recanted every fyllable, and declared he was only in jeft; but the military man protefted, "he did not like fuch jefts, nor would he excufe them." Apologies were offered, but not accepted; and the joker got a good caning in return for his wit and ingenuity, which made him act fome very clever capers, to the great entertainment of the company. Will any one pretend to deny that he had his reward?

Now, as this fpecies of beings are at the very head of the genus of modern jokers, can any wife and reasonable man be partial to perfons of fuch a defcription?

On the Corn Laws.

Part Third.

In our preceding difquifitions it has been proved, 1st, That a bounty on corn exported may be useful, if put under proper regulations; and 2d, That the rate of that bounty ought not to be fixed, but that it ought to vary in fome measure, according to the felling price in the home market at the time. We now proceed to inquire into the most eligible mode to be adopted for afcertaining the prices that are to regulate the importation of corn, in a country fo circumftanced as Britain is.

This is perhaps the most difficult part of our inquiry; and as the question never yet has obtained a fair difcuffion, the natural difficulty of the cafe is greatly augmented by the ideas that have prevailed in confequence of inaccurate notions that have been rafhly obtruded on the public concerning it.

In every country the prices of grain will vary in different parts of it, owing to a diverfity of circumtances. In fome diftricts, the average price of the

fame kind of grain will be permanently higher than in others. Hence originates the firft difficulty.

Hitherto it has happened that those who have treated of the corn laws, generally reafon as if they thought the price of grain an arbitrary thing that might be raised or depreffed at pleasure; and hence they have always attempted to adopt fuch regulations, as in their opinion, would tend to bring the prices to be always the fame in every part of the country. On this principle, the fame rate of bounty has been extended to all places, and the fame price has been adopted in every district, for regulating the exportation and importation of corn.

If our reasoning in the foregoing pages was well founded, this rule must be erroneous and unjuft. For if the average price for which corn can be reared by the farmer, ought to be the rule for regulating the traffic in grain, the rate of price for opening or fhutting the ports, ought to be different in every different place, according as the average price varies.

For example, it appears from the Gazette account, that the average price of wheat in the following counties for many years paft, has been, in Norfolk about 21, 1 s. 10d. Stafford 2 1. 12 s., and Cumberland 2 1. 10 s. It follows then, that if we were to have a perfect corn law, the price for regulating the opening or fhutting the port, which fhould always be the average price at the place, fhould be different in each of these coun ties.

This idea, however demonftratively juft, has never yet been adopted, either by the legislature, or thought of by the people at large; and by lofing fight of this idea, in pursuit of a chemerical object that never can be obtained, they have been led into a train of embarras fing regulations that only tend to perplex the subject, and give rife to frauds and abufes of various kinds.

That it is not poffible to bring the price of grain permanently to the fame rate in different places, but

that that average price is regulated by circumftances in a great measure beyond the immediate reach of the law, will not be difficult to prove: and if this be proved, it ought to follow that this futile attempt ought in future to be abandoned.

If the foil of a particular part of the country be naturally poor and unproductive, the expence of rearing a crop there will be greater than in one that is more fertile. It of courfe follows, that unless the average price be fo high as to repay the farmer the whole expence neceffary for rearing the corn there, he must abandon the culture of it in that place. If therefore the farmer in the district A, fuppofe, cannot rear wheat unlefs he gets 48 s. per quarter for it on an average, it will be a vain attempt to try by law to bring it there to 44 s.; for, should the farmer find he can get no more than 44 s, he muft, cultivate lefs corn, and convert his fields to fome other ufe; but if he rears lefs corn than to fupply the demand, the price will rife; and in confequence of this want at home, the prices may be raised at times to an enormous rate, according to the circumstances in foreign markets, and accidents of various forts.

Nor is it only where fields are too poor and unproductive that the prices of corn muft neceffarily be higher than in fome other circumftances. The fame effect may be produced in confequence of a directly oppofite caufe, fupereminent degree of richness and fertility; for as poor lands must be paftured by fheep or cattle, because they cannot afford the expence of being converted into corn fields, fo very rich lands cannot be applied to the culture of corn, because greater returns from them can be obtained by feeding theep or cattle upon them. Hence the rich vales of Glocester, and many other of the most fertile districts in England, cannot produce corn, unless that corn be fold at a very high price. And hence it is that we find the price of corn is nearly the fame in the fertile county of Not

March 16, tingham as in Derbyshire. The price of corn therefore, of the native produce of every district, can neither be permanently raised nor lowered by political regulations. It is determined by natural caufes, that cannot be arbitrarily overruled. The utmoft that can be done is, to encourage an abundant production, by providing a ready market for grain at all times in every place, at the price it can be afforded for by the farmer there. This and this alone may in time alter the average price of grain in any district, as I fhall take occafion to fhew at fome future period *.

Upon these principles, the propriety of abandoning that perplexed fyftem of taking the average prices in towns, or counties, or districts, great or small, in every part of Britain, and of allowing an exportation or importation in each of thefe, whenever the price rises to the fame rate, is impolitic and unjuft, and of course ought to be abandoned.

In its ftead, we have it in our power to adopt a rule that is at the fame time fo fimple as can never be mistaken; fo certain in its operation, as to be liable to no interruption in any cafe; and fo equitable, that it adapts itself with the most perfect accuracy to the prefent circumstances of every part of the country, in eve, ry poffible fituation of things; nor can it ever be liable to abuse of any fort. But though all these things are equally certain and unavoidable, as that the shadow must accompany the body when the fun fhines, and lenghten and shorten according to the elevation of that great luminary, I do not expect that at the prefent time this idea will be adopted either by the legislature of this country, or the people at large. I proceed to explain.

* I am aware that fome perfons will imagine that rent enters in some measure into the conftituent price of grain; but I fhall afterwards have occafion to fhew that this is a fallacious notion, which I here pledge myfelf to do.

The average prices of corn have, for many years past, been ascertained by law all over England, and returns made to London twice a week. These prices are published regularly in the gazette.-Were this average rate, thus afcertained, to be made the fole rate for regulating the importation and exportation rate over all England, all the benefits above enumerated, would neceffarily refult from it. By this rule, if adopted, it would naturally happen, that the regulating price would be a little higher than the medium rate in those counties, where the price is loweft.-Thefe are, and, for the reafons affigned in part 1ft, ever must be, maritime counties. The confequence would be, that when exportation from thence was not permitted, though the prices were, in these counties, fo low, as that by the average of thefe cheap counties, it would at prefent be permitted; they would then find, that the best market for their grain would be those counties of this country, where the prices are commonly high: grain would therefore, be fent coastways from the cheap counties to thofe places, till they had nearly enough of it. The prices in the dear diftricts would, of courfe, decrease; and thofe in the cheap counties be prevented from falling; and the average of the whole kingdom would, in years of plenty, fall, at length, fo low, as to permit exportation to other countries. A market is thus opened for the fuperfluous grain, and for the fuperfluous part of it only. If it fell ftill lower, the bounty would begin to operate; and corn would be sent abroad, at that time, from thefe plentiful counties; but none could go out from those places where corn is fcarcer, and confequently higher, as the high price at home (in these counties) would not admit of an exportation from thence, unless the rate of bounty were higher than the average prices at the time would admit. Thus is relief given to those parts only, which have occafion for it; and no damage is fuftained, but the reverse, by those who have no ufe for it.