17 



the second from the freedom of individual exer- 

 tion, overcoming the restraints of an injudicious 

 policy. 



Such, then, being the importance of increas- 

 ing the actual land produce of a country, it 

 may be laid down as an axiom, that every po- 

 sitive restriction, which limits the power of the 

 farmer to augment the land produce, is imme- 

 diately injurious to him, and consequentially 

 injurious to the community. I say every posi- 

 tive restriction, which gives the preference to 

 some other branch of industry over his ; for, as 

 far as respects a free competition, though that 

 may sometimes diminish the farmer's profits in 

 the mean time, it will be for the advantage of 

 the community. It is only when the farmer 

 asks some monopoly, that his interest and that 

 of the public can ever be opposed. 



It is the interest of the farmer to have an 

 abundant produce, but yet somewhat under 

 the demand of the market. It is the interest 

 of the public that the produce should be abun- 

 dant, and the market pretty fully supplied. In 

 other words, the farmer wishes for plenty, and 

 tolerably high prices ; the public for plenty, 

 and tolerably low prices. But while, on the 

 one hand, it is not the interest of the farmer to 

 have too high prices, which can only proceed 



