POPULATION. 85 



territories. This is the general picture. God forbid it fhoufd 

 be univerfally true ! there are ablentees.who expend large fums 

 upon their eftates in Ireland ; the earl of Shelburne has made 

 great exertions for the introduction of Englifh agriculture. Mr. 

 Fitzmaurice has taken every means to eftablifh a manufacture. 

 The bridge at Lifmore is an inftance of liberal magnificence in 

 the duke of Devonfhire. The church and other buildings at 

 Belfaftdo iionour to lord Donnegall. The church and town of 

 Hilfborough, are ftriking monuments of what that nobleman 

 performs. Lord Conyngham's expenditure in his abfence in 

 building and planting merits the higheft praile, nor are many 

 other inltances wanting, equally to the advantage of the king- 

 dom, and the honour of the individuals. 



Ic will not be improper here to add, that the amount of the 

 penfion lift of Ireland, the zgth of September, 1779, amounted 

 to 84,591!. per annum ; probably therefore abfentee*. penfions, 

 offices, and intereft of money, amount to above A M i L n o K ! 



SECTION XV. 



Population. 



IT is very aftonifhing that this fubject fhould be fo little un- 

 derftood in moft countries ; even in England, which has gi- 

 ven birth to fo many treat ifes on the ftate, caufes and confe- 

 quences of it, fo little is known, that thofe who have the beft 

 means of information, confefs their ignorance in the variety of 

 their opinions. Thofe political principles which fhould long, 

 ere this time, have been fixed and acknowledged, are difpu- 

 ted ; erroneous theories ftarted, and even the evidence of facts 

 denied. But thefe mifchievous errors ufually proceed from the 

 rage of condemnation, and the croaking jaundiced fpirit, which 

 determines to deduce public ruin from iomething ; if not from a 

 king, a minifter, a war, a debt, or a peftilence, from depopula- 

 tion. In fliort, if it was not to be attributed to any thing, ma- 

 ny a calculator would be in bedlam with difappointment. We 

 have feen thefe abfurdities carried to fuch a length as to fee 

 grave treatifes publifhed, and with refpectable names to them, 

 which have declared the depopulation of England itfelf to take 

 place even in the moft productive period of her induftry and her 

 wealth. This is not furprifmg, for there are no follies too ridi- 

 culous for wife men fometimes to patronize, but the amazing 

 circumftance is that fuch tracts are believed, and that harmlefs 

 politicians figh in the very hey day of propagation, left another 

 age fhould fee a fertile land without people to eat the fruits of 

 it. Let population alone, and there is no fear of its taking care 

 of itfelf. but when fuch fooleries are made a pretence of re- 

 commending laws for the regulation of lanckd property, which 

 has been the cafe, fuch fpecuiations fhould be treated with, 

 contempt and detcftation ; while merely fpcculative, thev are 



perfectly 



