‘“bours. 
‘verfity of Mofcow is fo little frequented ; 
332 
“The right to confer the degree of Dodor of 
Medicine was fir granted to the medical 
‘taculty by the late emprefs in 1790. The 
academical fenate is compofed of a curator 
‘end the principal profeffors; who however 
can decide nothing without the confent of 
the former. The library is indeed confi- 
derable, and particularly rich in MSS. in 
‘the Greek, Latin, and Sclavonic languages: 
but it is not yet put in order; whichis to 
be done, when the new ftructure for the 
univerfity, toward which Catherine II. ap- 
propriated 250,000 rubles, is finithed. 
“But Heaven knows when it will be fnifh- 
ed! for now there is little time to think 
of fuch undertakings, the attention of the 
‘Ruffian government being wholly occupied 
with projects widely different. The old 
building belonging to the univerfity is now 
ufed as a public magazine, and a dwelling- 
place for feveral officers, civil and military, 
What diftinguifhes the Univerfity of Mof- 
cow from many others, and is worthy of 
imitation is, that init a particular profeflor 
| of pedagogics, or of the proper method of 
teaching, is appointed. His name is .... 
Bau/e ; ‘aman of abilities, who is-not only 
matter of the theoretical part of his art, 
but likewife joins with it practical exer- 
cifes to theory, and is much beloved in the 
city. He has the care of a particular fe- 
minary, or pedagogic Inftitute, where from 
eight te tenyyoung men, who diftinguith 
themfelves by -their capacity, their dili- 
gence, and good behaviour, are inftru@ed 
and prepared for thé office of profeflor, at 
the expeace of government, which pays to 
each of them’ zoorubles. Before their ad- 
miffion, they undergo an examination, and 
if they have been found properly qualified, 
‘are created mafers of arts. . In proof of 
' their progrets in learning, they are obliged 
every half year to give to the overfeer of 
the Inftitute written {pecimens of their ha- 
Ttis to be lamented that the uni- 
tor although in the two gymnafa of that 
city the number of icholars aniount to 
about 000, yet, reckoning one year with 
the other fearcely 30 of them profecute 
their ftudies at theuniverfity. The caufe 
Ci piR TS (leceak ah, We : mS 
of this is, that the fimajleft part of thofe 
who-have ftudied and frequently poflefs 
Knowiledee, aréappointed to places in the 
courts of juftice, &c. ignorant candidates 
being preferred to them. The numeroys 
foreigners hikewile attain many. profitable 
poits, which ought to be filled by the na- 
‘tives. “‘Fhis fo difcourages them, that 
. many leave the purfuit of the fciences, 
where there is not fo great a profpect of 
advantage, and follow the more profitable 
occupations of a merchant, foldier, &¢. 
‘On National Wealth. 
affertion, that manufaQurers area produc- 
[May 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : ¥. 
OU have repeatedly, and with more 
Ji than your ufual decifion, declared 
your acquiefcence in the theory of the au- 
thor ot the ** Ejextial Principles of the Wealth 
of Nations.”’ But Ihave feen too much im- 
partiality in the Monthly Magazine, to be 
on that account deterred from urging a few 
remarks in vindication of Adam Smith's 
tive clafs in fociety ;—the author of the 
Effential Principles (Dr. Gray, as is re- 
ported), limiting, with the French Econo- 
mifts, that charaéter to cultivators only. 
This work certainly contains much valu. — 
able matter; and his pra¢tical improve- 
ments may be adopted, independently of 
his general principles: but, however de- 
firable it may be to fimplify the fyftem ~ 
of taxation, which muft be referred, with © 
the reform of parliament, the abolition cf — 
the flave-trade, the revifal of the judicial — 
code, &c. &c. to a diftant period, it ought 
not to bribe our affent toa doétrine unfup- — 
ported by direét preof. Praétical good — 
fenfe and philofophical accuracy are too 
often found difunited, to permit us to urge 
the one as a proof of the other. With 
great deference, then, and refpect for Dr. — 
Gray, F would begin by obferving, that 
he feems to labour under a confufion of 
ideas concerning even the words of his 
title-page: fer, in the very fecond page, — 
he {peaks of the mMosT effextial caules 
of wealth, as if eflence could admit of de- 
gree. In like manner, the Doétor, Tape © 
prehend, ‘has not diftinguifhed between — 
national wealth and abfolute riches; and ~ 
has not even given a definition of that = 
wealth the principles of which he was — 
= 
-. 

— a 
Oe ee Re 
ss 
J 
examining. 5 
‘The riches_of the world confift of the” 
commodities fubfervient to the fupport of — 
its inhabitants. The materials are 
wrought out of its foil and water, and the 
in{truments of producing it are human la- 
bour. When. the wealth of nations or 
individuals is confidered, other nations 
and other individuals are, to them, what 
the earth is to mankind in general; they 
are foreign bodies, from which fomething 
may be drawn or produced for the emola- 
ment of the nation or individual. Henceé, 
in an’ Enquiry concerning the Wealth of 
Naiions, Dr. Gray’s diftin@ion between 
the producfion and the tramsfer of wealth is 
inconfequential and irrelevant. A nation: 
is equally rich which poflefles commodi- 
ties, whether they are derived from the 
munificence of nature or the bartered 
’ 
produce of a foreign country. Riches ob- 
tained by commerce are properly a are@- 
; tias 
