t Account, yet of late Years they
sometimes get little or nothing by it, but Trouble and Loss; because of
the great Expence in making and sending it _Home_ to Market, and the
great Duties which are paid out of it, and the small Price that it
usually bears, especially when there is no great Demand and Call for it.
Besides many Frauds having of late Years crept into the Trade, and
Abundance of Tobacco being counterfeited, and more _run_ in some Parts
and Ports of _Great Britain_, the cunning Dealer often by such Means
ruins the fair Trader, by vending his poor damaged counterfeited or run
Goods at a cheap Rate, thus underselling his Neighbour, imposing upon
the Publick, and defrauding the Government; nay, 'tis said that such
have often doubly cheated the Government, first by running Tobacco, or
entering all light Hogsheads at Importation, which in their Language is
called _Hickory-puckery_; and then again by getting a Debenture for
Tobacco that has been run, or entering all heavy Hogsheads for
Exportation, which they term _Puckery-hickory_; after which it is said
that the same Tobacco has been _runned_ again into some neighbouring
Port.

It must be allowed as a Demonstration that some such Practices have been
used, if upon Enquiry it be discoverable that the Government has lost by
the Customs, when the Amount even of the Debentures has by much exceeded
the Income of the Duties; without any Allowance for the vast Quantity
that is consumed in the Country in smoaking, chewing, Snuff, _&c._

Having here and in the last Scheme spoken of the Vent that might be
contrived for the additional Produce of _Virginia_, I shall add no more
upon that Subject, but subjoin a few Considerations relating to all the
Plantations in general.

The Extent, the Wealth, the numerous Inhabitants, the Hands employed,
the Goods consumed, the Duties and Customs occasioned by the
Plantations, especially such as _Virginia_, are well worthy the most
serious Consideration, and claim the greatest Favour and Encouragement
in the Trade and Manufactures of those Places, which are vastly larger
than all his _Majesty_'s Dominions in _Europe_, and in Time may become
as considerable; they being at present one of the chiefest Causes and
main Supports of our Trade, and bringing as much Money into the
Treasury, and the Purses of Merchants, and other People, as most other
Parts of the World to which we trade.

The Good of the Publick consists as well in the Welfar