452 AVPEXDIX. 



institutions could completely discipline all the human pas- 

 sions. But I have already treated this subject so fully in 

 the course ot" the work, that 1 am ashamed to add any 

 thing further h«re. 



'1 he ne\t grand objection which has been urged against 

 me, is my denial of the ri<i/il of the poor to support. 



Those who would maintain this objection with any degree of 

 consistency, are bound to shew, that the different ratios of in- 

 crease witli respect to population and food, which I attempted 

 to establish at the beginning of the Essay, are fundamentally 

 erroneous; since on the supposition of their being true, the 

 conclusion is inevitable. If it appear, as it must appear on 

 these ratios being allowed, that it is not nossible for the in- 

 dustry of man to produce on a limited territory sufficient food 

 for all that would be born, if every person were to marry at 

 the time when he was first prompted to it by inclination, it 

 follows irresistibly, that all cannot have a right to support. 

 .Let us for a moment suppose an equal division of property 

 in any country. If under these circumstances one half of 

 the society were by prudential habits so to regulate their 

 increase, that it exactly kept pace with their increasing cul- 

 tivation, it is evident that the individuals of this portion of 

 society would always remain as rich as at first. If the other 

 half during the same time married at the age of puberty, 

 when they would probably feel most inclined to it, it is evi- 

 dent that they would soon become wretchedly poor. But 

 upon what plea of justice or equity could this second half 

 of the society claim a right, in virtue of their poverty, to 

 any of the possessions of the iirst half.' This poverty had 

 arisen entirely from their own ignorance or imprudence; 

 and it would be perfectly clear, from the manner in which 

 it had come upon them, that if their plea were admitted, 

 and they were not suffered to feel the particular evils result- 

 ing from their conduct the whole society would shortly be 

 involved in the same degree of wretchedness. i\ny volun- 

 tary and temporary assistance, which might be given as a 

 measure of charity by the richer members of the society to 

 the others, while they were learning to make a better use of 

 the lessons of nature, w ould be quite a distinct considera- 

 tion, and without doubt most properly applied ; but nothing 

 like a claim of ?ight to support can possibly be maintained, 

 till we deny the premises; till we affirm that (he American 



