448 J^gr'tcuhural Inlclligence. Ocl'^ 



who bring It frcnn the country, and fell it in the public mar- 

 l<et : it is there purchafc^d by millers, who afjain carry it to the 

 country, nianufadlure it, and bring it back to tlic London 

 market, where the flour is publicly fold to the bakers. In 

 Scotland, in years of plenty, the bakers arc moftly fupplied by 

 the fariTiers, who carry the wheat into the bakers loft at the 

 mill, at tlieir own cxp^'ncc, where it is ground for the baker, 

 and the flour carried homo to the bakehoufe by the miller •, the 

 coil of grinding not being one half of what is charged in the 

 neighbourhood of London. Agreeable to the populat opi- 

 nion, bread ought to be confulerably cheaper in Scotland than 

 in Jiondon ; but the rcverfc of this is the cafe. L^pon com- 

 paring, the price of bread in IjOndou, and the price of corrv 

 at the corn-exchange, with the prices of thefe articles in Scot- 

 land, it will be found, that bread is eonfiderably cheaper in 

 the city of London, in proportion to the price of wheat, than 

 it is in Scotland *. We recommend the eonfideration of this 

 fa£t: to thofe who wifli to throw impediments in the way of a 

 free internal trafhc in grain, by p>erfccuting thofe who are en- 

 gaged in that ncceflary branch of commerce.. 



Numerous aflociations are going forward to accoanplida a 

 reduction of prices, and refolutions entered into not to pur- 

 chafe higher than certain rates condefc.ended upon. Without 

 inquiring whether fuch rneafures are illegal or not, we muft 

 obferve that they are grofsly unjuft. Their objedl is to take 

 from the feller a part of the money which his articles would 

 have brought him at market, if no reflraint had been impofed 

 Upon its natural courfe j which is precifely the fame, as if all 

 the fellers were to combine not to difpofe of their articles, 

 unlefs they received higher prices than the flate of the raar- 

 Iccts would give them. Under this laft cafe, the law, it is 

 prefumed, and very juftly, would inflantly punifh them for 

 fuch a combination. Now, we know no difference betv/een 

 the cafes : by the one, it is intended to make the feller take 

 Icfs money for his articb \ and by the ocher, to make the 

 purchafer pay more than the level of the market warrants : — 

 the Gonfequences are precifely the fame to the parties. 



Ac 



* At prefent, it is flandard bread, at the medium price betwixt honfeliold 

 and whcateri, thac is baked in li. iinburgh; vvhilli:, in Lvutiorij only wheaicn 

 brtad i^ baktd. 



