Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-05-13

He has reminded US that the apprehensions OF our
silk manufacturers, with regard to the injurious ell
fects of the competition OF foreign silks IN our
markets. have been proved by the event to be alto
gether fallacious: and hope may say without
offence that his apprehensiUns OF the ruin to be
brought upon the agriculturists by the importation
| OF foreign seem 10 me equally visionary. In
looking at the effect ofthe laws the present
and future prosperity of tho kingdom, one conside-
ration strikes me, which think has not been s'iii-
cieny DIV cit upon, but which seems 10 me OF sui
fcient Importance 10 justify few observations. II
appears, from the most authentic accounts, that
| the population of this country has increased with
great rapdity during the last half century. Dur
ing the reign of George ILL., the population OF the
British islands doubled ITSELF and there is every
reason to suppose, from the present hourisling
of all the interests in the kingdom, that de
increase is now going on "a rapidly as at any for
mer period. Now, the hare mention OF this fact
Willie enough to show Tax restriction on the i'm
portation of corn is and must be continually in
creasing evil. As the population OF a country in
creases If the supply of food IS limited 10 It's OWL
produce, it must gradually have recourse TO poorer
and poorer soils, in order TO raise the additional
, quantity Of food that will be necessary. But as
recourse is had inferior Soils the price OF corn
necessarily rises, ii is always regulated by the
| expense of its production from the worst soils in
cultivation. 1t is obvious that no person will
tinue to till land which does not yield him profit
on his capital equal TO what he could obtain in
| other modes of employing it. The poorest soil
! must, therefore, yield this profit besides paying
the expenses OF CIVILIZATIONS; and the consequence
is, that not only the corn raised on that soil, but
all the corn in the country, must rise in price with
every fresh portion of inferior soil brought under
\ the plough for there more be two prices Of
corn than two OF profit In the same country
Corn raised from the best land will sell for Just rs
much that raised on the worst, supposing it to
| be only of the same quality, and the OF the
better soils will be continually rising the price
of rises: therefore, he farmer derives adj
vantage; the landed proprietor is the only gamer
by this system, and the community at large suffers.
! (Hear.) Now, is il evident that under these
circumstances, TO restrict sny country with grow
ing population, and especially a country whose soil
\ Is not the most fertile, its territory very
tended, TO the produce of its agriculture, il
one OF the serious Injuries that be inflicted upon
u!that that increased population, which ought to
! be source OF wealth and power, Will tend to adj
vance the price of provisions, and thus either to
raise the wages of labour and diminish the rate of
| profit, 10 degrade the working classes by yearly
| essening their comforts? 1t is plain that coun-
| try which adheres TO such policy must soon re-
ceiye fatal check in the career of commerce, and
have its growth unnaturally stunted whatever may
be its native energies the abundance of its capital
or the extent OF its greatness; whereas small and
barren state, with free institutions and an unetter-
! ed trade, may make incredible advances in wealth
and power, render its territory hive OF men, and
| be benefited; instead of burdened, by every addi-
ton TO the number of its inhabitants OF this Hol-
| land IL memorable example; for though hot
| corn country, it became the granary of Europe
supported population more rank than that of any
other state, and had the price OF provisions more
steady and uniform than countries which teemed
with the utmost exuberance of nature. But if the
corn-laws are adhered to, England seems destined
| to become an example of the opposite policy--to
see her fourishing population checked her unrival-
led commerce fall, and her capital and manulac-
! lures take refuge in more genial cline Sup
pose the population of this country to increase for
the next half century at the same rate tia, it has
done for the last, is the same soil 10 feed in 1870
| four times the number of inhabitants il fed IL
! iIIO! The idea Is preposterous; yet every argu-
ment on which the corn laws are defended require.
| that it shonld; for if we cannot now return to a
tree trade in corn, because the expense of produ-
cling il at home is increased, and because rents
have been raised, the difficulty will become grea-
Ter at every step we take; every year we stand in
a position more unnatural and dangerous. (Hear,
| hear.) a very little reflection will show us how
powerfully the increased price of provisions must
discourage English and courage foreign manufac-
| lures. You are that the price of labour is
by tar the largest Ingredient in the of our man.
lutactured goods. Now the wages of Itbour are
Il
calculated by Mr.. Nautilus and Sir Frederick Nor
ion Eden, that the article of bread constitutes hall
| the expense Of q abourer's family Colonel Tor
| rens takes 1t al one-third; and suppose we adopt
| the lowerof these calculations, il is evident at
glance that the price of bread is most important
consideration in all manufactures Bread, the
sIatf OF ife and sinew OF iabouI, may be regarded
as the grand raw material OF our wollen, our cot
| ION, our linen, and our hardware goods. Raise
the price OF bread, then and you raise the price OF
your manufacturers; you come into the foreign mar
ket at disadvantage; you foster the manufactures of
Germany, the Netherlands, France, and America:
and you drive capital from this country 10 promote
them To be sure. You have an alternative. In
stead Of raising the wages of labour, you NAV de-
grade the condition of the labourer; you NAV re-
| trench his comforts one after the other, by giving
MN the same money wages. whilst those wages
will yearly purchase less food and clothing. YOU
may reduce the working classes of England to live,
like the Peasantry of Ireland, on potatoes and gar
! bage; you may leagthen out, too, their hours OF
iabour; you may work them like horses, and feed
them Ike pigs; hut trust there is not human
being that would wish our manufactures TO fou-
IRISH on such basis-on the basis of PROSTATE
and half-starved population; that would not rather
see our manufactures and our workmen emigrate
together, than remain in the unnatural combination
| oil enormous wealth, growing out of enormous mi
sery (1ear, hear.) Interested sophistry has
done much to ernbarras question which common
| sense would decide in an instant. Would any man
buy his bread of baker in his own street who sold
it twice as dear as the baker in the next street.
Would he think birnsel bound to support a neigh
| bour, who served him in so neighbouylu man
ner? But, say the advocates of the corn laws,
considering the nation as body single in its inte-
rests, you not here buying corn of your neigh
DOur. IL. "a