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Show 236 OF THE RENT OF LAND. (cH. III. their exports. If a country can only be rich by running a successful race for low wages, I should be disposed to say at once, perish such riches! But, though a nation 'vhich purchases the 1nain part of its food fi·otn foreigners, is condemned to this hard alternative, it is not so vvith the possessors of fertile land. The peculiar products of a country, though never probably sufficient to enable it to i1nport a large proportion of its food* as \Vell as of its conveniences and luxuries, 'vill generally be sufficient to give full spirit and energy to all its cornmercial dealings, both at home and abroad; while a s1nall sacrifice of produce, that is, the not pushing cultivation too . far, ·would, with prudential habits an1ong tpe poor,i~ enable it to 111aintain the whole of a large population in '\lvealth and plenty. Prudential habits, an1ong the labouring classes of a country n1ainly depending upon 1nanufactures and con1n1erce, 1night ruin it. In a country of fertile land, such * Cottons are no more a peculiar product of this country than silks: and woe will, I fear, p~fal us, greater than ever we have yet experitnced, if the prosRerity of our cotton trade should become necessary to purchase the food of any considerable body of our people! t Under similar circumstances, with respect to capital, skill, &c., it is obvious that land of the same dearee of barrenness could 0 not be cultivated, if by the prevalence of prudential habits the la-bourers were well paid ; but to forego the small increase of produce and population arising from the cu"ktivation of such land, would, .in a larg~ and fertile territory, be a slight and imperceptible sacnfice, whtle the happiness which would result from it to the great mass of the population, would be beyond all price. . EC. X.] habit ,,·ould b th oT at "t o .... 1l blessing . An10110' the jn in1a bl lonO' to tha qu lit~· in th 1 n n ~ it to )i ldacon1d rabl r nt n f th lea t that in th pro T " o ~ i Y i aff rd " tl n1ain ecuritv to 1nan that n ar. · hi" \Yhol tin1 or th tin1e of n arly th "1 ole . or1 ty l1all n t be en1ployed in pr urin 111 r n c art . crorclino · to 1\lr. Ric rdo not only 'lt ill ach individual capital in the progr :s o o ietY ·i ld a con tinuall di1nin i hin · r Y n u , but the " .. hole a1nount of the r venue deri,· d rom profit ill be din1ini hed; and there i no doubt that he labourer \Vil1 be oblige~ to emplo a o·r ater quantit of labour to procure that portion of hi "~age \Yhich must be spent in nece arie . Both the e great classes of societ , therefore, Ina be expected to have le s po\\ er of gi' ing lei ur to the1nselves, or of commanding the labour of those \vho adn1ini - ter to the enjoyments of ociet , a contradi tinguished fro1n tho e "·ho adn1ini ter to it nece ar 'vants. But, fortunately for mankind, the neat rents of the land, under a s .. tern of priv-ate propertv, can ne\ er be din1ini bed by the progre of cultivation. \ hateYer proportion the may bear to the 'vho1e produce, the actual amount n1u t ahvays go on increasing, and ' ill ahvays afford a fun~ _for the enjoyment and 1ci ure of the society, sufficient to leaven and animate the \Vhole mass. If the only condition on \vhich "e could obtain lands yielding rent \Vere, that they should remain |