244 A DISCOURSE ON SCREECH OWLS. 



fied by seeing their masters, some embarrassed, and 

 others ruined ; but their own embarrassment and ruin 

 will be co-extensive, they must inevitably endure the 

 same misfortune. No man, whilst his mind is kept in 

 apprehension of the future, will improve or embellish 

 his residence, increase his establishment, or embark 

 his capital in mercantile or agricultural speculation ; he 

 will neither expend his surplus income in pictures, in 

 books, in carriages, in ornamental furniture nor in any 

 other luxury, he will confine himself to his bare ne- 

 cessities ; his old house will be repaired, instead of a 

 new one being built. Will quarry men, bricklayers, 

 stone-masons, marble polishers, carpenters, and smiths 

 be benefitted by this determination ? His old carriage 

 will be made to travel on another season instead of being 

 replaced by a new one : will coach-builders, and the 

 various artisans connected with this branch of trade 

 be benefitted ? The operatives, to use the fashionable 

 term, must live by the capitalist's expending his money, 

 the former should therefore by all means encourage, 

 nay provoke and incite this expenditure, and never deter 

 it by alarrnincv him. If they think they shall fare 

 better by destroying the capitalist they will act as 

 wisely as the boy did, who killed his goose to get at 

 the ego-s. Capital, it is true, may change hands, it is 

 for ever doing; so ; but no system of government, nor 

 code of laws, ever has or ever can prevent capital from 

 accumulating in a very few hunds comparatively. 

 What became of the fanciful notion of the French of 

 an equal division of property ? They are so ashamed of 

 the attempt, that they deny ever having contemplated 

 it. As well might they attempt the regulation of the 

 tides. 



I trust, Sir, 1 have made it appear that this owl- 

 screeching is an evil of such magnitude, that it will 

 henceforward be considered as an indictable offence, 

 and I hope ere long that many professors of this art 

 will be made appear before our Grand-Juries, in con- 

 sequence of bills of indictment having been preferred 

 against them. And ;is our modern legislators ha\c 



