25$ 
On Political Economy . 
[Ado, 
increasing numbers. Increasing numbers bring with them increasing knowledge, 
and succeeding generations must be benefitting, not only by the permanent effects 
of all their predecessor’s labours, but by the continually increasing knowledge of 
facts, handed down from their progenitors. And again, “We are not from the 
experience of the world at large, justified in contemplating such rapid progress in 
agriculture (as to cause a glut), except in the case of new, fertile, and unbroken 
countries falling into the hands of a people well versed in the arts of agriculture. 
These events must ever be looked upon as exceptions to the ordinary course of 
production, which this century, and the next, may have to witness, but of which 
succeeding generations will know nothing.” But most of the countries, the history 
of which we know, have not acquired their own knowledge of agriculture. The 
knowledge of the means of producing corn and wine was derived from ancient 
Egypt, which country sent out colonists, with the knowledge of their progenitors, as 
far as India on the East, and the Thracian Chersonese on the North. The Gree s 
again sent colonies to the neighbouring islands the North of the Black Sea, ic b 
and Italy. The Romans brought the art with them into Spain, Gaul, German., 
and Britain. So far, then, from these events being exceptions, should we not rat er 
say that during the whole course of ancient history, from the fabulous times 
Osiris to the Roman emperors, “ new, fertile, and unbroken countries were continu- 
ally falling into the hands of a people well versed in the arts of agriculture, ro 
the Atlantic to the Indus, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic. During t e ^ 
ages the progression was probably suspended ; but since then, the dmcovery 
fourth continent, and an island (Australasia) , nearly equal to a filth, has given a 
scope to colonization. The writer seems to have no more idea of new coun ^ 
supplying the old with corn, in exchange for manufactures, than he has o 
possibility of migration. He says, “ For instance, in place of some labour ei 
necessary, as at present, for obtaining from the earth’s surface those items ^ 
stitu ting primary wealth, on which our subsistence depends, they had been p 
curable merely for appropriation ; still as population must come up to the 
of subsistence, those who first possessed themselves of the land, and of 
of making this mere appropriation, would presently enjoy the F ower 0 " ff0lll( j 
ing that food which was in excess to their own consumption, and this ^ ^ 
unquestionably do, unless those who subsequently came into being, ma ^ 
their while to bestow this excess upon them I say, that putting t e ^ natu . 
rally, they would enjoy no such power. The overplus of population 
rally pass beyond the frontier continually further, and further o , d j B 
might live on more easy terms. Part might, perhaps, remain behinc , ^ v ^ 
manufactures ; and the landlords, living near a market, would enjoy c J c caD not 
their produce equal to the cost of carriage from distant countries. '^^uocb'* 
happen until the whole world is peopled to the fall. If we turn to * ^^ 0 , 
notes to the Wealth of Nations (vol. 4, London 1828), we find ( D0 e ’ source of 
sources, &c. of value), that “ the expenditure of labour is not t e on^ ^pro- 
exchangeable value. Provided a commodity or product in deman Jt 
priated or enjoyed by one or a number of persons to the exclusion o estate- 
have exchangeable value,” and the instance is given of a waterfa on a riat j 0 n, 
Are we not then surprized to find the writer taking this very case o a f fr0 ,u 
and holding it up as a discovery of his own, a phenomenon to e e - ^ lias 
his own reasoning, in opposition to Mr. McCulloch and his c j oS j on ftf 10 
changed the example for one ot his own, and then drawn a wr0 ” D gU rface of 
it. Colonies are in so far equivalent to an actual extension “of newly 
mother-country, as they are continually sending the piod 
