of distilling from sugar is the same thing as prohibiting distilla- 

 tion altogether : for sugar can on no necessity be turned to hu- 

 man subsistence. 



Mr Young on former occasions has not overlooked the folly 

 of government interfering in the concerns of agriculture, either 

 to encourage, direct, or restrain *. If he had never departed from 

 this principle, he would have avoided the inconsistencies he has 

 now fallen into. All that agriculture needs, or ought to obtain, 

 is equal protection ; and they who support it this length, and no 

 further, will never be puzzled with the clashing interests of the 

 farmer and the public, nor fall into contradiction, either in argu. 

 inent or in practice. 



I have already ventured to remark on the uncertainty of Mr 

 Young's general principles in regard to political ceconomy, and 

 I think the above particulars, as well as some other parts of his 

 late conduct, aiFord a new proof of it. He was formerly con- 

 vinced of the impropriety of all interference in agriculture, and 

 he now urges encouragements to production. He formerly shew- 

 ed, by the most striking observations on fact, the danger and 

 misery of an over population ; and he now attacks the pro. 

 found and humane philosophy of Mai thus, who has suggest- 

 ed the only means of ever preventing that danger, and that 

 misery -f. Mr Young. seems once to have reached very near the 

 truth, and now when it is more fully shewn, he has unaccount- 

 ably lost it again. He found the path by night, which he now 

 misses in the open day. Such, however, will be the case with 

 all who value themselves in being practical men, and reject the 

 lessons of sound speculation. 



While I thus, however, observe with freedom on what I con- 

 ceive to be Mr Young's errors, I willingly bear testimony to his 

 merits. Indeed the frequent use I have made of his authority, 

 shews how highly I esteem it. When we consider his long and 

 active exertions, the mass of important facts which he has col- 

 lected, the difficulties with which, he had to struggle in his in. 

 quiries, and the perseverance with which he overcame them, I 

 think we must allow, that there are few individuals who havo 

 better claims on the gratitude of society. I should be sorry, 

 indeed, that any thing which I have said should be considered as 

 disrespectful to his character. 



* " A populous and rich country can never want bread to eat, but from 

 ** the fault of its government attempting to regulate and encourage what 

 "can flourish by absolute freedom only. Trav. in France, "Vol. I. p. 359. 



t See Mr Young's observations on a legal provision for the poor. An- 

 nals of Agriculture, vol. 41. p. 208. and Mr Malthus's appendix to the last 

 edition of hie work. 



