WITH proper Indexes, and a Copper-Plate exhibiting a Plan of that Part of Lambeib and the Borougb through which the Roads must país that are to form the Communication between the great Sarry and Kentish Roads, and the new Bridge at Blackfriars.

the

SIR,

S Blackfriars Bridge is intended

A to be a toll-bridge, every man

who may have occafion to pass it, muft pay towards it, and confequently may be permitted to exprefs his wishes that he may be properly accommodated.

A

Blackfriars Bridge muft owe more than half its utility to the difpofition of the roads and freets that lead to it; it is therefore wish'd that gentlemen properly qualify'd would lay their fenriments, as early as poffible, before the B public, that those who are or may be entrusted with the execution of fo'important a concern, may have it in their power, from a variety of opinions, to collect fuch a Plan as may promife fair to be generally approved.

It is with this fole view that I have prefumed to lead the way, and have taken no fmall pains to trace out eveiry street, lane, and avenue, leading to the bridge on the Surrey úide, and have fo plainly defcribed the ground in the annexed rough draught, through which, the new roads muft of ne ceffity: pals, that every intelligent perfon who may curforily caft his eye over it, may form a judgement of the manner in which he would wish to have the principal roads difpofed; and for his more ready inspection, I have marked out the plan which I myself with to fee carry'd into execution, and have added that of others who differ'd from me in opinion, and who have an equal claim to public attention.

muft candidly confels that I am a ftranger to the city fide, and for that reafon have omitted taking any part of it into my plan; but as I am pertedly acquainted with every fpot on the Surry fide, you may depend on what I have here laid down as an exact exhibition of every material house, ftreet, or garden, through which it feems neceflary that any part of the new roads fhould be carried.

There are but two principal roads that I am defirous of having carried into execution, which will make, however, fome collateral branchings

C

The principal roads which I have in view, are, firft, that which I have drawn nearly in a ftrait line from the great Surry road at Newington, to the bridge foot; this road croffes the Kentifb and Borough new roads to WeftminAer-bridge, at right angles. And, fecondly, that which I have drawn from the New Inn at Wefiminfler-bridge to the fhaft of the main road, a little below the Green Walk, and nearer to the new bridge at Blackfriars.

To this laff road I think there can be no objection, as the way is clear, and no apparent objection to its being carried immediately into execution, as the materials are all upon the fpot, and the most urgent neceflity feems to demand it, as the freets by which the communication is now carried on, are the worst and the most inconvenient that can poffibly be imagined, and the diftance is nearly double.

The first mentioned road, which I call the principal one, has no other material obftruction, which I am apprized of, but that of palling through the centre of Mr Boyfield's dying grounds; how far this may incline the undertakers to change the directi❤ on I fhail not take upon me to fay.

Thefe two roads would moiť certainly be convenient, and are even now much wanted, for the avenues to the temporary bridge are moft thamefully mean, dirty, and ill difpofed.,

Were thefe completed, and a commodious inn built near the bridgefoot, many Gentlemen would lodge their carriages there; and were an eafy toll to be levied, the undertakers would find their advantage in accom-modating the public.

The first mentioned road, by crof fing the great Kentifb and Borough roads, opens a grand communication with all that range of country that lies to the S. and E; and the latter, with all that other tract that lies to the Weit; fo that by these two roads the whole may be brought together, and meet, as it were, in one common centre.

Many arguments might be advancneceflary, all of which I have diftined for directing the roads to other guished with this mark, The quarters; but as the two I have parother roads, which are thought eligi-ticularly infifted upon are more imble by others, may notwithstanding take place when the principal ones are compleated; for I am no franger to the argument of faving time, the ag gregate of which faving is, perhaps, more confequence than is generally eived. *

mediately wanted, I fhall conclude what I intended to fay for the preHent, with an earnest with, that the undertakers may fuffer no interested morives to byals them, but that the public convenience alone may be purfued.

Confiderations on the Trade and Finances
of this Kingdom. Concluded from p.
574 Jonni vites
☛T is true, the revenue might have

of favour to foreigners, our manufact bture of fine hats was daily declining; nsbut the whole is now reverfed the beaver afkins when imported are charged no more than a penny, and the even pence is laid on the exportation. An alteration was alfo made last year in the duties upon filk, in order to encourage the art of throwing it in this kingdom: The duty upon rawofilk was reduced and that upon the thrown imported was raifed, in order to encourage the importation of the forfucceed, the difference may be made mer, and if the experiment fhould ftill wider. The feveral commodities which will be affected by thefe alterations are used in a great variety of manufactures They will all (except the filk which we cannot command) colt lefs here than any where elfe, and thus fet against the advanced price of the cheapnefs of the material being labour, the British manufacturer may in fuch articles till keep the place he has hitherto held in foreign markets.

been raifed by a large loan; but no fund, I doubt, could have been found equal to the intereft of the then A unfunded debt which would not have been detrimental to fome valuable branches of our manufactures or our commerce: They are both loaded already with burthens as heavy as they can bear; and the rival manufactures of other countries (as I before obferved) are benefited by the additional price of materials and labour here: Inftead therefore of increafing the difparity, the legislature more wifely endeavoured to ballance the advantages which we could not take away from the foreign manufacturers, by others which we could give to our C own, and even the duties impofed in 1764 and 1965, were made fubfervient to this purpofe That upon coals exported, (as I have already faid) is a tax upon foreign dyers, diffillers, makers of glafs, workers in iron, and other artificers, and enhances to them the price of fo neceffary a material: The exception out of the new duty upon callicoes exported, in favour of fuch as fhall be printed in Great Britain, gives to the British callico printer an advantage over all others, who fupply themselves at our Eaft India company about white callicoes for E fales with printing. The duty upon gum fenega has the like tendency with respect to the manufacturers to whom that material is indifpenfably neceffary; we have now the monopoly of it, the exportation of it from Africa to any o ther place than Great Britain is prohi bited by an act of the feflions 1765; and the duties laid upon it are, only fix pence per cwt. on the importation, but 14. 10. on the exportation: So much, therefore, will the difference of the price be in this and other coun tries, after the trade is got into its proper channel, exclufive of the expences of freight, infurance, and commiffion. We have alfo by the ceflions in North America acquired a monopoly in the beaver fkins; and the opportunity was taken in 1764, to rectify the abfur-ditional regulations introduced to fup. dity which fubfted in the charges upon them, feven-pence per kin be H ing charged on the importation, and four pence draw back allowed on the exportation, by which circumstance

tion, it has long been ufual to impofe With refpect to the home confump tures, with a view only to encourage high duties upon foreign manufac our own Such as are liable to thele heavy impofitions naturally become the fubjectsqof clandeftine importati on; others neceffarily must be for if mean, which, on the fame prissible, they can find any vent here; thofe I ares abfolutely prohibited and the prevention, therefore, of fmuggling, fo far as it checks the running in of fuch goods, operates to greater purpo fes than meerly encreating the reve tures against the intrusion of others, nue; it fupports our own manufacand enforces they execution of laws framed on the wifeft principles of policy. The articles which will thus feel the falutary effects of thefe meatures are too many to enumerate; if were factories of filks and linens in their only to intance the two capital manufeveral extenfive branches, the benefit which they will thereby receive, is, aGlene a national object Spirits, lace, mentioned above and there are a and all forts of fine goods have been cution of the former laws, and the adgreat number more to which the exe

port them, are equally ferviceableau Many branches alfo of the British manufactures will foon find the benefit of the plan formed for the fuppreffion of the illicit trade between the