After travelling so far together, the reader will permit me to direct his attention to the geographical position and natural advantages of the Philippines, which are unequalled by any other islands in the whole eastern Archipelago. Their vicinity to the immensely populous empire of China is in itself enough to render them a most flourishing colony.

The Spanish and local governments are alive to the importance of this, and appear desirous to encourage trade to a limited extent, but are apparently anxious to hold the reins of it, and to regulate it as they deem best for themselves, or at any time to put a stop to it entirely.

The evils arising from the changeable elements given birth to by their interference it is difficult to over-estimate, as from the ignorance, which prevails through all classes, of the first elements of a commonwealth, and from their capricious notions of government, and want of knowledge of the advantages of liberality and of the facilities given to the prosecution of commerce, few persons of prudence care to expose their capital very extensively to the chances of trade.

At present the Philippines want some infusion of foreign capital and energy into the veins and local arteries of the country, which, backed by the enlightened application of science, would cause these islands to emerge from the obscurity now surrounding them, and force them to assume the important position for which nature has apparently destined them.

This will not come to pass until the present opinions of the Government and people are considerably changed with reference to their commercial legislation, or until all government interference in affairs of that nature is left off, so far as the interests of the revenue will permit, when the people will be insensibly but wisely taught by experience to rely upon themselves alone.

The principles of commerce, and the wealth of nations, as laid down by Adam Smith in his great work, which is almost deserving of immortality for the truths it tells mankind, are as true and as sure in practice as they are in theory; and should the wisdom and truth of his investigations ever be applied to the commercial regulations of these islands, it is difficult to foretell the destiny that may ultimately await them.

It appears to me to be as unwise to attempt to restrain the course of nature and its fruits, aided by the energies of man to develop or to use them, as it would be to bind down the mind of a man of genius, or of a poet, in order to prevent their operation, or to hinder the great conceptions of their muse, or the scientific research which a bright genius renders serviceable to his fellow mortals, from ever seeing the light. No one will defend the justice or wisdom of the time which forbade Galileo to publish, or even himself to believe in, his great discoveries; but is that more unjust than the policy of rulers, who shut up from the beings whom God has created to use them, the fruits of our common mother, the earth?

It is equally absurd to prevent and to prohibit in either case; but notwithstanding this, the passions and prejudices of mankind are violent enough to permit of the one, although they would by no means suffer the other. Wisdom and passion can seldom or never accompany each other.

Philanthropy will ultimately banish from our codes all such regulations as tend to check the fruitfulness of the soil and its use by man, who has been endowed with reason in order that he may assist the operations of nature. The constant and unrestricted use of the bounties of nature does not lead to their abuse; the contrary is the fact, for it is only when our appetites are excited by the obstacles to their attainment that they become excessively indulged and depraved.

The illiberality of the Government places the existing position of foreigners in rather an equivocal position, for they are only there upon sufferance; and in the event of any disturbance, such as happened at Manilla in 1820, or of a war between the two nations, what would become of the foreigners or of their property?

It has already been shown to the world that our fellow-subjects at Manilla in 1820, might be murdered in the streets like dogs, and no retribution be demanded by their Government; and to this day their personal liberty and property can at any time be endangered by the caprice of the Governor or of his subordinates.

In 1848, an alcalde laid hold of a number of British subjects, and threw them suddenly into prison, because he happened one day to discover that the time for their permission to remain in the country had years ago expired, which all of them had been led to expect it was quite unnecessary to have renewed so long as they remained quiet and well-conducted members of the community. As the alcalde did not know very well what to do with them when he had got them into the jail, he kept them there for a few days till he had smoked a good deal, and thought a little about them, and then he told the jailor to let them out again.

Our trade with China would be materially improved by the attention of Her Majesty’s Foreign Secretary being directed to the position of the Philippines in connection with our own interests with them, and with the great empire adjoining them. Besides, it is a shame to ourselves that such things should exist in the colony, not only of a friendly European power, but of one so much indebted, as Spain is, to the valour of our arms for her independence, and to our liberality for possessing this colony at all.