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[G.P.] go POLITICAL FRAGMENTS. 51 POLXTICAL FRAGMENTS. tion was {0 general, {hips fo plenty, and com-mercial connections fo well eftablifhed ; even ma- ritime countries might be occafionally dif'treffed by bad crops. But fuch is now the facility of communication between thofe countries, that an unreftrained commerce can fcarce ever fail of pro- farmer; as, while they have their allowance, it makes no difference to them, whether bread be Cheap or dear. Thole working poor, who now mind bufinefs onlyfive orfimr days in the week, if bread fltould be to dear as to oblige them to. work the wholefix required by the commandment, If indeed do not feem to be aggrieved, to as to have a right to public redrefs. There will then remain, com- any government is fo imprudent, as to lay. its hands on imported corn, forbid its exportation, paratively, only a few families in every difiriét, who, from ficknefs or a great number of chil~ or compel its fale at limited prices; there the dren, will be fo dif'rreflbd bya high price of corn, people may fuffer fome famine from merchants avoiding their ports. But wherever commerce is as to need relief; and thefe {hould be taken care of by particular benefaétions, without refiraining known to be always free, and the merchant ab- the farmer's profit. folute matter of his commodity, as in Hal/and, there will always be a reafonable fupply. Thofe who fear, that exportation may f0 far drain the country of corn, as to f'tarve ourfelves, curing a fufliciency for any of them. When an exportation of corn takes place, oc- fear what never did, nor ever can happen. They Icafioned by a higher price in fome foreign coun- may as well, when they View the tide ebbing to- tries, it is common to raife a clamour, on the fup- wards the fea, fear that all the water will leave the river. The price of corn, like water, will find its own level. The more we export, the dearer it becomes at home; the more is received. abroad, the cheaper it becomes there; and, as foon‘ pofition that we {hall thereby produce a domeftic famine. Then follows a prohibition, founded on the imaginary diitrefs of the poor. The poor, to be fure, if in diftrefs, {hould be relieved; but if the farmer could have a high price for his corn from the foreign demand, mutt he by a prohi- bition of exportation be compelled to take a low price, not of the poor only, but of every one that eats bread, even the richei't P the duty of relieving as thefe prices are equal, the exportation {tops of courfe. As the feafons vary in different countries, the calamity of a bad harveft is never univerfal'. If then, all ports were always open, and all com- the poor is incumbent on the rich; but by this operation the whole burden of it is laid on the farmer, who is to relieve the rich at the fame time. Of the poor too, thofe who are maintained by the merce free; every maritime country would generally eat bread at the medium price, or average of all the harvefts; which would probably be more equal than we can make it by our artificial regulations, and therefore a more Ready encourage- pariflies have no right to claim this facrifice of the H 2 farmer ,; ment |
