profitable Hands in a few Years. What should hinder us from an Act of
_General Naturalization_? Especially when we consider, that no _private_
Acts of that Kind are refused; but the Expence is so great, that few
attempt to procure them, and the Benefit which the Publick receives
thereby is inconsiderable.

Experience has shown us the Folly and Falsity of those plausible
Insinuations, that such a Naturalization would take the Bread out of
_Englishmen's_ Mouths. We are convinced, that the greater Number of
Workmen of one Trade there is in any Town, the more does that Town
thrive; the greater will be the _Demand_ of the Manufacture, and the
_Vent_ to foreign Parts, and the quicker _Circulation_ of the _Coin_.
The Consumption of the _Produce_ both of _Land_ and _Industry_ increases
visibly in Towns full of People; nay, the more shall every particular
industrious Person thrive in such a Place; tho indeed _Drones_ and
_Idlers_ will not find their Account, who wou'd fain support their own
and their Families superfluous Expences at their Neighbour's Cost; who
make one or two Day's Labour provide for four Days Extravagancies. And
this is the common Calamity of most of our _Corporation Towns_, whose
Inhabitants do all they can to discourage Plenty, Industry and
Population; and will not admit of Strangers but upon too hard Terms,
thro the false Notion, that they themselves, their Children and
Apprentices, have the only Right to squander their Town's Revenue, and
to get, at their own Rates, all that is to be gotten within their
Precincts, or in the Neighbourhood. And therefore such Towns (through
the Mischief arising by _Combinations_ and _By-Laws_) are at best at a
Stand; very few in a thriving Condition (and those are where the
_By-Laws_ are least _restrictive_) but _most_ throughout _England_ fall
to visible Decay, whilst new Villages _not_ incorporated, or more
liberal of their Privileges, grow up in their stead; till, in Process of