that of the islands be
agreeable to these rights? The real futility of all distant
dominions, of which the defence is necessarily most
expensive, and which contribute nothing, either by revenue
or military forces, to the general defence of the empire,
and very little even to their own particular defence, is, I
think, the subject on which the public prejudices of Europe
require most to be set right. In order to defend the barren
rock of Gibraltar (to the possession of which we owe the
union of France and Spain, contrary to the natural interests
and inveterate prejudices of both countries, the important
enmity of Spain and the futile and expensive friendship of
Portugal) we have now left our own coasts defenceless, and
sent out a great fleet, to which any considerable disaster
may prove fatal to our domestic security; and which, in
order to effectuate its purpose, must probably engage a
fleet of superior force. Sore eyes have made me delay
writing to you so long.--I ever am, my dear sir, your most
faithful and affectionate humble servant,

ADAM SMITH.

CUSTOM HOUSE, EDINBURGH,

_14th October 1782_.[324]

The strong opinion expressed in this letter of the uselessness of
colonial dependencies, which contributed nothing to the maintenance of
the mother country, had of course been already expressed in the
_Wealth of Nations_. "Perish uncontributing colonies" is the very pith
of the last sentence of that work. "If any of the provinces of the
British Empire cannot be made to contribute towards the support of the
whole empire, it is surely time that Great Britain should free herself
from the expense of defending those provinces in time of war and of
supporting any part of their civil or military establishments in time
of peace; and endeavour to accommodate her future views and designs to
the real mediocrity of her circumstances."

The principles of free trade presently got an impetus from the
conclusion of peace with America and France in 1783. Lord Shelburne
wrote Abbe Morellet in 1783 that the treaties of that year were
inspired from beginning to end by "the great principle of free trade,"
and that "a peace was good in the exact proportion that it recognised
that principle." A fitting opportunity was thought to have arisen for
making somewhat extended applications of the principle, and many
questions were asked abo