168 Of Corn-Laws. ' Bk. iii. 



Even within the last five years, two have occurred, 

 the years 1811-12, and 1816-1817, in which, with 

 extraordinary high prices in this country, the im- 

 ports have been comparatively inconsiderable; 

 which can only have arisen from those scarcities 

 having been general over the greatest part of Eu- 

 rope. 



Under these circumstances let us suppose that 

 two million quarters of foreign grain were the 

 average quantity annually wanted in this country, 

 and suppose, at the same time, that a million 

 quarters were deficient from a bad season ; the 

 whole deficiency to be supplied would then be 

 three millions. 



If the scarcity were general in Europe, it may 

 fairly be concluded, that some states would pro- 

 hibit the export of their corn entirely, and others 

 tax it very highly; and if we could obtain a million 

 or fifteen hundred thousand quarters, it is proba- 

 bly as much as we could reasonably expect. We 

 should then, however, be two millions or fifteen 

 hundred thousand quarters deficient. On the 

 other hand, if we had habitually grown our own 

 consumption, and were deficient a million of 

 quarters from a bad season, it is scarcely proba- 

 ble that, notwithstanding a general scarcity, we 

 should not be able to obtain three or four hundred 

 thousand quarters in consequence of our advanced 

 prices; particularly if the usual prices of our corn 

 and labour were higher than in the rest of Eu- 

 rope. And in this case the sum of our whole 

 deficiency would only be six or seven hundred 



