41 6 



Notwithflanding all the fpeculatious of Adam Smith, and his nume- 

 rous tribe of followers, I fliould be very unwilling to give up the 

 good old laws, and regulations, devifed by our plain, and unphilofophi- 

 cal, but wife anceftors, againft the mifchiefs of monopoly, and the frauds, 

 and exaftlons of foreftallers, and regrators. Notwithflanding fo much 

 has been faid, and written, on the fubjeft, I am difpofed to think, 

 that the feveral laws, ancient, and modern, which direct, that the pro- 

 vifions (hall be brought feirly to market, and fold there, bona fide, 

 to the confumer; and fix certain rules, and ftandards, for afcertaining 

 the affize of bread, on a fair average, are highly falutary, and ought 

 to be regularly, and firmly, enforced by the magiftrate : the argu- 

 ments of Do^or Smith, on this head, prove too much ;— his principles, 

 if fairly followed up, would go to the total fubverfion of all re- 

 gulation, and control ; and end in compleat, and univerfal anarchy. 

 I have already had occafion to remark, on the dangerous tendency of 

 the Utopian principles of Doilor Smith's work ; — in leading men to 

 aim at abfolute perfection ; or, at leaft, a fuperiority to all objections, 

 and inconveniences, in the inftitutions of imperfect, fliort-fighted crea- 

 tures, like man — If all people were honeft, benevolent, enlightened, 

 juid, in fhort, philofophers, like Dodor Smith ; manufactures, markets, 

 labour ;— every thing might be left to find its own level. But, while 

 fraud, and folly, continue to be fuch general principles of human ac- 

 tion, in a depraved ftate, and a flight profpect, of temporary gain, 

 too commonly renders the vulgar infenfible, not only to their duty, 

 but to their own true interefts ; — it will not prove a very fafe expe- 

 riment, wholly to difcard regulation, and control. 



Sect. vi. 



