HIGH PRICES 



241 



But in 180T the same articles cost him 



A bushel of wheat 



„ malt 



I lb. of butter 



I lb. of cheese 



Tobacco 



I 



His wages were now gs., and his allowance from the rates 

 6s., so that there was a deficiency of us. ^d. 



The increase in the cost of living in the last thirty years is 

 urther illustrated by the following table : 



It was again proposed by Mr. Whitbread in the House of 

 Commons that wages should be regulated by the price of 

 provisions, and a minimum wage fixed ; but there was 

 enough sense in the House to reject this return to obsolete 

 methods. 



After March, 1801, prices commenced to fall, owing to 

 a favourable season and the reopening of the Baltic ports, 

 which allowed imports to come in more freely, for most of 

 our foreign corn at this time came from Germany and 

 Denmark. At the end of the year wheat averaged y^s. 6d., 

 and with fair seasons it came down in the beginning of 1 804 

 to 49;?. 6d. Beef at Smithfield was from 4^. to $s. ^d. a stone, 



