66 



discouragement to it. I believe the former 

 will not do the good intended, but it will at 

 least not increase the evil feared, which the 

 Jatter assuredly will. 



While on this subject, I cannot help adding 

 one observation. The Legislature, influenced 

 by the fears of a decreasing home produce, 

 lately returned to the measure of granting a 

 bounty on the export of corn, after having for- 

 merly virtually taken it away *. I do not in- 

 quire whether this was a wise measure or not; 

 but surely those by whom it was adopted con- 

 sidered it as an encouragement to the British 

 farmer, and that the British farmer stood in 

 need of such encouragement. But if the state 

 qf our home produce was such as to require 

 this forcible enlargement of its market, and if 

 it still continues to need it, with what consis- 

 tency can the same Legislature forcibly close 

 another market to this produce, much more 

 beneficial, I believe, than all the advantage it 

 has reaped from the bounty ? Both of these 

 expedients may be wrong, as I believe they 

 are ; but it is quite impossible, I should think, 

 that both can be right. 



* By the Corn Act of 1773. By this act, the bounty price 

 was lowered from 48s. to 44s. the quarter. The same rate \vas 

 continued by the Corn Act 1791. It was again raised by the 

 late act in 1804. 



