34 
With regard to the practice of lettin g farms 
by fecret propofals, fpoken of by the Ob- 
ferver, I can only fay, that I have not feen 
much of this praétice in the North of 
England; and, if it were general, I do not 
fear any bad confequences from it. No 
fubftantial farmer will give more than the 
worth of the land: and as the obligation 
of thelandlord to find a tenant, and of the 
tenant to. obtain the farm, is mutual, 
whatever mode of forming the contract 
can be devifed, fair terms will prevail. 
Yorkfoire, Dec. 208h. a 
? 
—— 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
DEFENCE of FORESTALLING, &c. 
(Continued from Page 512, of Vol. XII.) 
AM now totry the maxims, and the 
{ validity of the reafoning, by a conti- 
deration of the cafes of profecution for 
foreftalling, regrating, and monopolizing. 
The cafes fhall be taken at random, from 
the public prints, wherethey unfortunately 
abound. 
Cafe I.—‘* The magiftrates caufed to 
be convened four perions from Prefton 
Pans, accufed of forettalling oyfters, 
coming from Néwhaven to Edinburgh, all 
of which they had bought up, and had 
ordered to be carried to the Eaft Country, 
and thence to be re-conduéted to Edin- 
burgh, and fold at double price to the 
vintners.” 
That they fold at double price (whether 
it be meant that they made a hundred 
per cent, or were fold for double as much 
as they would otherwife have been fold 
for), isaferted without proof, and without 
probability. There is no reaion for think- 
ing that the men of Newhaven, if they 
lad pleafed to go on to Edinburgh, might 
not haye fold their oyfters at the fame 
price at which they were fold by the fore- 
fiallers. Certainly they might have had 
a higher price at Edinburgh, than they 
received from the foreftallers on the road. 
But they preferred the beingat liberty to 
return to Newhaven, and follow their own 
occupation. What good purpofe could it 
anfwer, to compel them whoie bufinefs it 
is to take oyfters from the beds, to be allo 
the venders of oyfters, at a diftant mar- 
ket ; when themfelves, who muit be the 
beft judges, were of opinion, that by 
fticking to their own divifion of the labour, 
they might do better for themfeives, and, 
as far as their labour is concerned, more 
advantageoufly for the public? <* But 
they might lawfully have fent the oyfers 
to Edinburgh, and fold them by commif- 
Defence of Foreftalling continued, 
[Feb. 1, 
fion.”” Would this lower the price to the - 
confumer? . The commiffion muft be ad- 
ded to the price at which they might have 
fold the oyfters when they met the fore- 
ftallers: and commiffion enough to pay for 
1. The improved value of the oyfters, in 
being carried the remaining part of the 
way : 2dly The labour of retailing them : 
3dly The lofs of the advantage of prompt 
payment ; or of-the capital advanced to 
the oyftermen by the foreftallers. Whe- 
ther the oyfters be fold by commiffion, or 
after becoming the property of a middle- 
man, is a private bargain between the 
parties, which does not at all affect the 
public. The additional price of the com- 
miffion fhould be the fame as the profit of 
the foreftallers, if they who fold on com- 
miffion were honeft men. And it cannot 
be fuppofed that the oppofers of fore- 
ftalling defire to make oyfters cheap by 
agents cheating their employers. 
The carrying of the oyfters to the mar- 
ket by a circuitous route, was probably a 
confequence of thefe profecutions againft 
foreftallers ; an inconvenience to the tra- 
der, and, on that account, a caufe of ul- 
timately increafing the price of his wares. 
Befides caufing a fluctuating market, by 
making the fupply irregular; thefe profe- 
cutions raife the price of the commodity, 
by throwing obftacJes in its road to mar- 
ket. In whatever part of its natural line 
the obftruétion is made, it is foon felt by 
the producer. He withdraws capital from 
an impeded employment. — A lefs quanti- 
ty is produced, while the demand remains 
the fame; and the neceflary confequence 
is an increafe of price. 
Whether the foreftaller thinks that he 
is doing wrong, or not, has nothing to do 
with the prefent queftion, A man may be 
doing that which benefits the public, and 
yet, morally, be incurring guilt. And, 
on the other hand, a man may be acting 
with the moft upright intentions, and yet. 
be doing a great deal of milchief. Pro- 
bably, many a foreftaller is of the former 
defcription : and a chief juftice may be of 
the latter. MisORHETOR. 
eT 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR; 
HE methods lately adopted, on the 
recommendation of the Society for 
bettering the Condition of the Poor, witha 
view to refcue from their mifchievous 
prejudices and comfortlefs habits of diet 
that moft ufeful clafs of the community, 
cannot but meet the céncurrence of every 
good man; but perhaps no part of their 
4  fyftem 
