xii 



PREFACE. 



Other purpose which the legislature might prefer. 

 This, no person will deny who has attentively con- 

 sidered the subject. We are told a great deal 

 about the necessity of public economy, and I sup- 

 pose it is this paltry economy that prevents us from 

 hearing and seeing amongst the supplies voted, say 

 " For the improvement of waste lands in Britain 

 and Ireland, L. 100,000." In my opinion this boast- 

 ed economy, which refuses to lay out tens to gain 

 hundreds with certainty, is rather to be considered 

 as a curse than a blessing to the country. Would 

 it, (I respectfully ask,) be a breach of economy 

 were our ministers to direct a vote of that na- 

 ture every year, for some years, beginning with 

 L.50,000 or L.80,000 in this time of general de- 

 pression in trade ? In this way they could employ 

 the overplus population at home, at an immense 

 profit, instead of sending them out of the coun^ 

 try, and that too by an outlay of only the same 

 money, keeping besides the men in readiness for the 

 navy, army, or manufactures, when a demand for 

 them, or a revival in trade should come. 



I recollect the time when it was said, that the 

 nation would be lost and ruined for want of popu- 

 lation. The cry then was, " So many thousands 

 are taken away during the war, what will become 

 of the country ? Britain will be ruined for want of 

 population, &c." Now, all the cry is, " Britain 

 will be ruined by an over-population." I will ven^ 



