and great benefits which would accrue from such a measure are the following: a great increase of the necessaries of life, an increase of population, as marriages would be more frequent and thereby much wickedness, and that of the blackest kind prevented; an increase of industrious habits and morality among the poor; a reclamation of many dissolute and vicious characters among the lower orders; a great decrease in the poor rate; an increase of the most robust and hardy defenders of the country; an increase of timber and firing; a decrease of engrossing and monopoly; a decrease in the price of labour; and consequently an increase of our manufactures, as (should such a measure take place) there would be a much greater demand at home, and a greater superiority than ever in foreign markets. Also the loud and frequent calls for charity, as of late have happened, would altogether The load of public taxes would become less grievous; discontent and revolutionary thoughts among the lower orders would give place to grateful and affectionate sentiments towards their superiors, and all equalizing schemes vanish, and, "like the "baseless fabric of a vision, leave not a wreck be"hind." Seeing then that such inestimable benefits as these, and many others, may be attained by this measure, and some other necessary regulations, can any lover of his country, and of his fellow-creatures, refuse his best endeavours and most ardent wishes to promote such measures. It may be objected, that if provisions get cheaper the landowners must lower the reut of their estates. Perhaps in some instances it

cease.

may be necessary to make some abatement, but not in general, because the farmer's outgoings would be much diminished, as the price of labour would decrease, if provisions grew materially cheaper, but in particular the poor rates, which now are generally paid by the tenant, and may be considered a part of their rent, would be greatly lessened; especially if another measure should be adopted, which I think materially for the interest of the nation, which is, that all the monies raised by the poor rates, and all the expenditure, should be audited and adjusted, at certain periods, by commissioners appointed for every county, in order to its being equalized.

This would cut off the many expensive law-suits between parishes about settlements, &c. which frequently swallow up a very considerable part of the money collected by the poor rates. Something considerable also might be saved, by there being in that case no expence of removals to distant parishes, which are sometimes attended with great cruelty, and sometimes with loss of life. Were these expences done away, the poor's taxes would be light indeed, compared with what they have been for many years past. Nor need the less burdened parishes be alarmed about such a measure as this, for if this plan was pursued, some parishes, especially where there are large manufactories, would be very much lightened, yet they would pay no more, if so much, as they do now. Nor do I think it at all unjust or unreasonable that the parishes where there is no manufactory should assist in maintaining the poor in the manufacturing towns

1

and parishes; for surely they who live by agriculture alone, are in various ways benefited by our manufactories. To instance only in one; would they not be more heavily loaded with taxes, were there no exports and imports, to raise a large share of the public burthens? This is a measure, I think, fraught with. utility in many points of view; would be a great saving to the nation at large, and prove a great comfort to many who often cannot find employment in their own parishes. Considering then the decrease of the farmer's outgoings, and that in general the quantity of goods for sale would be increased, it appears to me that gentlemen might obtain as much for their lands, at least, as they did two years ago, and at the same time live considerably cheaper. It may be asked, what would be the consequence towards autumn,, before new corn can come to market, if the farms are chiefly small, and the occupiers consequently obliged to bring their goods to market as speedily as possible? I would answer this question by putting another. How was it 70 years ago, when the farms were generally small? But lest this should not be satisfactory, I would propose that large warehouses should be built or purchased by government in every county, in the most convenient places, and wheat bought up when it was at the cheapest, (which would probably happen generally about Christmas, when the farmers had little else to do besides threshing out,) and there stored and attended properly, till there appeared a necessitty from a scanty supply of

d

the market to bring it forth for sale; but this always to be done against the next harvest, that a store of new grain might again be laid in. By this means government might in a great degree regulate the price

of corn, for the advantage of the community at large, and not, as now, leave us in the hands of the great monopolizers.

Much less money, I presume, would pay for the warehouses that would be wanted in this case, than what has lately been paid in one year as bounties on the importation of corn. But in case of a scarcity, whether natural or artificial, I would propose that corn should pay the bounty on corn; that is, by a tax on wheat, when above 10s. per bushel, in this way, viz. when

From 10s. to 11s. 5 per cent. which tax would then be about 6d. per bushel

11s. to 12s. 6 per cent. about 8d.

and the tax to increase in proportion, so that the seller should in no case have above 16s. per bushel for his

wheat, all above being paid as duty; the buyer to receive a certificate of the duty being paid, and how much, in order that if resold for more money, an additional duty should be paid. Such a measure as this is practicable, and I think very reasonable. I presume it would greatly check the monopolizing and jobbing of corn, as few would be so eager to raise the price, if so considerable a part of the advance was to go to governnient; and at the same time it would allow, when there was a real scarcity, a sufficient profit to the grower, produce œconomy in the consumer, and pay the bounty on what was necessary to be imported. It may be said, this would be fixing a kind of maximum (a thing much scouted of late); if it be so, it is fixing it high enough, I trust; much higher than it would even be wished by the humane farmer, and there are yet I hope many such, notwithstanding the excessive rapacity of others. One who occupies a large farm, and raises a great deal of corn, I heard declare in public company, in the time of the late dearth, that he wished the price of wheat was so fixed by act of Parliament, that it should never be under 8s. nor above half a guinea per bushel; this he said would be a very fair price, and that had he the opportunity, he would tell Mr. Pitt* so. Many others were of the same way of thinking, but would notwithstanding take the same price as their neighbours,