Prospects of Landowners. 145 



dead meat. It has become a vast trade, em- 

 bracing not only the nearer ports of Europe, 

 but those of India, Austraha, and America, 

 which in corn has increased threefold, and in 

 meat and provisions sixfold. If this goes on Will in 



twenty 



at the same progressive rate for the next years be 



forty- 

 twenty years, we shall have forty millions of millions, 



causing a 



people to feed, which will tax still more the further rise 



*■ ^ in prices. 



resources of all those countries which have 

 hitherto sent us their surplus, and can hardly 

 fail to be attended by a considerable increase 

 of the price of provisions. 



It would seem, under such circumstances, 

 not difficult to forecast the future condition of 

 the landed interests in this country. The Prospects 



of Land- 

 position of the landowners is a truly advan- owner 



good, 



tageous one if they rightly appreciate, and 



faithfully execute, the public responsibilities of 



their position. Their property is the only 



exchangeable article within the British Isles . 



that adm-its of no increase in extent. So long 



as England continues the centre of the Empire, 



the surplus wealth of her great dependencies 



will flow hither, and aid in that accumulation of 

 K 



