CORN DUTIES. 337 



ear to his shop door a most awkward position, certainly, to be 

 placed in, and sufficiently admonitory. 



The corn laws are regarded by some persons with a sentiment 

 of similar distrust or dislike. They are considered as a tax 

 upon the bread of the poor, or a reduction of the size of their 

 loaf, to which they ought not to be subjected. The effect of 

 the duty upon corn is obviously to increase the price of bread, 

 as the abrogation of the duty would be to lessen its price, or 

 otherwise it would be of no importance whatever. In two 

 respects, bread differs from other articles which man wants or 

 desires. In the first place, its supply is indispensable to human 

 subsistence ; in the second place, though to a degree the product 

 of human industry, its production is not controllable at human 

 pleasure. Of other articles, in regard to which man s only 

 province is to work up the raw materials, he may manufacture a 

 large or small quantity, at his will. In respect to bread, man 

 can only sow the seed, and then wait with humble hope for 

 that blessing, &quot; which shall give the increase.&quot; These circum 

 stances have undoubtedly had their influence on the exertions 

 which have been made every where to prevent a monopoly of 

 bread, and to keep it, as far as possible, within the reach of the 

 most destitute. 



7. PECULIAR CONDITION OF THE ENGLISH LABORING POPULA 

 TION. But there are circumstances, connected with the condi 

 tion of English society, which give peculiar severity to these 

 laws. A large portion of the laboring population depend wholly 

 upon their labor from day to day, for a supply. If wages were 

 paid in kind, the price of bread would not so much affect the 

 laborer. If wages rose or fell with the price of bread, the case 

 would be different from what it is. But this is not the case ; 

 labor is superabundant ; the competition for employment is 

 severe and constant employment difficult to be procured. 

 Land, for the purpose of growing bread for themselves, is a 

 matter wholly beyond the reach of the greater part of the labor 

 ing population. They might as well think of getting posses 

 sions in the moon. The soil is locked up in comparatively few 

 hands. It is stated confidently that, from the }rear 1775 to the 

 year 1815, the number of landed proprietors in England was 

 reduced from 240.000 to 30,000, and that the process of absorp- 

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