Toprovidemorefoodontheirbleakandbarrenmountains，isbeyondaquestion。'Butifnow，torearthesetwentychildren，
　　apoor'srateweretobecollectedinmorefertilecountries，yetincountrieswhicharefuliypeopledinproportiontotheir
　　labourandtotheproduceofthesoil，isitnotevident，thatthescarcityanddistresswouldonlybetransferred，andthatthe
　　childrenoftheSouthmustdie，thatthechildrenoftheNorthmightlive？Butsupposingtheseshouldlive；yetatbestthey
　　couldonlytaketheplaceofthosethatdied，andmorewomenintheNorthwouldincreaseandmultiply，tilltheyfeltthe
　　samedegreeofpressurewhichtheyfeelatpresent。NeitherSwitzerlandnorthecoastofAfricaaredepopulatedby
　　emigrations，becausethequantityoffoodineachremainsunaltered。Itiswiththehumanspeciesaswithallotherarticlesoftradewithoutapremium；thedemandwillregulatethemarket。Byestablishingacommunityofgoods，orratherbygivingtotheidleandtotheviciousthefirstclaimupontheproduceof
　　theearth，manyofthemoreprudent，careful，andindustriouscitizensarestraitenedintheircircumstances，andrestrained
　　frommarriage。Thefarmerbreedsonlyfromthebestofallhiscattle；butourlawschooserathertopreservetheworst，and
　　seemtobeanxiouslestthebreedshouldfail。Thecryis，Population，population!populationatalleventslButisthereany
　　reasonablefearofdepopulation？Wehaveseenthatcornuponanaveragehasbeenconsiderablycheapersincethe
　　commencementofthepresentcentury，thanitwasforanequaltermbe~fore；yetwageshavebeenraisedintheproportion
　　ofsixtofour，andtherentoflandisdoubled。Maywenotinferfromhence，thattheproduceofthesoilmusthave
　　increasednearlyinthesameproportions。Ifweconsidertheimprovementswhichhavebeenmadeinagriculture，by
　　clearingwoods，inclosingwastes，drainingmorasses，layingthecommonfieldsinseverally，andmakingroads；bythe
　　introductionofclover，saintfoin，turneps，andpotatoes；bythebreakingupofextensivedowns；andbythesuperiorskillof
　　thepresentraceinthemanagementofallsortsofland，withrespecttostocking，manuring，cropping，notforgettingtheir
　　superiorweightofcapitaltoworkwith；weshallceasetowonderatthisvastincreaseofproduce。Butisitpossiblethatthe
　　produceshouldbethusincreased，andnotthepeoplealsowhoconsumeit？WeneednotdesireanymantovisitLondon，
　　Norwich，Bath，Bristol，Hull，Liverpool，Leeds，Wakefield，Manchester，andBirmingham；weneednotcalluponhimto
　　viewourminesofcoal，copper，lead，iron，andtin，withallthenewmanufactureswhichdependonthese:butlethimat
　　leastcountourflocks，andcalculatethequantityofcornproducedbyrecentimprovementsinourtillage；thenlethimaskhimselfifourpopulationisincreased。Whilstfoodistobehad，thereisnofearofwantingpeople。Butshouldthepopulationofacountrygetbeyondtheproduce
　　ofthesoil，andofthecapitalengagedintrade，howshallthesepeoplefindemployment？Wheneverthisshallbethecase，
　　theevilwillincrease，andthecapitalwillgoonconstantlydiminishing；likeasinprivatelife，whenagentlemanbreaksin
　　uponhisprincipaltopaytheordinaryexpencesofhisfamily。Whenatradingnationisobligedtospendmorethanthe
　　revenuewhichisderivedfromcommerce，andnotfromaccident，butastheeffectofsomeabidingcause，exceeds
　　continuallytheprofitofitstrade，withoutsomesubstantialreformation，theruinofthatnationwillbeinevitable。Shouldthe
　　capitalitselfaccumulate，theinterestofmoneywouldbelowered，thedemandforlabourwouldincrease，andthe
　　superlucrationonthisincreaseoftradewouldcontinuetoenlargethecapital。Speculationapart，itisafact，thatinEngland
　　wehavemorethanwecanfeed，andmanymorethanwecanprofitablyemployunderthepresentsystemofourlaws。
　　SECT。XAlltheeffectswhichIhavebeendescribing，havenotbeenfullyfelt。Letithoweverberemembered，thatadistinctionmust
　　bemadebetweenthoseevilswhichhavealreadybeenseverelyfelt，andthegreaterevilswhichinthecourseofnatureand
　　duetimemaybeexpected。Thetendencyofalawmaybemostdestructive；yet，byadventitiouscircumstances，thebad
　　consequencesmaybecheckedandpreventedforaseason。Itisnottobeimaginedthatmen，whobycloseapplicationand
　　watchfulattentiontotheir。business，byrigidfrugalityandhardlabour，havemadeadecentprovisionfortheirfamilies，
　　shouldfreelypartwithaconsiderableproportionoftheirproperty，orsufferittobetakenfromthemwithoutstrongefforts
　　toretainit。Formorethanacenturythestruggleshavebeenobstinateandunremitted，yetformorethanacenturythe
　　poor'srateshavebeenconstantlyincreasing。Fromtimetotime，asmenremarkedtherapidityofthisprogress，their
　　exertionsweremorethancommon，andsometransientreformationwaseffected。Whenatlasttheyfound，thattheyhadno
　　otherwayremainingtoprotectthefruitsofindustryfromtheextravagantdemandsofindolence，andfromthe
　　undistinguishingbenevolenceofpower，theyadopted，fromnecessityandnotfromchoice，themiserableexpedientof
　　buildingworkhouses。Tillthesearecompletelyfilled，andevenaftertheyarefull，theyserveadoublepurpose:theydisarmthemagistrate，theyintimidatethepoor。Asthelawnowstands，theparishofficers，incertaincases，maybuildhousesonthewasteforthereceptionoftheimpotent
　　andaged；buttheyhavebeenhithertosoprudentasnottoexerciseapower，whichwouldbedestructivetothemselves，
　　withoutbeingbeneficialtothepoor。Happilythejusticesofpeacehavenolegalauthoritytoaugmentthenumberofour
　　cottages。Therecanbenocompulsioninthiscase。Someofthemindeedhaveindirectlyattemptedthis，buttheyhavebeen
　　resistedbythemoreprovidentandwaryinmostparishes。Hencethenumberofhousesbecomesagage，atoncetomeasure
　　andtoregulatetheextentofpopulation。Ineveryvillagewillbefoundplentyofyoungmenandwomen，whoonlywaitfor
　　habitationstolaythefoundationofnewfamilies，andwhowithjoywouldhastentothealtar，iftheycouldbecertainofa
　　rooftoshelterthematnight。Ithasbeenchieflyfromthewantofhousesthatthepoorhavenotmorerapidlyincreased。If
　　themostopulentparishesinthekingdomwereobligedtofindhabitations，astheyaretoprovidework，orfoodandraiment
　　forthepoor，theywouldbethemselvesreducedinacourseofyearstosuchextremedistress，thatallmoveablestock
　　wouldbecarriedoff，thelandwouldbeleftuncultivated，thehouseswouldgotoruin，andthepoorwouldstarve。Asthe
　　rentshavebeenadvancing，newhouseshavebeenbuilt；buthithertotheprogresshasbeenretardedbythesuperiorvalues
　　ofmoneyinthepublicfunds。Shouldthepresentlawsubsist，thevalueoflandwillsink，andtherentofcottageswillrise；
　　eachinproportiontotheburthenofthepoor，andthedemandforhouses。Itistrue，byastatutemadeinthethirty—first
　　yearofQueenElizabeth，thereisapenaltyoneverypersonwhoshallbuildacottagewithoutassigningfouracresofland
　　tobeheldforeverwithit；butthisstatute，withwhichherfamouspoorlawisinperfectharmony，andwhich，ifobserved，
　　wouldhavepreventedthegreatestevilsfeltandtobefearedfromtheunlimitedprovisionforthepoor，hasbeenlong
　　neglected，orperhapswasneverregarded。Thepenaltyistenpoundsforthefirsterectionofthecottage，andfortyshillings
　　permonthaslongasitshallbeoccupied。Hadthislawremainedinforce，orhaditbeenconstantlyobserved，thepoor
　　wouldnothavemultiplied；butthenthemanufactureswouldnothaveflourishedinthekingdomastheydoatpresent。