Mr. Wimpey on CEconomical Regiftcrs. 137 
its people confume; and confequently, without 
knowing, if the dock remaining on hand would 
feed its people till the next crop be harvefted; 
and whether it mud not of necefiity be forced 
to purchafe again at double the price, as it has 
alfo fometimes done, is furely one of the mod 
abfurd meafures, that a thoughtlefs, inconfederate 
clafs of men ever adopted. It has been fre¬ 
quently obferved, that our legiflators have 
been very fruitful in the invention of penal 
Jaws ; but in the meafures of prevention, which 
are infinitely more falutary, they are either very 
inattentive, or very barren. 
The queftion of population, whether it in- 
creafeth, or is upon the decline, is not to be 
afcertained with any tolerable degree of exad> 
nefs, without an adual enumeration of all the 
people in the ifland. This may be thought a 
work of too great extent and trouble, to be 
attempted. So it would, indeed, if it were to 
be effeded by one, or a few perfons. But how 
very eafy would it be, if performed by the parifh 
officers ? They, by the duty of their office, are 
obliged to have a complete lift of all thofe, who 
are rated towards the relief of the poors and 
another of all thofe who are the objeds of fuch 
relief. A lift of thofe who are not in either of 
thofe daffies, would coft the officers of any parifh 
very little trouble. Confequently, the number 
in each clafs, and the fum total of the whole, 
might 
