The Sun.
London, England, 1820-11-13 00:00:00

PREFACE.

It happens to men sometimes, where they had it in their
thoughts to set forward and advance some mighty benefit to
their fellow creatures, not merely to fail in giving substance
and efficacy to the sentiment that animated them, hut also
to realise and bring on some injury to the party they purposed
to serve. Such is my case, if the speculations that have now
been current for nearly twenty years, and which bad scarcely
been heard of before, are to be henceforth admittedjas forming
an essential branch of the science of politics.
When I wrote my Inquiry concerning Political Justice, I
flattered myself that there was no mean probability that I
should render an important service to mankind. I bad warm-
ed my mind with all that was great and illustrious in the re-
publics of Greece and Rome, which had been favourite F h -
jects of tileditation with •me, almost from my infancy. I be-
came further animated by the spectacle of the Revolutions of
America and France, the former -if which commenced when
I was just twenty years of age, (though I never approved of
the mode in which the latter was effected, and the excesses
which to a certain degree marked its very beginning) and by
the speculations, which in England, and other parts of Eu-
rope. among learned men and philosophers, preceded, and
contributed to. and have in some measure attended upon, and
accompanied every step of these events. I thought it was
possible to collect whatever existed that was best and most
liberal in the science of politics to condense it, to arrange it
more into a system, and to carry it somewhat farther than
had been done by any preceding writer.
• The book I produced seemed for some time fully to answer
in its effects the most sanguine expectations I had conceived
front it. I could not complain that it " fell dead-bus n from
the Press," or that it did not awaken'a considerable curiosity
among my -countrymen. I was never weak enough to sup-
pose, that it would immediately sweep away all error before
it, like a mighty influx of the waves of the ocean. I hailed
the opposition it encountered, direct and indirect, argumen-
tative and scurrilous, as a symptom (we will suppose, not al-
together unequivocal) of the result I so earnestly desired.
Among other phenomona of the kind, I hailed the attack of
Mr. Malthus. I believed that the Essay on Population, law

struction.
I beg leave to repeat one passage here from the ensuing
volume, at containing a thought very proper to he presented
to the reader in the outset of the inquiry. "If America had
never been discovered, the geometrical ratio, as applied to
the multiplication of matikindovotilJ never have been known.
If the British Colonies had never been planted, Mr. Malthus
would never have written. The human species might have
perished of a lung old age, a fate to which, perhaps, all sub-
lunary things are subject at last, without one Statesman or
one Legislator, through myriads of centuries, having suspect-
ed this dangerous tendency to increase, 'in comparison wit la
which human institutions, however they tray appear to be
causes of much mischief to society, are mere feathers."
In the following pages I confine myself strictly to Mr. Mal-
thus's book, and the question which he has brought under
consideration. My bitterest enemy will hardly be able to find
in this volume the author of the Inquiry concerning Political
dustier. I have scarcely allowed myself to recollect the beau-
tiful visions (if they shall turn out to be visions), which en-
chanted my soul and animated my pen, while writing that
work. I conceived that any distinct reference to what is
there treated of, would be foreign to the subject which is
now before me. The investigation of the power of increase
in the numbers of mankind, most be interesting to every one
to whom the human species and human society appear to be
matters of serious concern ; and I should have thought that I
was guilty of a sort of treason against that interest, if I had
unnecessarily obtruded into the discussion any thing that could
shock the prejudices, or insult the views, of those whose
conceptions of political truth might be most different from
my own.
I am certainly very sorry that I was not sooner in possession
of Mr. Malthus's calculation for peopling the whole risible
universe with human beings at the rate of four men to every
square yard, contained in his principles of Political Eco-
nomy. A considerable portion of my work was printed, be-
fore the appearance of that volume. Seseral passages in these
sheets will read comparatively Hat and tame, for want of the
assistance of this happy redmtio ad ab.vurdum from the pen of
the Author.
I cannot close these few pages of Preface, without testify-
ing my obligations to one friend in particular, Mr. David
Booth, formerly of Newburgh in the County of Fife, now of
London. Without the encouragement and pressing instance;
of this Gentleman my work would never have been begun
and the main argument of the Second Book is of his suggest-
ing. But indeed the hints and materials for illustration I
have derived from his conversation are innumerable; and his
mathemetical skill assisted my investigations, in points its
which my habits fun many years, were least favourable to my
nodertal;ing. It is further necessary I should add, that Mr.
Booth has scarcely in any instance inspected my sheets,. and
that therefore I only am responsible for 'any errors they may
contain.
The reader will fled, annexed to the end of the. Second
Book, a"Dissertation on the Ratiiis of Increase in Population,
and in the means of subsistence, which that Gentleman bad
the goodness to simply to me.
This is all that is necessary for me to say in the way of Pre-
face. Except that I feel prompted to make my apology in this
place, if I shall appear any where to have been hurried into
undue warmth. I know how easily this sin is acc!tstorned to
beset all controversial writers. I hold Mr. lalillom, its all
due respect, at the same time that I willingly plead griilty to
the charge of regarding his doctrines with inexpressible ab-
horrence. I fully admit, hewer the good intentions
of the Author of the Essay On Population, and cheerfully
seize this occasion to testify my belief in his honorable cha-
racter, and his unblemished Manners.
London, Oct. 21, MO.

• It is stated in the front of the Essay on Population, that
it is to toy writings that the work is indebted fur its origin.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE

SPANISH PAPERS.
MADRID, OCT. 27.-(THE CORTES.)

The following are the particulars of the pro-
posals made by the Committees of Finance and
of Commerce relative to the prohibition of Fo-
reign Produce and Manufactures, in consequence
of the bases 25 and 29 of the General Tariff :
a Art. 1. T r prohibition to import provisions of any kind,
whether liquids or dry, which is established by the ancient
Tariffs, and by Decrees of the Cortes, shall be retained in the
general Tariff, and shall be extended, and apply to all such
as our own dosninions produce in sufficient quantity for con-
sumption, without any exception but that which is mentioned
in the 4th Article.
" Art. 2. In the same manner shall be retained and ex-
tended in the general 'f ariff the prohibition to import foreign
articles or manufactures, of which we have national mann-
frctories, and the principal raw materials which enter into
the composition of which are produced in our country, with-
out any exception whatever.
" Att. 3. In the preceding regulations cattle of all kinds
are included, with the exception in the fallowing article:—
" Art. 4. In order to reconcile the general interest of th,
whole nation with that of each province in particular, thl
Provincial Deputations, who may apprehend serious detri
went to their respective provinces, from the executions o
Articles 1 and 3, may petition for the necessary modifications
and no the information of the Government, the Cortes slna
determine what is proper.
" Art. 5. The produce of the East Indies shall he the sub.
jeet of special Decrees of the. Cortes, and till they are pub-
lished the Royal Ordoonances hitherto in force shall he re-
tained."
Mr. FREIRE spoke at some length on the de-
trimental influence of this plan upon America.--
It was supported by Mr. Oliver, and Members
of the Committee..
Count de TORRENO thought that the adoption
of these regulations, instead of producing a great
benefit, would do much mischief, especially
considering the state of imperfection of our
manufactures, which would not improve, un-
less they- had some competition to strive
vt ith, and the monopoly would be highly
injurious to many provinces, which would be
forced to purchase at a high price articles which
they might have -on much easier terms from
abroad ; he voted for sending the Report back to
the Committee.

Mr. MARTENY DE LA Rosa dwelt 9n the noto-
rious injustice of prohibitory laws.
Mr. CUERTA thought that experience was not
unfavourable to seasonable and well-considered
prohibitions, and that the example of France and
England should have more weight than the
theories of their writers, whose spirit and object
may be unknown to us. He allowed that the
prohibitory system had sometimes been carried
too far, but maintained the necessity of adopting
it, as the wisest nations have done.
The MINISTER of the INTERIOR judged it to
be highly proper that the Committee should take
wore time to procure the data necessary for the
foundation of the general regulations which it
i as proposed to establish.
In the sitting of the 26th,. it was resolved, in
conformity with a proposal of the Government,
to build 20 ships of war for the protection of
Commerce, viz.—Two frigates of 50 guns each,
six corvettes of 30 guns, six brigantines of 22 guns,
and six sloops of 14 guns ; 13 millions of reals
were assigned for this object exclusively.
In the sitting of the 27th several articles of
the projet of law on the force and organization
of the standing army were read and discussed.
tly the sth Article the three Swiss Regiments are
to be abolished. The nation will make good all
the injury which, according to existing engage-
ments, this measure will cause. The individuals
of those regiments who desire to remain in the
service of Spain, shall be incorporated with the
national troops with their present rank, but must
take out letters of naturalization, The regiment
of Custa is also abolished.