and they who croak themselves hoarse about the decay of our trade may put as much of this account as they choose to the creditor side of money received from other countries in payment for British skill and labor.  They may settle the items to their own liking, where all goes to demonstrate our riches.  I shall be contented here with whatever they will have the goodness to leave me, and pass to another entry, which is less ambiguous,—­I mean that of silk.[46] The manufactory itself is a forced plant.  We have been obliged to guard it from foreign competition by very strict prohibitory laws.  What we import is the raw and prepared material, which is worked up in various ways, and worn in various shapes by both sexes.  After what we have just seen, you will probably be surprised to learn that the quantity of silk imported during the war has been much greater than it was previously in peace; and yet we must all remember, to our mortification, that several of our silk ships fell a prey to Citizen Admiral Richery.  You will hardly expect me to go through the tape and thread, and all the other small wares of haberdashery and millinery to be gleaned up among our imports.  But I shall make one observation, and with great satisfaction, respecting them.  They gradually diminish, as our own manufactures of the same description spread into their places; while the account of ornamental articles which our country does not produce, and we cannot wish it to produce, continues, upon the whole, to rise, in spite of all the caprices of fancy and fashion.  Of this kind are the different furs[47] used for muffs, trimmings, and linings, which, as the chief of the kind, I shall particularize.  You will find them below.

The diversions of the higher classes form another and the only remaining head of inquiry into their expenses:  I mean those diversions which distinguish the country and the town life,—­which are visible and tangible to the statesman,—­which have some public measure and standard.  And here, when, I look to the report of your committee, I, for the first time, perceive a failure.  It is clearly so.  Whichever way I reckon the four years of peace, the old tax on the sports of the field has certainly proved deficient since the war.  The same money, however, or nearly the same, has been paid to government,—­though the same number of individuals have not contributed to the payment.  An additional tax was laid in 1791, and during the war has produced upwards of 61,000_l._, which is about 4000_l._ more than the decrease of the old tax, in one scheme of comparison, and about 4000_l._ less, in the other scheme.  I might remark, that the amount of the new tax, in the several years of the war, by no means bears the proportion which it ought to the old.  There seems to be some great irregularity or other in the receipt.  But I do not think it worth while to examine into the argument.  I am willing to suppose that many, who, in the idleness of peace, made war upon partridges, hares, and pheasants, may now carry more noble arms against the enemies of their country.  Our political adversaries may do what they please with that concession.  They are welcome to make the most of it.  I am sure of a very handsome set-off in the other branch of expense,—­the amusements of a town life.