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"With respect to the population of Ireland, there exists at present a considerable diversity of opinions, which can only be set at rest by the actual enumeration which is now in progress. The estimate of 4,500,000, which is now assumed to be the amount of the population in 1811, is founded on the results discovered by means of a poll-tax, levied in 1695, which exhibited a population of 1,034,000; but as the usual evasions of this tax may be supposed to have lessened this number considerably, the actual number of inhabitants at the commencement of the last century is estimated by Mr. Rickman, in the parliamentary returns, 1,500,000, with a progressive increase to 4,000,000, in 111 years, but other estimates seems to authorise a belief that it ought to be 4,500,000. "Thus it would appear that with one exception (in 1710,) the population of England has progressively increased in 111 years from 5,475,000 to 10,488,000 and in Scotland from 1,048,000 to 1,865,000, exhibiting a less proportion than that of England, perhaps occasioned by more considerable emigrations from the latter country. The whole is somewhat short of 100 per cent. for Great Britain, while, according to the presumed population of Ireland the increase amounts to 1663 per cent."

The progressive increase of the production of human sus, tenance has hitherto been much greater in Ireland than in England, which undoubtedly has been the occasion of the greater increase of population.

"Viewing with an attentive eye the progress of population in Great Britain and Ireland at the present crisis, it appears probable that an increase of vegetable and animal food, equal to the consumption of two millions of individuals, must he obtained from improved cultivation, from fisheries, and from importation every ten years; making an accession of inhabitants in each year equal to a new population of 200,000 souls."

At the same time" the progress of improved agriculture in England and Scotland has advanced in a ratio within the last sixtý years, which could not have been conceived possible even by the most sanguine mind, It may fairly be presumed that the produce from the soil in England has more than doubled. In Scotland it has certainly, trebled; while in Ireland, under all the disadvantages of deficient husbandry, there are strong grounds to suppose that it has increased nearly four-fold."

These

These facts, exemplified by our author, demonstrate that in a highly improved country, agriculture will ever have a strong tendency so to advance its powers, as to satisfy the necessities of an increasing population, even when, from the flourishing condition of trade and manufactures, and from other causes, it has ceased to be the natural and leading source of wealth.. In every country advancing towards maturity, the more rich and unexhausted soils yield abundant crops, with less expensive culture, and more easily sustain a population, to whose rapid increase they contribute of necessity. It is thus in America and in Ireland, where manufactures are com-, paratively few, and where capital is chiefly employed in cultiva-, tion. But in England, where the richest soils are nearly all reduced to husbandry, and many of the poorer tracts have been subjected to the plough, the relative profits of agriculture must diminish. Those who would sustain them at their former level, contend against nature, and would sacrifice the best interests of the commonwealth to their fanciful hypothesis. In such a state of things, a prudent man will content himself with such a measure as that of the last session of parliament, which is calculated merely to secure to the agriculturist the domestic market in ordinary times, and to preclude foreign competition when foreign supply is not wanted. Our agricultural speculators must be satisfied with that security and protection, and not desire that the current of capital should be diverted from other channels to fertilize those soils which nature has not adapted to cultivation.

"It is not," says our author, " by an overstrained cultivation, extending to waste and sterile lands, that a nation is to derive those advantages which may be expected from an increase of the food of man. The produce of the soil must be sufficiently prolific to repay the husbandman, or he proceeds upon an erroneous principle, and his labour is lost to himself and to the community."

The population of Great Britain has been much augmented by the improved habits and condition of the labouring classes, by the comfort and cleanliness sa lately introduced into the cot tages, by the institutions to prevent the progress of contagion, by the draining of marshes, which has increased the production of food, while it has made the air more salubrious, and above all, by the salutary effects of vaccination.

There has been in England a progressive diminution of mortality.

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During the last ten years, the baptisms in England have increased nearly 25 per cent. while, the increase of marriages, exceeds 26 per cent. within the same period. In Wales, the baptisms have increased 30 and the marriages 35 per cent. The population of Great Britain during this period has been increased more than 14 per cent. upon the whole.

An elaborate table is given at the close of this chapter, which designates the comparative condition of every county and every town in Great Britain in the years 1801 and 1811.

Our author proceeds in his second chapter to compute the public and the private property of the empire. Herein he observes,

"It is with nations as it is with individuals who are in the train

of acquiring property. At first the progress is slow, until a certain amount is obtained, after which, as wealth has a creative power under skilful and judicious management, the accumulation becomes more and more rapid, increasing often beyond a geometrical ratio, expanding in all directions, diffusing its influence wherever talents and industry prevail, and thereby extending the resources by which riches are obtained, by communicating the power of acquiring it to thousands, who must have remained without wealth in countries less opulent.

"And hence it is, that in proportion to the population of Great Britain and Ireland and the Colonies, there will be found a much greater number of individuals possessing wealth than in any other country in Europe; and the result is, that there are more labourers possessing the means of acquiring riches and the power of communicating aid to others who have not yet acquired it."

The estimates which are annexed to this interesting chapter shew that the value of the landed and other public and private property

In Great Britain and Ireland

Nine Dependencies in Europe
Seven Colonies and Settlements in

North America............................................

Fourteen Colonies and Settlements in
the West Indies

Fourteen conquered Colonies in the
West Indies

Eight Settlements in Africa.....

ך.

amounts to

[ 2,736,640,000 22,161,330

46,575,360

100,014,864

75,220,000

4,770,500

Five Settlements and Colonies in Asia

The Territory in India, including the lands in cultivation, the public and private property computed at

Making a total of the estimated value of the landed and public and private property of the British Empire in all parts of the world

38,721,090

3,009,103,144

1,072,427,751

4,081,590,895

The

The author deems himself justified in a confident hope, that, on the strictest examination, the aggregate property of the Bri-> tish empire would be found cousiderably to exceed this enormous

sum.

When we consider that this prodigious mass of capital is every hour producing and increasing by accumulation of profits, and that the whole, under the protection and administration of a powerful and just government, is pledged for the security of the public creditors, whose claims, though of unparalleled amount, bear no proportion to the public estate, our wonder at the creation and growth of the debt must cease; the facilities with which each augmentation to it has been made, under the pressure of the most extended warfare, will no longer surprise us, nor shall we deem it strange, that, notwithstanding the im mense sums which are continually brought into the stock-market, in the natural circulation of property, no difficulty has hitherto impeded the raising of any loan for supplying the necessities of the state. In truth, since the first creation of public debt, in the time of Charles the Second, or rather after the accession of King William, however rapid its growth has been in the successive wars which required its increase, the growth of the public estate has beyond calculation been more rapid. It is impossible to doubt that at the present instant the deduction of the whole subsisting debt, at its highest denomination, being made from that estate, would leave the remaining mass of property wholly unincumbered, perhaps of ten times the value of the whole public and private property of the empire at the time of the revolution. Hence we deem the apprehensions of those who doubt the stability of our financial system, as founded int utter ignorance of the subject on which they speculate. There are many who question its principles, and reason against conviction. Their hope is to create the evils which they affect to dread. But the man of deep thought, no less than the patriot, reposes in the responsibility of the state, so long as the state shall endure, with undoubting confidence.

The third chapter is an estimate of the new property annually created in the empire by the labour of the people employed in agriculture, manufactures, trade, commerce, navigation, fisheries, and other branches of productive industry.

It might seem fastidious to object to expressions sanctioned by authority so respectable as that of Mr. Colquhoun, but we think the words new property are here misapplied, in the same manner as we erroneously call the tax on the profits of property, a tax upon property itself. Our author is here treating of the subject matter of that tax, not-of that which when created becomes of necessity the source of future gain, assuming the form

and

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and character of permanently productive capital, which might accurately be denominated newly created property; but of that which is the annual fruit of the labour of the country employed upon the permanent capital already consolidated, a small portion only of which (being the savings of a few persons) becomes itself productive capital. The text before us correctly describes it" as the means by which the nation subsists from year to year, and the source from which revenues are obtained for the support of the state."

These speculations are founded on presumption, that is supposed to approximate nearly to truth, and sufficiently so for every purpose of useful discussion, but not always on official documents.

The agricultural labour of Great Britain giving support to 5,500,000 of the population (which since 1811 is supposed to be increased to 18,000,000) is estimated to produce in value annually £216,817,624, of which

.127,690,541 75,117,376 14,009,707

€216,817,624

are computed
to be

the food of man,
the food of animals,

consumed in manufactures and
for miscellaneous purposes.

The mines and minerals of the British isles are supposed to produce annually 9,000,000 in value.

The manufactures supporting 3,000,000 of the population, are estimated to produce £114,230,000 yearly, of which, according to the public accounts, including the produce of the mines, £54,571,054 are yearly exported. This was the immense exportation at a time when the general enemy had attempted to exclude us from the Continent of Europe. Who can calculate its increase when the universal peace shall be confirmed, and the nations of the Continent, resuming the pursuits of industry, shall advance in opulence, and become more liberal purchasers and more extended consumers?

The inland trade is estimated at £31,000,000, and is said to be prosecuted by 4,500,000 persons.

“This trade is not confined to the consumers of Great Britain and Ireland, but extends to the whole transmarine possessions of the crown, and to all foreign nations with whom there is intercourse. The first is conveyed directly to the consumers by the inland traders themselves, the latter through the medium of the merchants or exporters to the colonies and dependencies of the crown, and to foreign countries.

"In this manner inland traders acquire riches; but that proportion of it which is not drawn from the colonial possessions and

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