P opulations
Colonies.
the veamanry to crowd in towns and villages-, as i f for mutual7 defence,
inftead of fpreading ove* and entkhin^' the'’1 ^Hole face o f the'country.
P
In the year 1787 the population o f Spain was thus arranged. T
Males unmarried ' . - gi6,2 29
Females ditto.. . ; rn.,,v- - ' 2>75J r 224
Married men - 1,9 4 7 ^ 1 1
Marriedxwpinea r \ | - . i*943>496
Widowers - • - , -
Widows • - ’ — ,• .462,258
10,268,150
Exclufive o f the clergy, who are above enumerated, the numbers of
each rank were thus calculated :5
Mén fervants—Criados - • "-280,09 2
Day labourers—-Joinalëros Ü m S 964,5^1-
Peafants—Labradores ' - 9 17^ 97,
Artifans - - - ■2J0Ï989
Manufacturers , _ . -
Merchants - - -
Knights—Hidalgos - 4 8 0 J 8 9
** Of thefe laft four hundred and one thoufand and forty are in the provinces
o f the Afturias, Bifcay, Burgos,. Galicia, and Leon.”
Thus in the moft uncivilized regions gentlexUen, or rather idle, men,
are always the moft abundant» where the cltxilizatibti adVanbes \Qrey
are fupplanted by a much more ufeful and refpe&able race, the men of
induftry.
After the immortal difeoveries of Criftoval Colon, called by writers
in Latin Chriftopher Columbus, the Spanifh colonies foon became
numerous and extenfive, in the Weft Indies, South America, and various
ifles in the Pacific Ocean. No nation, except, the English, can
in this refpedt rival Spain. But the fuperior advantages of England,
in religious and political freedom, have foon replaced the' population
* Townfend, voL ii. 213. * Ibid. voL ii. 214.
thus
thus withdrawn ; while to Spain the wound has been incurable, as the
&ftiffes ofr depopulation' have' always increafed: and foreigners will
never feek ap afyliim Where they are defpifed, and loaden with the
chains pf the inquifition, or the yet heavier bonds of ignorant pride
andprejudice.'
- • -'The'Spanilh armies, inftead of carrying terror even into the braveft
Countries bPEurope, as they did two centuries ago, are now neither
diftfnguilhed by number, nor by difcipline; the royal treafiiry being
fo much imp6vqrifhedv that a large force cannot be maintained. In
peace it is computed at'about 60,o&%: but in war the number might
be fwelled to a great amount, by a popular monarch, and an ample
fieyenue. Of late Spain, has paid confiderable attentiod to her navy,
Which has however been crippled in the recent warfare with England.
Thfe Clips, of the line can: fcarpely now be computed at lefs than
fifty.
The revenue pf Spain may be calculated, as is believed, at five millions
and a half fterling money j.-fo that each perfon pays ten {hillings
to government for protection, 1 In France, under the-old government,_
each perfon paid near twenty {hillings; in England at prefent fixty
{hillings. For the nature/ of the taxes tffo tables publiihed by Mr.
Townfend may be confulted. The expenditure now equals, or exceeds
the income ; but the national debt is a mere trifle. The beft
judges of the fubjedt infer that the colonies yield no diredt revenue to
Sp^in, it being confumed in the expences of the government of thofe.
.diftantregions. - . . \ . • • • •; * ■ '
The political importance and relations o f Spain were formerly deeply
impreffed on moft regions of the globe. But exhaufted by idle wars of
ambition or avarice, this fertile kingdom has become slmoft a cypher in
European policy. Setting afide Portugal, which promifes to be fpeedily
.United, the pofition- of Spain fecures her from any invafion, except on
the fide o f France; and it becomes therefore the infuperable intereft
of this exhaufted ftate to cultivate amity with her powerful neighbour,
which muft maintain an unavoidable and fupreme afeendant, from
g e o g r a p h i c "-pofition and relative force. On the other hand the difr
4 tance
COLOHIHS.
A rm y .
Navy.
Revenues,
Political Importance
and
Relations.