The Sun.
London, England, 1822-01-17 00:00:00

FOR nit SUS,

MODERN POLITICAL ECONOMY
[LETTER VII.]
Ma. Enrroa—Mentioning the Times News-
paper in my last, puts me in mind of a very preg-
nant proof of the great spread of the principlet
of this truly • modern science. Somebody bad
chanced to say that the difference in the produc-
tion of harvests must make a great difference iiii
the prosperity of agriculture. Whereupon, up.
jumps one of the ablest scholars of this school, and
declares tbat this'position is false ; because if a
farmer get 100 quarters and sell for 31. a quarter,
it is the same as-if he got 75 quarters, and sold

it for 4/. Consequently there is no difference ; the
farmer can pay the same rent and other burthens,
and have the same profit, whether the harvests
plentiful or scarce ; the difference falls only on
the public in the price of the corn.
This is so clear acid satisfactory, that I am
afraid other minds have been convinced by it,
besides political economists and their admiring
readers ; I am afraid that sonic of our landed
gentry (to whom such flattering statements are

oo welcome te.be doubted) haTve lent ti willing
aar to this doctrine ; which, however, would be

true with an If; but the if is so important here,
that it is a mark of the greatest ignorance, or the
most wilful blindness, to overlook it. /fall farmers
obtained equalcrops in a failing harvest, and the de-
ficiency fell equally on all, according to the quality
and rental of their land, then—what then? Would
they then make as much money of their total
crop as' if the produce had been abundant 1-----
Woul4 they obtain price in proportion to
ciency; so as to cover their rent and charges, and
suffer nothing ?—Truly they might, provided that
one of two things, or both, did not interfere; these
re—first, a considerable surplus on land from
previous abundant harvests; secondly, foreign
corn imported free of duty. The first, only,
might falsify the conclusion, which carries the

imposing air of mathematical precision ; but the
second may, and often has, destroyed it totally
and most fatally for British agriculture.
But it needs not that %;:e should thus refute
statement so absurd, for it happens in the veil
nature of things that deficient crops are very irre-
gular, and that all possible degeees of misfortune
and advantage visit the occupiers of different
soils, and farms, though often in the same neigh-
bourhood. We sec in seasons when -the mildew'

is very destructive to wheat—all one farmer'
wheat good, and another farmer's wheat all.
destroyed, or nearly so; • Two fields shall
be parted by only a hedge or a. ditch, and
one of them shall yield, a bright crop, and eta
other be black and. good for nothing. ' , •
It might with more truth be said -(with the
foregoing Irs) that every parish, or rather every
county, will realize the same, total sums ; but if
it were so, it falls into partal hands, and is not
available. Those who lose their crops must paY
their roils, and every other contribution, just 55
much as those who gain them, as far as it is Vs:
sible ; and if it be ,not,'-they may be sold up and
distressed in consequestee of the misfortune in-
flicted by Providence. But this is an unanswer-
able reason why room should be made in rents
and charges for the. arerage .produce seasoig,
to afford safety and moderate profits to cultiva-
tors ; for other severe losses are partial ton, 59
the rot in sheep, or distempers in horses or cat tie;
and besides, the advantage orlossin crops mil:

another failing harvest, change.. places,

both parties might escape, ruin if they hate
something before-hand ; but no mitigation visit
them ; wages are equally expended ; seed apt'
cultivation are equally used ; harvest expenr°
COMP to much the same ; rent is equallY
exigible ; taxes are not remitted ; poor-rates
fall the sauce on those who lose their
,tort''
and on those who get it :—nor -can all
be otherwise, but by the mercy of the Landlord,
in giving time, or postponing the payment—lot
it shews that when charges press too much '4'l
the total prodw:e, cultivators are placed 11'
jeopardy, and mischief is likely to happen on °'
large scale. I speak what I, know, Mr. Editor/
and what I have sqXered.

~, remain &c.
,
A PEI-LTV'S' ,
* The larger the circle the greater the likelihood to be oil'
but it is not true even of the NATION.

OLD BAILEY.

F.MBEZ Z LEN! ENT. 11,
Yesterday James Drinkwater was indicted for embezzling
the property of William-Kemp. - be
The prosecutor is a baker, residing in Someri-town, fald to
prisoner was in his employment. It was ttie prisoner's dint the
collect the money from the customers, and' pay it over to.t

apprentice.
It was proved by a witness attic name of Collet, that she r 7,0
a one-pound note to the prisoner on the day inmtioned in

indictment. •
te)
the Apprentice, who was bound over to-give evidence,
called; but did not appear.
The prisoner, in his defence, said, that K.emp,• the PrOsec*
tor, offered to make up the matter for 101.
The Court gave its opinion that tier was not sufficient 14-
dente to convict the prisoner, and he was therjoie acquittol•e;
Henry Heritage wr s indicted for e'nbe72ling 101.. in sa.; •
reigns, the pioperty of William Wilkinson No:Ire; and Thor'
Simmons, for devising, abetting, and counselling him to cev' I-
. the act.
I On the 22d of November, the
.proSecutor's son gave the 1);(1
sone'. Heritage.lo sovereigns, desiring him to get them chlie
for farthings at toe ?flint. The prisoner went off with the
money, and never returned either with the farthings er,
e
sovereigns. - Last month the prosecutr met him by aedu
and immediately took him into custody. otc'
A costermonger swore, that Simmons said to him in the r. 4001
sauce of Heritage, " Don't you 'think .112qtage is a d---(1,!,o,
to keep the sovereigns his; master ;,rave him?"' "Witness reP''''
that Heritage must be the-best judge of-that. /1
The Jury fotind Heritage Guilty, and acquitted the ot
prisoner.

BIRTHS. 0P
On Monday, the 14th inst. at Eltham, the Lady of Car
Ord, Royal Engineers, of a daughter. .
On the 26th ult. at Grove :louse, near Carniarthen, ti .e l''''''
of 11. Thicknesse VlToodington. Esq. of P. eon.
______,--

MAURIED.
On Tuesday, 15th inst. at Foots Cray, by the Rev. vo,
riner, J. •R. Coryton, Esq. son of the Rey. 0. Coryton, of '44,,
zance, to Elizabeth,' the only daughter of William Rose se'
worth, Principal Clerk in the Office of the Auditovof the
ceipt of his Majesty's Exchequer.

DIED.
_,•,t
•
On Tuesday, the 15th instant, at her house, Upper T,"--...,t ir !ef
in her 33d year, Mrs. Wilson, relict of the lite Christi/1"
Wilson, Esq. tv '
•1
;'
At Worthing, on Friday, the 11th instant, Mr.- 800
Hawes. —6e)

Printed and Published, for the-PnoPnlETons, at the
OFFICE, 112, Strand, by J. B. CARSTAIRS.

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