142 ^he Rural Inquirer. Jtffj' 



the mofl: charitable reafon that can be afligned, for their op- 

 pofition to meafures of fuch obvious utility. If meliorating 

 siid inrsproving the wafle lands were necefl'arily fucceeded by 

 fuch mifchievous confequcnces, undoubtedly they ought to 

 remain as they are, or be effaced from the map of Britain, 

 as containing matter within them deftru£live to the public 

 intereft. 



But as we do not view the fubje(ft in the fame light with 

 his Lordfliip, and confider a large moiety of the wafte lands 

 fufceptible of material improvement, we look upon an in- 

 creafe of provifions as an important branch of political eco- 

 nomy. — Under thefe impreffions, we (hall feize upon his 

 Lordfliip's fpeech for the ground-work of this Number, and 

 endeavour to make up for the deficiency of his friends. 



We admit, at once, that the rent of land has greatly rifen, 

 and that the price of every article of provifions has alfo in- 

 creafed, notwithftanding the extenfive improvements that 

 have taken place, within the period of fifty years, over every 

 part of this ifland •, but it would be abfurd to fuppofe, that, 

 under this admiflion, thefe circamftances were produced by 

 the cultivation of wafte lands, or by the fuperior attention 

 now alnioft univerfally beftowed upon the cropping of the 

 ground; which, in fa6l, includes all that goes under the name 

 of modern improvements. The proportion of the waftes, 

 formerly unproductive, but now brought into a condition for 

 carrying crops of corn and artificial graifes, has moft affuredly 

 augmented the quantity of provifions ; and this quantity 

 could not be lefl'ened by the fuperior attention now paid to 

 drefiing and cropping of the old arable fields : the reverfe 

 muft neceflarily have been the fa£l : and if thecircumftances 

 of the country, in other refpecfs, had remained as formerly, or 

 if improvements had kept pace with the increafe of luxury, 

 and the increafed numbers of the people, it is apparent, tha'E 

 as the means of fubfiftence were fo confiderably augmented, 

 their value would confequently have fuftained a great dimi- 

 nution. 



Three caufes have occurred, which effectually prevent 

 improvements from producing a reduClion of the price of 

 provifions; thefe are, the increafe of luxury, the increafe of 

 population, and a diminution in the value of money. The 

 two firit are real preventives; thC laft may be confidered as 

 merely nominal; at leaft, fo long as the value of labour bears 

 an affinity to the fcale of prices at which the neceffaries of 

 life can be nrocured. 



To 



