214 



Notes on the Duty of Government 



[April 



point he first ably disposes of the objection which might be made to his 

 views, in limine, that famine or excessive dearth may be caused by 

 a combination of the dealers to raise the price of corn at the 

 cost of the people. This he shews to be impracticable, and proves 

 that there is an identity of interest between the corn dealer and the 

 consumer, which precludes injurious combination. His argument on this 

 head, I believe to be in a great degree applicai)le to this country. At the 

 same time it is quite possiblr; under the peculiar circumstances of South 

 India, that cases have occurred, and may ag;>in arise, in which the 

 wholesale dealers and importers in our provinces, who are not in 

 danger as in Europe of having their trade encroached upon, have com- 

 bined to prevent additional supj)li(-s of grain being introduced; or, what 

 amounts to the same thing, have remained inactive, with the view of en- 

 hancing the value of the stock in hand. But such cases must I should 

 think be very rare, as in general, it is decidedly the interest of the deal- 

 ers to bring in as large supplies as practicable, and obtain the high prices 

 of scarcity. 



But it is not upon this part of Dr. Smith's reasoning that I would re- 

 mark. It m.iy be readily granted that it is the interest of the dealer to 

 supply the people in times of famine with food, as plentifully as he pos- 

 sibly can ; but it is his power, — his ability to do so effectually, in the 

 present condition of this coanrry, that I question. 



Dr. Smith assigns the facility of intercommunication between the dif- 

 ferent provinces of a state, and different countries, as one prominent ground 

 of his opinion, that when a Government does not improperly interfere, the 

 supply of grain will be ample and sufficient to prevent famine. And 

 when the nations of Europe are at peace, and there is nothing to prevent 

 her merchants from a free intercourse with every slate, it is no doubt 

 true, that the wants of one kingdom or province in periods of scarcity, 

 will be immediately provided from the stores of others, by the ordinary 

 motives and exertions of self-interest. But I hesitate to make a similar 

 admission in the case of this country, for we must first ask, does this faci- 

 lity of intercommunication now exist in Southern India? And are not the 

 defects and imperfections in the means of communication between the- 

 several provinces of this Presidency and also distant markets, such, as to 

 raise a barrier, which the private merchant cannot now overcome, to the 

 timely importation of those large supplies of grain required in districts 

 visited by severe drought. And m^y it not perhaps be fairly questionable, 

 whether the just inference from Smith's r.^asoning under these circum- 

 stances, is not, that the Government of a half civilized country, of which 

 this defect of intercommunication is the common feature, should 



