Prices have been confiderably above what has been 

 deemed, and that juftly too, the medium Itandard. 

 As a manufaduring and commercial country, it 

 is properly the duty of the legiflature to provide, 

 as far as confiftently may be with the liberty of the 

 fubjed:, that the price of provifions may be kept as 

 nearly as pofTible to their medium value. This is 

 conceived to be very pradlicable, even fo as to be a 

 convenience to the grower as well as the confumer. 



Some writers of great abilities* have fuppofed, 

 that the advance of commodities in price is rather 

 apparent and nominal, than real. Things are not 

 fo much, if at all, advanced in price, fay they, as 

 is imagined; the precious metals are exceedingly 

 increafed in quantity, and proporcionably fallen in 

 value. Pofli. ly there may be fome truth in this 

 obfervation, if we go back fome hundred years, 

 and if taken upon a fcale that comprehends all 

 Europe; but for the term of twenty or fifty, or even 

 from the time Mr. Locke wrote to the prefent hour, 

 there is little difference in the value of filver or 

 gold ; an ounce of either being of much the fame 

 value now as then. The frequent and fudden 

 changes that take place in the price of corn and 

 other commodities, which fometimcs are at double 

 the price one year they were the foregoing, muft 



•.Mr. Locke, Baron Montes<^ieu, &c. 



be 



