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Show 390 O:N THE JMl\IEDIATE CAUSES ( cH. VII. - what the land ,;vould yield in its uncultivated state, and in this case they would seldom be allowed to intrude upon such domains ; and thus lands \vhich might be tnade capable of supporting thousands of people, may be left to support a fe\v hundreds of cattle. Speaking of a part of the In tendency of Vera Cruz, lfutnboldt says, " Aujourd'hui des espaces de plusieurs lieues carn~es sont occupes par deux on trois cabanes, au tour desq uelles errent des breufs a detni-sauvages. Un petit notnbre de fan1illes puissantes, et qui vivent sur le plateau central, possedent la plus grande partie du littoral des Intendances de Vera Cruz, et de San Luis Potosi. Aucune loi agraire ne force ces riches proprietaires de vendre }eurs majorats, s'ils persistent a ne pas vouloir defricher eux-m~mes des terres itntnenses qui en dependent."* Among proprietors of this description, caprice and indolence might often prevent thetn from cultivating their lands. Generally, ho,vever, it might be expected, that these tendencies 'vould yield, at least in a considerable decrree to the n1ore b ' steady influence of self-interest. But a vicious pivision of territory prevents the n1otive of interest fron1 operatin~ so stroncrly as it ouo·ht to do • • L..l 5 b 1n the extension of cultivation. vVithout suffi-cient foreign con1merce to give value to the raw produce of the land ; and before the general introduction of n1anufactures hq.d opened channels • Tom. ii. I. iii. c. viii. p! 342. SEC. IV.] OF 'fHE PROGRESS OF WEALTH. 391 for don1estic industry, the demand of the oTeat propn.e tors f'o r 1a bour "\Vould be very soon suppbl ied· and beyond this, the labouring classes vvould hav~ nothing to give them for the use of their lands. Though the landholders might have an1ple po\ver to support an extended population on their estates, the very slender increase of enjoyn1ents, if any, which they might derive from it, 'vould rarely be sufficient to overcotne their natural indolence, or overbalailCe the possible inconveniences or trouble that tnight attend the proceeding. Of that encourageinent to the increase of population, which arises fron1 the division and sub-division of land as new fan1ilies are brought into being, the country is deprived by the original state of property, and the feudal custon1s and habits \Vhich it necessarily tends to generate. And under these circumstances, if a con1parative deficiency of con1n1erce and 1nanufactnres, 'vhich great inequality of property tends rather to perpetuate than to correct, prevents the growth of that demand for labour and produce, which can alone ren1edy the discouragen1ent to population occasioned by this inequality, it is obvious that Spanish A111erica n1ay re1nain for ages thinly peopled and poor, compared \vith her natural resources. And so, in fact, she has ren1ained. For thouo·h h . 0 t e Increase of population and 'vealth has been considerable, particulaxly of late years, since the trade with the 1nother-c.ountry has been n1ore open, yet altogether it --has been far short of '\\'hat it \Vould have been, even under a Spanish govern-c c t-1 |
