XX11 PREFACE. 



population which will produce evil to-morrow, the 

 trade of to-day must be checked instead of being 

 promoted. 



It is not denied by the economists that the ma- 

 nufacturing poor cannot find a sufficiency of food 

 in this country, and therefore they contend that 

 food ought to be brought from foreign countries, 

 not merely for the sake of feeding the people, which 

 are already superabundant, but in order to extend 

 manufactures and commerce still further ; which is 

 to aggravate the evil under which the country at 

 present labours, and make it in all future times 

 past remedy. If foreign corn were to be brought in 

 as a measure of temporary relief until there were 

 time to send out as emigrants the surplus popu- 

 lation, and if at the same time measures were 

 taken to diminish the extent of manufactures, the 

 admission of foreign corn would be justifiable ; but 

 if it be sought for on any other grounds, there is no 

 assignable limit to its admission, nor to the in- 

 crease of manufacture until the whole kingdom be- 

 come one great Birmingham or Manchester. 



Foreign statesmen see this our condition very 

 clearly ; British statesmen are too much tainted 

 with the low principles of traders. Foreign states- 

 men have been warned by the ablest economists 

 in their own countries against the effects of our 

 commercial system, and although during fits of 



