39 



plenty may occur, as well as of scarcity. In a 

 year of 'plenty, the foreign market may not ex- 

 tend to admit of an enlarged export. It may 

 even be interrupted by temporary causes. A 

 glut then returns upon our own market, which 

 discourages cultivation so as to reduce our pro- 

 dace to our own supply. The vent of export, 

 therefore, depends on variable causes, and has 

 not that principle of continuance, nor that 

 power of suiting itself to circumstances, which 

 the modes of home consumption possess. 



While, therefore, for the above reasons, I 

 think the vent o f export less to be depended 

 on than the other vents which we command 

 at home ; and that it is idle to attempt its en- 

 couragement by a positive bounty; I still con- 

 sider it to be a very useful resource, when the 

 state of our home produce, .compared with that 

 of other countries, naturally leads to it. It should 

 be encouraged as far as perfect freedom of ex- 

 port goes ; and while, on the one hand, I dis- 

 approve of its extension by a bounty ; on the 

 other hand, I think it should never be imped- 

 ed, even in seasons of scarcity, but left to suit 

 itself naturally to our home demand. The 

 analogy between this and the other -forms of 

 disposing of superfluous produce, is complete. 

 The interest of the corn dealer in exporting, 

 is precisely similar to his interest in accu- 



