has been represented, nor can I conceive why all our
consultations on trade should be without effect. Gentlemen may obtain
some knowledge of commerce from their own observation, which they may
enlarge by an unconfined and indifferent conversation with traders of
various classes, and by inquiries into the different branches of
commerce; inquiries, sir, which are generally neglected by those whose
employments confine their attention to particular parts of commerce, or
whose application to business hinders them from attending to any
opinions but those which their own personal experience enables them to
form.

From these informations impartially collected, and diligently compared,
a man not engaged in the profession of a merchant may form general
principles, and draw consequences, more certain, and more extensive in
their relations, than those which are struck out only from the
observation of one subdivided species of commerce.

A member of this house, sir, thus enlightened by inquiry, and whose
judgment is not diverted from its natural rectitude by the impulse of
any private consideration, may judge of any commercial debate with less
danger of errour or partiality than the merchants, of whom,
nevertheless, I have the highest esteem, and whose knowledge, or
probity, I do not intend to depreciate, when I declare my fears that
they may sometimes confound general maxims of trade with the opinions of
particular branches, and sometimes mistake their own gain for the
interest of the publick.

The interest of the merchants ought, indeed, always to be considered in
this house; but then it ought to be regarded only in subordination to
that of the whole community, a subordination which the gentleman who
spoke last seems to have forgotten. He may, perhaps, not intend long to
retain his senatorial character, and, therefore, delivered his opinion
only as a merchant.

He has distinguished between the conduct of experienced and unskilful
insurers, with how much justice I shall not determine. I am afraid that
a vigorous inquiry would discover, that neither age nor youth has been
able to resist strong temptations to some practices, whi