The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-16 00:00:00

France, is therefore, .then reduced to a plain
and practical meaning, to say that such a Re-
volution as that of France would be a good thing
for England. The language we frequently hear
upon the subject must have this meaning or
none.—Morning Pos!.

In Mr. Crawfurd's very valuable Journal of an
Emleassy to the Court of Ava, which it is our
intention to notice more particularly hereafter,
there are some statements which throw a valua.
ble light on several questions in political eco-
nomy

" Upon a consideration (he says) of the impel feet
statements new offered, I am disposed not to rate
the poptdation of the Burman Empire higher than
four millions, or about twenty-two inhabitants to
the spare estimate which best accords
with the rude and imperfect state of Government
and society winch so strikingly characterises the
country. _ _

" This is, indeed, a miserable population of a great
country, possessing a good clitnate, a fertile soil, na-
vigable rivers,' anil convenient harbours. The
arca! check to population is bad Government,
in the form of wars, insurrections, anarchy, ill-ad-
ministered laws, and oppressive trxation. Famines
do not appear to have been frequent, and such
taw have occurred are rather to be ascribed to
civil awl political causes than to the soil or climate.
Epidemic disorders arc neither very frequent nor
fatal. The small-pox, and, of late years, cholera,
are, probably, the only maladies which materially
check the increase of population. The plague—the
scourge of Eastern Europe and Western Asia—ia
unknown ; and malignant and fatal fevers were pre-
dominant only in Arrant), now no longer a part of
the Empire.
" Prudential motives have little influeace among
the-Buricans in repressing the increase of population.
Marriages are contracted nearly as early as in other
Eastern countries; and, with the exception of the
Priesthood, few persons of either sex are to be found
living in a state of celibacy after the'age of seventeen
or eighteen. Prostitution is not common ; and in-
fanticide, and other unnatural practices for repress-
ing population, are not, that I ant aware of, known.
As to the continuance of chill-bearing, it is just the
sarne as in other parts of the would, beginning with
the age of puberty, and ending between forty and
lifty. The Burman-, in their public records, reckon
family as high us seven individuals, which would
seem to imply that numerous families are reined by
them. The effectual price of labour varies consider-
ably in different parts of the country, but is every
where high. It is lowest at the capital and its
neighbourhood, where the land is of inferior fertility ;
the country comparatively well inhabited, and much
good land yielding rent under cultivation. There the
wages of common field labour are about fourteen
shillings a month, or eight pounds eight shillings a
year; and the ordinary price of 'ice, the chief bread
corn, throughout the kingdom, about six shillings
per e:% t. Twelve baskets of rice, or about six
cwts., are allowed by the Burmese for the yearly
food of a labouring ; but a year's labour, will
purchase twenty-eight cwts., leaving the Value of
twenty-two cwts. for the other necessary articles of
food, clothing, and house rent, and leaving a con-
siderable balance for rearing and maintaining a
family. The wages of labour at Rangoon are higher,
and the price of corn and other articles of foOd
smaller. A..day labourer here receives at the rate of
twelve pounds a year, and the price of rice does not
annually exceed three shillings per cwt. At Mar-
taban, the wages of labour are as high us at Ran-
goon ; and the price of rice is generally not higher
than twelve shillings per cwt. At Bassein a 'day-
labourer receives Its at Ava—about fourteen shillings
, a month ; but the price of rice is only one-half.
Artisans, such as carpenters and blacksmiths, re-
ceive more wages than boatmen or other common
labourers. Flesh, thought by no means rejected,
seldom used by the Burmese of any rank ; but fish,
in various forms, is universally consumed; and the
ordinary condiments throughout the country arc cap,
sicam and salt. The retail price of salt in the lower
provinces may be quoted at about 4s. :3d. per cwt.;
of pickled fish the same, and of dry fish about
18s. In the Upper Provinces all these articles, as
well as fuel and the materials of house-building,
are much more costly. These rotes of the prtre of
labour may be compared to those of our old and
densely-peopled provinces in Hinilostan. A day
labourer in Bengal will hardly cant three pounds a
year, and the cost of rice is nearly the same as in
the lower provinces of the Burman empire; salt
fish and house rent being:much higher. An instruc-
tive example of the beneficial effect of high wages is
afforded by comparing wages at Calcutta and Ran-
goon. A carpenter of the best description at Cal-
cutta earns only twenty shillings a month, while
one at Rangoon will earn thirty. The wages of the
native of Bengal will purchase about eight hundred
pounds of rice; that of the Burman about 1,120.
Beggary, U.S may be readily inferred, from these
statements, is very uafrequent among the Burmese;
and, with the exception of the voluntry mendicity
of the priesthood, is confined to a few unfortunate
persons, driven to it more by superstition than ne-
cessity. _ _ .

Under the very favourable circumstances now
deseribed,.notWng seems wanting to insure a great
increase of population in the Burmese dominions,
but a moderate share of peace, ranquillity, and se-
curity. In the cessions made to ourselves, these
benelitsMay be safely calculated upon; and, in such
of them us enjoy the advantage of a good climate
and fertile soil, we may, with some abatement for
the :tubboin habits of a semi-barbarous people, ex-
pect to See here a rapidity of increase in population,
inure resembling that of an American Colony, than
what we have been accustomed to in our old Indian
possessions. The capital and example of strangers
NVill not only accelerate this increase, but insure its
being accompanied by improvement.
" In the meanwhile, it is some satisfaction to find
that the high rate of %rages among the Burmese
tends greatly to mitigate the despotism which, by
repressing population, gives rise to it. Owing to
high wages, and, probably, to this alone, the labour-
ing classes are zipon the whole well-fed, clad, and
housed, a fact.which is soon observed by a stranger;
and taking:place under such apparently inauspicious
circumstances, appears. at first view so unaccounta-
ble. lit fact, the Burmese peasantry are•in more
comfortable and easy circumstances than the mass
of the labouring poor in any of our Indian provinces;
and making allowance for climate, manners, and
habits, bear a comparison with the peasantry
of MostEtiropean couutiiis. As long as land capa-
ble of yielding corn with little labour continues to
bear the same proportion to the population as, at
present, the-Government cannot rob the peasantry of
the mere wages of personal labour; nay. its
interference tends only to enhance or in-
sure them. The scantiness of the popula-
tion is, in this manner, an advantage to.the people.
Were the country, for example, inhabited in the
same ratio as the neighbouring one of Hindostan
generally, it would contain about one hundred in-
habitants to the square mile; or its population
would be twenty millions, or five times more than
its present amount. Were it peopled in the same
proportion as Bengal, that part of India to which,
in soil and climate, it bears the closest analogy, it
would contain double the number of its present in-
habitants. The consequence of this would be, sup-
posing no corresponding improvement in the Go-
yerument, that wages falling, and the pike of corn
rising, the people would be reduced to a state of
poverty and misery of the most abject and degrad-
ing description."
It would rather seem, from this statement,
that an improvement in the Government would
produce degradation and misery in the popula-
tion ; because the high wages are produced at
present by bad government, and the increase of
population, which would be the result of a bet-
ter government, would lower wages and create
misery. But W 8 have left ourselves nu space for