The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-10-31 00:00:00

ly) THE EDITOR OF THE ST.ITESIIMN.
Sea,—The obliging readiness with which you in-
serted my communication in answer to PuaracosA,
induces me a second time to trespass upon the limits
ayour valuable Journal, and to request the insertion
of the following remarks, occasioned by a paragraph
which appeared In your Paper of Saturday, Oct. 24,
the subject whereof is the same as that treated of by
yemacor.s, wherein the same declamations against
corn-dealers are dealt out with profusion; where
the same total absence of argument is observable ;
and from which, therefore, the same evil conse-
coonGes are to be dreaded as from the effusions
of Pver,rrota. The vulgar never stay to weigh
the soundness of opinions advanced, or the jus-
tice of that abase which is thus levelled against
corn.dealcr s ; but ever ready to believe any thing they
bear confirming their own silly prejudices, are car-
ried away by their passions to the commission of
those acts, which the laws never fail to punish—
which it would be well to endeavour to prevents
but which the publication of articles like that to
which I allude; has an evident tendency to m
It shall,aberefores be my endeavour to prove the
fallacy of the Opiniods yea hue advanced ; and as I
know your motives are good, that the welfare of
your fellow-creatures has been the great aim of your
publications, I feel confident that your love of jus-
tice will not suffer you to close your pages to the
arguments of ore side, whilst they ire open to there
of the other, and though you may not be ovulated
yourself of the truth of what I shall 404 you Will
at least allow your numerous Readers the power of
judging between us.
Dr. ADAM SMITH (whose works on Political Picea
homy are too well known and admired to need any
bulogiem here), in his Wealth of Natiew,llisetts,
that the interests of the corn•dealer and that of '
the great body of the people are, even is years
of the greatest scarcity, the same. It is hie interest,
td raise the price as high as thereat scarcity requires,
add eat higher. By raising its he discourages the
ctirisemptiOn, by making people economical; bat if
he raise it too high, he subjects himself to loss, by
not being able to sail all his corn ; and by not raising
it high enough, he lose' part of his profit. Were it
possible for a company of merchants to paean thew
30114 of all the crops of corn in the kiessions, setae
Clanger might be apprehended; but this cannot he
the case; for their 'slue is so great as to pat it out
of the reach of the capital of any such company of
private individuals ; it is, therefore, divided amongst
a great nuniber of owners, in different parts of the
country, who have ne connection with each other.
In this paragraph of your's td which: I allude,
you observe, " ought not a wise Legislature -ttsj
pretide some check to ?armlets individitels
Id article of the firstimportaace, the food of meat
dfc." Dr. Swill Is of opiates, that an. Lediflpilie,
interference is impolitic ; and " that the rmsreetroioed
freedom Of the cord trade, as It bike only
prevention of the miseries of Amite, so it lathe hest
palliation Of the' inconveniences of a desteth.".
Dearths, he further observes, hale truer arisen frdea
combinations of the dealers, but from teal 'dimity's
occasioned by the waste of war, or the lank of the
seasons: When Governments, its attempting to sea
wady the inconveniences of dearths, order all dealers
to sell at a Certain price, they only prevent supplies
being brought to market A statute of EDWAttn VI.
made it a punishable offence to buy Bern to sell
spiv, thus endeavouring to prevent the maddlemas
coming in between the grower and the consemer ;
but the farmer could not afford to sell his corn to
the consumer cbeapet thin the corn-dealer would
be Enabled to do ; for he *Old be obliged to di.
vide his capital between tmo &llama employments,
part in his granaries, and part la the Cultivation of his
land, and would therefore reasonably expect a profit
Upon each tilde; whether these trades, therefore, ire
carried on by the farmer alone, or the farmer and
cornAlcaler separately, is of no importance to the
public. With regard to regrating and forestalling,
which appears to alarm you se much, br. SMITH
remarks—" The popular fear of engrossing and
forestalling, may be compared to the popular terrors
of witchcraft. The law which would restore entire
freedom to the inland trade of corn, would probably
put an end to the fears of engrossing." Raving said
this much, I trust, that you are now aware, not
only that the cern-dealer is not that terrible person
you have described him ; but, that any interference
on the part of Government in the way you seem to
desire, would be both impolitic and unjust. We
have fortunately had a most abundant harvest, but
we have still to support a most ruinous sear ; and
until that ceases; the waste occasioned bylt, is the
articles of food, will certainly keep up their price, if
it do not cause them to advance. There Is one act
of the Legislature, however, and the wisest they
could perform, which would most effectually de-
crease the enormous price of provisions,
bestow once more upon these suffering Isles the
blessings of peace. By thus holding out the advan-
tages of peace, and sbewing, as you leave freqeseetly
done, with great ability, the ruinous consequences
of the war system, you will render your country a
greater service, than by censuring the poor corn-
dealer, who, in common with every other class of
tradesmen, feels the pressure of the times, and
anxiously looks forward for better. lam sure you'
will believe me, when I assert, that nothing Can at:
• more opposinsto war than the prlaciphss of
Dirmiagharm Dot. v. COMMON $62455.

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