35^ 



tx) raanufafture it himfelf, and without any confideration of other circum- 

 fiances ; ftill it remains to be enquired, whether we mufl: admit it, as 

 a general axiom, in political economy, that, whatever would be excu- 

 fable, or even prudent and proper, in the private dealings of indivi- 

 duals, would be found policy, and fit to be adopted, in praftice, in 

 the regulation of dates. — I fhall mention, what I think, would be the 

 fair parallel from private life, for the policy of dates, and the econo- 

 my of a legiflator, in regulating the dealings of a commercial and ma- 

 nufafturing people. — Suppofe a gentlemen has an eftate, wholly peo- 

 pled by a manufafluring tenantry; and fuppofe, at fome fmall diftance, 

 another gentleman has an eftate, which is alfo occupied by perfons 

 who carry on a fimilar manufacture ; it will become a queftion, on 

 Doftor Smith's principles, whether it would be prudent and advifeable, 

 in the proprietor of the firft eftate, to give a preference to the in- 

 duftry of his own tenants, and confine himfelf, and his family, to the 

 confumption of the manufaftures produced by them, although, from 

 fome caufe or other, he might be able to procure fimilar articles, and 

 of equal quality, fomewhat cheaper, from the tenantry of the next 

 eftate ; or, ftiall he, on the other hand, prefer the immediate faving 

 of a few fiiillings in the year, on his different purchafcs of manufac- 

 ture, to the encouragement of induftry, among his tenants, for whom 

 he is bound to feel a fatherly folicitude, and to a certain mode of fa- 

 cilitating and fccuring the payment of his wants ? and while he fup- 

 ports the induftry of the tenants of another proprietor, and aids them 

 continually in the payment of their rents, fliall he tell his own te- 

 tantry, — " I will feize your ftock — I will fell your furniture — I will 

 " tear your beds from under you, — but I will not ufe your manufac- 

 " tures — I can buy them cheaper elfewhere ; — with every difpofition 

 " to labour, you muft go learn a new trade, or you muft ftarve, 

 " or quit my eftate, and fcek your fortunes in Jmerica."-' — I afk, 

 would fuch conduft be humane ? — Would it be chriftian ? Would it 

 be prudent ? Nay, would it not be abfolutc madnefs, in the landlord ? 



The 



