7 004' OhfervaiiofJS on Lord Lauderdale on Public Wealth. 365 



profits wete truly and atliially mnde, fo as thcfe and thefe only might 

 be taKe(^, and not imaginary pvoats, which were never realized. 



After this introductory fpcech, we uiidtrftand that B.iron Hepburn 

 wa3 fiiii named as a ComnHlfioner, but made fome difiiculty of accept* 

 ii!g, on account of his (.fficial duties, which nccefTarily called him to be 

 often abknt, fie was then requefted to allow his name to remain, al- 

 though he Hiould only attend two or three mcetinj^s : fo the difficulty 

 was overcome. All this paffed at the public table ; and we fee fiotn 

 the Appendix to Mr H.'s letter, that Baron H. actually did attend the 

 firll mcttin^8. Whether the majority of the C )mmiffioner8 thought 

 from the beginning with Mr H., is a matter of little importance ; but 

 we undeiltaud that Baron H. confidered them to be of his opinion dur- 

 ing the days he attended. Up4>n this point, however, we will not pre- 

 tend to decide, though it feems clear, that if a llrong oppofition had 

 not apf)eared, the a6t would have been executed according to the way 

 in which It was explained by Mr Hunter. In giving this opinion, we 

 lay no blame cither upon him, or thofe gentlemen who entered into his 

 views, being fatisfied that they had no other object but to difcharge a 

 public duty with uprightncfs and integrity. The a6t itfelf ig fo confuf- 

 ed and intricate, that perfons with equal good intentions differed about 

 its meaning. Even the light recently thrown upon it has in a great 

 meafure arifcn from the coliifion of argument, and did not beam all at 

 once upon fome people, who now appear to be befl informed. N. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMEr's MAGAZINE. 



Curfory Oljtrvations on Lord Lauj^erdale'j Inquiry inlo the Nature 



and Origin of 1 ublic IVeahh. 

 Sir, 



I HAVE always been difpofed to ccnfider political, economical, and 

 ftatiftical calculations as founded on vague, uncertain, and aflumed data ; 

 confcquently, as tending to pr.Kluce falfe conclufions, and egregi- 

 oufly to miflead thofe vvho ii;ay found upon them, either in condud^ 

 ing the great affairs ot the community, or the private concerns of in- 

 dividuals. This idea has at prefect been move particularly enforced 

 upon my mind by Appendix No. XlV. to Lord Lauderdale's Inquiry 

 into the Nature and Origin of Pubhc Wealth ; refpe<?ting a part of 

 wliich Appendix I beg leave to offer fome obfervations, to the Noble 

 aut»>or and the public, through your highly ufeful and widely-diffufed 

 periodical work. 



You will pleafe obferve, that I mean not to enter upon any dif- 

 iS^l^fiioji of the great topics fo ably handled in the above mentioned pub- 

 Ticatlon, v/hich I have read with great plealure, and I hope with fome 

 improveiiMJjit : That ta^c I leave to more competent judges. All I 

 intend to. take notice of in this communication is, the total inaccuracy 

 4>f the ilateineiitc made by Mr James Donaldfoi: refpedllng the produce 

 and expences of farming in the Carfe of Gow rie. From the ^-reat nimf 

 and hi^rh abilities.cf the Earl of Lauderdale, incorifidcratc readers might 



A a 3 be 



