1839] 



in poriods of Famine^ 



213 



season alone. And it may also ihen be open to discussion, whether the 

 general principles of his work lead us to conclude, that it is the duty of 

 a Government at periods of excessive drought, rigidly to abstain from all 

 attempts to increase the quantity of food in the country, or whether it 

 may not by a judicious application of its means, secure enlarged sup- 

 plies, and lessen the mortality ; and the consequent destruction of labour 

 and of capital. 



Certain it is, that Malthus* and other writers,who have ranked high as 

 followers of Smith, have maintained, that the provisioning of the country 

 cannot always be safely relinquished to the operation of the ordinary 

 law^s of supply and demand, which govern less necessary articles ; 

 and that there are considerations affecting the food of a people, 

 which may take it out of the ordinary rules of Political Economy. The 

 case of South India during famin*^, is, I am disposed to think precisely, 

 one of these cases, requiring therefore to be dealt with under peculiar 

 regulations. And as it is no argument against the corn laws of Eng- 

 land, that there is always a compensation for the produce lost by a bad 

 season in our own country, in the abundant crops reaped by our neigh- 

 bours — unless we are at the same time assured, that that abundance will 

 not be withheld from British ports, from hostile motives or commercial 

 jealousy. So in like manner, it is no argument in favour of non-inter- 

 ference in this country, to urge, that the grain lost by the failure of the 

 monsoon in some one of our provinces, is, in the merciful dispensations 

 of God, invariably compensated by the superabundant crops of other 

 kingdoms, or provinces. Unless it can also at the same time be clearly 

 proved to us, that this excess of produce of the favoured province, will 

 flow^ into those suffering from drought; and ^Aa^, in time to prevent the 

 destruction of the inhabitants, and with them the very sources of national 

 prosperity. Unless this can be shewn, this peculiar dispensation of 

 God's providence, by which the deficiency of one portion of the world 

 might be supplied from the superabundance of another, is utterly un= 

 available, for it amounts to nothing to tell us that such extra supply 

 does exist elsewhere, it might as well not exist, if we have not at the 

 same time the assurance, that it will reach those who must perish with- 

 out it. 



We come now to the consideration of another of Dr. Smith's main 

 averments, that this abundance of favoured districts will readily find its way 

 into famine districts, if Government do not interfere. In establishing this 



* See Tracts on the Corn Lav.'s. 



