By another efftfct df the constimraati; ignoran<^ a6d wieke^
"beds of this boards the ditties on the importation of these
eommodities, bears no proportion to that on expo^tatioft^
and foreign prodnce re^^Kxported, is not Urorse* treated ; so
that it seems deliberately intended to encoumge forei^
agriculture at the expeftee of tbeir own^

It will be natural to ask who afe the men who composcf ibis
board ? They are lawyers^ whdSe whole lives having been spent
•iiiscetiesnf the most iniquitous litigiitlot) i possess no kind of
information oh ^mmerce, when they are promoted to this
nAkf so tfakt all commeK;ial regulations, which vi:ith us are
fixed by act of parliament^ are here left to tbeir absolute will
-And caprice, to ignorance and venality.
Foreign imjports are taxed At Valoreni and a tariff has lately
been made to that effect; but the raw produce of the s<4i
which is the only source, of riches to Sicily,* finds so many
obstacles to' exportation, from the difficulties which are ever
thrown in the way of the merchant^ that it ^eems as if tbie
'Tribtinal of Patrimony took all the pains possible to keep the
balance of trade always in favor of foreign nations.
