Letter from R. R. Livingjlon, to Arthur Young, Efq. 143 



by which nations endeavour to confine partial advantages to 

 themfelves, at the expence of the reft of mankind, who 

 happen to be feparated from them by the adoption of other 

 forms of government. The dehberate felfifhnefs of fuch 

 national meafures leads to the fame felfillmefs in individuals, 

 and, in both, fets at defiance the great law of Chriftianity : 

 " Thou fhalt love thy brother as thyfelf.'* 



I fell into thefe refledions, by reading over the report of the 

 committee for die infpedion of fheep in the ifland of Great 

 Britain; — it ha? greatly undeceived me with refpecl to the 

 quality of that animal in Englancf, which, from the high 

 penalties on their exportation, I was led to believe infinitely 

 fuperior to thofe we poffefs ; whereas I find ours at laft equal 

 to the general average of thofe in Great-Britain. Moft of 

 our ficcks are breeding flocks, and, where tolerably kept, 

 they average two and a half pounds of wool ; where well 

 kept, the ewes three, and the wedders five pounds ; and as far 

 as I can judge from fuch Englifh fheep as I have feen, the 

 wool is equal to your fhort wool, and fells here a quarter of a 

 Spanifh dollar the pound : the average weight of a fat 

 wedder is about fixteen pounds a quarter; were they fed 

 through the winter, on green fodder, they would doubtlefs be 

 much fuperior. Thus you find that all the effect of Britilh 

 reftri£lions on the export of llieep, have had no other tendency 

 than to violate the feelings of humanity, without effefting 

 the obje£t they have in view: Indeed I do not know whether 



