who would take the oaths to the government, and profess himself a Protestant, of whatever denomination, was immediately naturalized, and had all the privileges of an English born subject, at the expense of a shilling.[22] Most Protestants abroad differ from us in the points of church government; so that all the acquisitions by this Act would increase the number of Dissenters; and therefore the proposal, that such foreigners should be obliged to conform to the established worship, was rejected.  But because several persons were fond of this project, as a thing that would be of mighty advantage to the kingdom, I shall say a few words upon it.

[Footnote 22:  See “The Examiner,” Nos. 26 and 45, in vol. ix. of this edition. [W.S.J.]]

The maxim, “That people are the riches of a nation,” hath been crudely understood by many writers and reasoners upon that subject.  There are several ways by which people are brought into a country.  Sometimes a nation is invaded and subdued; and the conquerors seize the lands, and make the natives their under-tenants or servants.  Colonies have been always planted where the natives were driven out or destroyed, or the land uncultivated and waste.  In those countries where the lord of the soil is master of the labour and liberty of his tenants, or of slaves bought by his money, men’s riches are reckoned by the number of their vassals.  And sometimes, in governments newly instituted, where there are not people to till the ground, many laws have been made to encourage and allure numbers from the neighbouring countries.  And, in all these cases, the new comers have either lands allotted them, or are slaves to the proprietors.  But to invite helpless families, by thousands, into a kingdom inhabited like ours, without lands to give them, and where the laws will not allow that they should be part of the property as servants, is a wrong application of the maxim, and the same thing, in great, as infants dropped at the doors, which are only a burthen and charge to the parish.  The true way of multiplying mankind to public advantage, in such a country as England, is to invite from abroad only able handicraftsmen and artificers, or such who bring over a sufficient share of property to secure them from want; to enact and enforce sumptuary laws against luxury, and all excesses in clothing, furniture, and the like; to encourage matrimony, and reward, as the Romans did, those who have a certain number of children.  Whether bringing over the Palatines were a mere consequence of this law for a general naturalization; or whether, as many surmised, it had some other meaning, it appeared manifestly, by the issue, that the public was a loser by every individual among them; and that a kingdom can no more be the richer by such an importation, than a man can be fatter by a wen, which is unsightly and troublesome, at best, and intercepts that nourishment, which would otherwise diffuse itself through the whole body.