28o Mr. William Pitt on the Production and 



And the bounties paid upon importation, for two years, ending October loth, 

 1802, amount to £ 2,166,875. 



The extraordinary imports of 1796 and 1801, must be attributed to unkindly 

 seasons, and deficiency of crops ; but the regularly increasing and permanent im- 

 ports, for the last 30 years, must be owing to more permanent causes, which must be 

 sought for in the extended commerce, and consequently increased wealth of the 

 nation ; in an increased population, and the introduction of more luxurious modes 

 of life than were in use formerly. 



The war which terminated soon after the commencement of the present reign, 

 left the nation in possession of very extensive territorial possessions in the East and 

 West Indies, of a powerful navy, a numerous assortment of merchant ships, great 

 capitals and spirit of enterprize, and brought into the country an influx of wealth, 

 acquired during a successful war: this becoming more generally diffused, and the 

 returns from commercial speculations coming round, occasioned the introduction 

 of a more profuse mode of living, a greater demand for, and increased consumption 

 of butcher's meat, and other animal food, and particularly of butter, which (from 

 the more general introduction of tea, which about this time took place in the 

 country), was now required by every family, and in consequence more land is laid 

 to pasture, and that of the best quality ; and the growth of corn, without being 

 extended, is thrown upon inferior land. There is great reason to believe that the 

 acreable growth of corn, upon an average of the first half of the last century, was 

 at least equal to that of the latter half; in the former period was ( ften exported 

 annually tiie produce of more than 200,000 acres ; in the latter, for many years has 

 been imported annually the produce of 200,000 acres ; the crops of the latter period 

 have certainly produced more per acre than of the former ; these circumstances 

 are accounted for by the increased consumption of an increased population of two 

 millions of people which took place in the latter part of the century ; the consump- 

 tion of the produce of grass land within fifty years, I look upon to have doubled. 



By the very general spread in the use of tea, which has taken place since 1750, at 

 least in the internal of the kingdom, the demand for butter has in consequence in- 

 creased so as to advance its price, in the proportion of one to three or four, al- 

 though the production of that article is very greatly increased in quantity, and large 

 importations made from Wales and Ireland, 



