Toprovidemorefoodontheirbleakandbarrenmountains，isbeyondaquestion。\'Butifnow，torearthesetwentychildren，
apoor\'srateweretobecollectedinmorefertilecountries，yetincountrieswhicharefuliypeopledinproportiontotheir
labourandtotheproduceofthesoil，isitnotevident，thatthescarcityanddistresswouldonlybetransferred，andthatthe
childrenoftheSouthmustdie，thatthechildrenoftheNorthmightlive？Butsupposingtheseshouldlive；yetatbestthey
couldonlytaketheplaceofthosethatdied，andmorewomenintheNorthwouldincreaseandmultiply，tilltheyfeltthe
samedegreeofpressurewhichtheyfeelatpresent。NeitherSwitzerlandnorthecoastofAfricaaredepopulatedby
emigrations，becausethequantityoffoodineachremainsunaltered。Itiswiththehumanspeciesaswithallotherarticlesoftradewithoutapremium；thedemandwillregulatethemarket。Byestablishingacommunityofgoods，orratherbygivingtotheidleandtotheviciousthefirstclaimupontheproduceof
theearth，manyofthemoreprudent，careful，andindustriouscitizensarestraitenedintheircircumstances，andrestrained
frommarriage。Thefarmerbreedsonlyfromthebestofallhiscattle；butourlawschooserathertopreservetheworst，and
seemtobeanxiouslestthebreedshouldfail。Thecryis，Population，population!populationatalleventslButisthereany
reasonablefearofdepopulation？Wehaveseenthatcornuponanaveragehasbeenconsiderablycheapersincethe
commencementofthepresentcentury，thanitwasforanequaltermbe~fore；yetwageshavebeenraisedintheproportion
ofsixtofour，andtherentoflandisdoubled。Maywenotinferfromhence，thattheproduceofthesoilmusthave
increasednearlyinthesameproportions。Ifweconsidertheimprovementswhichhavebeenmadeinagriculture，by
clearingwoods，inclosingwastes，drainingmorasses，layingthecommonfieldsinseverally，andmakingroads；bythe
introductionofclover，saintfoin，turneps，andpotatoes；bythebreakingupofextensivedowns；andbythesuperiorskillof
thepresentraceinthemanagementofallsortsofland，withrespecttostocking，manuring，cropping，notforgettingtheir
superiorweightofcapitaltoworkwith；weshallceasetowonderatthisvastincreaseofproduce。Butisitpossiblethatthe
produceshouldbethusincreased，andnotthepeoplealsowhoconsumeit？WeneednotdesireanymantovisitLondon，
Norwich，Bath，Bristol，Hull，Liverpool，Leeds，Wakefield，Manchester，andBirmingham；weneednotcalluponhimto
viewourminesofcoal，copper，lead，iron，andtin，withallthenewmanufactureswhichdependonthese:butlethimat
leastcountourflocks，andcalculatethequantityofcornproducedbyrecentimprovementsinourtillage；thenlethimaskhimselfifourpopulationisincreased。Whilstfoodistobehad，thereisnofearofwantingpeople。Butshouldthepopulationofacountrygetbeyondtheproduce
ofthesoil，andofthecapitalengagedintrade，howshallthesepeoplefindemployment？Wheneverthisshallbethecase，
theevilwillincrease，andthecapitalwillgoonconstantlydiminishing；likeasinprivatelife，whenagentlemanbreaksin
uponhisprincipaltopaytheordinaryexpencesofhisfamily。Whenatradingnationisobligedtospendmorethanthe
revenuewhichisderivedfromcommerce，andnotfromaccident，butastheeffectofsomeabidingcause，exceeds
continuallytheprofitofitstrade，withoutsomesubstantialreformation，theruinofthatnationwillbeinevitable。Shouldthe
capitalitselfaccumulate，theinterestofmoneywouldbelowered，thedemandforlabourwouldincrease，andthe
superlucrationonthisincreaseoftradewouldcontinuetoenlargethecapital。Speculationapart，itisafact，thatinEngland
wehavemorethanwecanfeed，andmanymorethanwecanprofitablyemployunderthepresentsystemofourlaws。
SECT。XAlltheeffectswhichIhavebeendescribing，havenotbeenfullyfelt。Letithoweverberemembered，thatadistinctionmust
bemadebetweenthoseevilswhichhavealreadybeenseverelyfelt，andthegreaterevilswhichinthecourseofnatureand
duetimemaybeexpected。Thetendencyofalawmaybemostdestructive；yet，byadventitiouscircumstances，thebad
consequencesmaybecheckedandpreventedforaseason。Itisnottobeimaginedthatmen，whobycloseapplicationand
watchfulattentiontotheir。business，byrigidfrugalityandhardlabour，havemadeadecentprovisionfortheirfamilies，
shouldfreelypartwithaconsiderableproportionoftheirproperty，orsufferittobetakenfromthemwithoutstrongefforts
toretainit。Formorethanacenturythestruggleshavebeenobstinateandunremitted，yetformorethanacenturythe
poor\'srateshavebeenconstantlyincreasing。Fromtimetotime，asmenremarkedtherapidityofthisprogress，their
exertionsweremorethancommon，andsometransientreformationwaseffected。Whenatlasttheyfound，thattheyhadno
otherwayremainingtoprotectthefruitsofindustryfromtheextravagantdemandsofindolence，andfromthe
undistinguishingbenevolenceofpower，theyadopted，fromnecessityandnotfromchoice，themiserableexpedientof
buildingworkhouses。Tillthesearecompletelyfilled，andevenaftertheyarefull，theyserveadoublepurpose:theydisarmthemagistrate，theyintimidatethepoor。Asthelawnowstands，theparishofficers，incertaincases，maybuildhousesonthewasteforthereceptionoftheimpotent
andaged；buttheyhavebeenhithertosoprudentasnottoexerciseapower，whichwouldbedestructivetothemselves，
withoutbeingbeneficialtothepoor。Happilythejusticesofpeacehavenolegalauthoritytoaugmentthenumberofour
cottages。Therecanbenocompulsioninthiscase。Someofthemindeedhaveindirectlyattemptedthis，buttheyhavebeen
resistedbythemoreprovidentandwaryinmostparishes。Hencethenumberofhousesbecomesagage，atoncetomeasure
andtoregulatetheextentofpopulation。Ineveryvillagewillbefoundplentyofyoungmenandwomen，whoonlywaitfor
habitationstolaythefoundationofnewfamilies，andwhowithjoywouldhastentothealtar，iftheycouldbecertainofa
rooftoshelterthematnight。Ithasbeenchieflyfromthewantofhousesthatthepoorhavenotmorerapidlyincreased。If
themostopulentparishesinthekingdomwereobligedtofindhabitations，astheyaretoprovidework，orfoodandraiment
forthepoor，theywouldbethemselvesreducedinacourseofyearstosuchextremedistress，thatallmoveablestock
wouldbecarriedoff，thelandwouldbeleftuncultivated，thehouseswouldgotoruin，andthepoorwouldstarve。Asthe
rentshavebeenadvancing，newhouseshavebeenbuilt；buthithertotheprogresshasbeenretardedbythesuperiorvalues
ofmoneyinthepublicfunds。Shouldthepresentlawsubsist，thevalueoflandwillsink，andtherentofcottageswillrise；
eachinproportiontotheburthenofthepoor，andthedemandforhouses。Itistrue，byastatutemadeinthethirty—first
yearofQueenElizabeth，thereisapenaltyoneverypersonwhoshallbuildacottagewithoutassigningfouracresofland
tobeheldforeverwithit；butthisstatute，withwhichherfamouspoorlawisinperfectharmony，andwhich，ifobserved，
wouldhavepreventedthegreatestevilsfeltandtobefearedfromtheunlimitedprovisionforthepoor，hasbeenlong
neglected，orperhapswasneverregarded。Thepenaltyistenpoundsforthefirsterectionofthecottage，andfortyshillings
permonthaslongasitshallbeoccupied。Hadthislawremainedinforce，orhaditbeenconstantlyobserved，thepoor
wouldnothavemultiplied；butthenthemanufactureswouldnothaveflourishedinthekingdomastheydoatpresent。
