402 Of the Checks to Population Bk. ii. 



" Judge of this nation, that the growth and in- 

 " crease of mankind is more stinted from the 

 " cautious difficulty people make to enter on 

 " marriage, from the prospect of the trouble and 

 " expenses in providing for a family, than from 

 " any thing in the nature of the species." And, 

 in conformity to this idea, Dr. Short proposes 

 to lay heavy taxes and fines on those who live 

 single, for the support of the married poor* 



The observation of the eminent Judge is, with 

 regard to the numbers which are prevented from 

 being born, perfectly just; but the inference, that 

 the unmarried ought to be punished, does not 

 appear to be equally so. The prolific power of 

 nature is very far indeed from being called fully 

 into action in this country. And yet when we 

 contemplate the insufficiency of the price of la- 

 bour to maintain a large family, and the amount 

 of mortality which arises directly and indirectly 

 from poverty ; and add to this the crowds of chil- 

 dren, which are cut off prematurely in our great 

 towns, our manufactories and our workhouses ; 

 we shall be compelled to acknowledge, that, if 

 the number born annually were not greatly 

 thinned by this premature mortality, the funds 

 for the maintenance of labour must increase with 

 much greater rapidity than they have ever done 

 hitherto in this country, in order to find work and 

 food for the additional numbers that would then 

 grow up to manhood. 



* New Observ. on Bills of Mortality, p. 247. 8vo. 1750. 



