Mr. IVimpey on CEconomkal Regifters. 135 
To the queftions, What may be the amount of 
the circulating cafh in the kingdom ? What 
is the ftate of its population ? Has it increafed, 
or decreafecl, -within the laft fifty years ? Have 
the many and great improvements in agricul¬ 
ture rendered the prices of provifions, &c. pro- 
portionably cheaper ? And what is the increafe 
of quantity, on an average, for half a century 
back, compared with preceding times?—To thefe 
queftions, no fatisfaftory anfwers have been given. 
Thefe are interefting and important enquiries, 
concerning which, men of the beft abilities have 
employed their thoughts with very little fuccefs, 
as nothing, with any degree of certainty, can be 
concluded from what they have written upon 
thofe fubje&s. Indeed, their opinions are fo 
exceedingly wide of, and repugnant to, each 
other, that it clearly appears they have no cer¬ 
tain data to calculate upon. This indeed is not 
fo much a reflection on the prelent times, as on 
the paft. But it will equally refleCt on the pre- 
fent, when they, like the former, fhall become 
the paft, unlefs fome means are adopted, to 
fiirnilh our fucceftors with thofe interefting fafts, 
the want of which leaves us enveloped in the 
dark fhades of ignorance. 
Some years fince, I was honoured with a letter 
from Monfieur Turgot, then high in rhe favour 
of his royal mafter, and at the head of one of 
K 4 the 
