I cannot conclude this note without alluding to Mr Edward 

 Wakefield, whose letters, in Cobbet's Register, as well as his evi- 

 dence before the Committee, contain such just and rational views 

 on the subject of the distillery. If he favours this work with a 

 perusal, he will see that on the uses of such a vent, as a resource 

 against scarcity, I wholly coincide with him, though my remarks 

 were written before I saw his letters. I think, however, that he 

 is not less mistaken than Mr Young in his apprehensions on 

 the subject of importation, his regrets for the decay of agricul- 

 ture, and his advices to encourage our home culture, by bounties 

 on export, or other forcible means. It is curious to observe 

 how near extremes approach on this as on other occasions. They 

 whose exclusive preference to agriculture leads them to exagge- 

 rate the danger of our dependence on foreign supplies, are at once 

 met with their admission of that danger, by the supporters of the 

 present prohibition ; and hence are reduced to allow the necessity 

 of some compulsive precaution, to provide against the immediate 

 failure of importation. But if any compulsive precaution, for 

 immediate need, is to be adopted, 1 imagine it will be difficult to 

 shew one equally effectual with the stoppage of the distillery., that 

 is liable to less objection. 



As to Mr Cobbet himself, ( ab nor mis sapienf^ crcfxaque Mi- 

 nerva, I hope he will forgive this scrap of antiquity ) the part 

 which he takes in the controversy, is distinguished by his usual 

 acuteness ; and he exposes very completely the. inconsistencies of 

 his two agricultural opponents. In the first part of his argument, 

 however, he expresses himself rather indistinctly, as he appears to 

 support the particular measure proposed by the Committee, which, 

 he will observe, gives an exclusive monopoly to the colonist. In 

 as far as his arguments proceed on the supposition of only equal 

 privileges being extended to the colonist and British farmer, I 

 am entirely at one with him ; though I do not think that doctrine 

 quite reconcilable with some others which he has lately main- 

 tained. 



NOTE (D.) p. 41. 



Mr A. Young, in his observations on the vine culture, justly 

 concludes, that a country which yields its staple bevejage from 

 euch produce, if wholly raised oil land unlit for corn, has this 

 advantage over a country like ours, whose staple beverage is ma- 

 nufactured from corn, <hat it can support, in so far, a larger po- 

 pulation. But it is to be observed, on the other hand, that th 



