The poor rates of England have enabled her to develope her vast resources, and to contribute so very large a portion of the public charges of the Britannic Union. It is owing to the want of this highly politic provision for counteracting the effects of indiscriminate taxation, that Scotland maintains so scanty a population, and furnishes so small a part of those charges; and that Ireland, though populous and fertile, is steeped in misery and poverty, and contributes little or nothing to those charges, beyond what is swallowed up by the luxurious and absentee priests, lay impropriators, and landholders.

What is there in the poor rate tax, at all approximating to the mischievous nature of tithes ? "Tithes are a very burdensome and a very intolerable tax-a penalty on agriculture, a prohibition to improve inferior lands, for lands will pay one revenue which cannot pay two, and lands will return a profit to the cultivator, which cannot pay either revenue or tithe; all these lands are, by the tithe tax, condemned to barrenness." Wherefore, let tithes be abolished at all events; and if all taxation, (including corn-bills,) paid on the use and consumption of the labourers, be next repealed, then repeal the poor laws; otherwise, extend them to Scotland and Ireland; as true policy, justice, and humanity, equally dictate.

In conclusion of this chapter, we think the following extracts, from a certain book, not inappropriate, and we therefore submit them for Mr. Malthus's consideration.

The rich man is wise in his own conceit, but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. The poor is hated even of his own neighbour, but the rich hath many friends. The righteous considereth the cause of the poor, but the wicked regardeth not to know it. whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw-teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.

There is a generation

Now, Mr. Malthus, with all our admiration of your wisdom, we think, that Solomon was, at least, your equal in that respect. Of him, it has been truly observed, that "the wisest man the world e'er saw, he dearly loved the lasses," &c. But mark his own words, Mr. M. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. If two lie together they have heat, but how can one be warm alone? Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord,

CHAPTER VIII.

"OF THE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM."

OUR abridgement of Ricardo's Principles of Political Economy will give the reader a tolerable insight into the nature of the Political Economy of the "agricultural system;" and for the complete demonstration of the subject, we refer him to that invaluable work itself. — We, therefore, do not intend to reply to Mr. Malthus's statements and arguments thereon, but merely to notice any thing we may find, relevant to the subject of the Essay on Population, &c., or merely curious in itself.-Of the latter description are the following assertions: "Under the agricultural system,. perhaps, are to be found the two extremes in the condition of the poor, instances where they are in the best state, and instances where they are in the worst state of any of which we have accounts." America is cited as an instance of the former state, and "Poland, some parts of Russia, Siberia, and European Turkey,"

as instances of the latter. That so large a portion of the subjects of the Emperor Alexander, (the most holy, the most magnanimous Liberator of Europe in general, and of Spain in particular,) should be in a worse state than the natives of Terra Del Fuego, or the Andamans, or European Turkey, cannot easily be credited.

Our mother tongue being only a provincial dialect of the English language, we are frequently unable to comprehend Mr. Malthus's collegiate ideas, although expressed in terms which are not unknown to us. Now, the idea meant to be conveyed by the words "agricultural system," as applicable to North America and European Turkey in common, is one of those cases which we cannot understand, without further explanation.

Mr. Malthus here produces a long string of something disguised, so as to resemble reasoning, for the purpose of acquainting us how it happens, that the people of " Poland, and some parts of Russia, Siberia, and European Turkey," are not so well off as the Americans, but although he talks of an "agricultural system," yet he sums up with informing us, that the evil condition of the former people arises from the "vices of the government, the state of (insecurity of) property, and the servile condition of the people." This information is certainly correct, but what an ingenious mind it must require, to make it

agree with the author's grand assertion, that "human institutions, instead of aggravating, have tended considerably to mitigate, though they can never remove, the evils resulting from the laws of God!" We are not aware, that America has acted on any system other than the free system, further than she has been forced to act for her security and self-defence, against the wicked conduct and unjust pretensions of her neighbours. If, however, Mr. M. has any more puritanical sermons of the New-England Dr. Styles, or youthful boastings of the Philadelphian Franklin, to bring in proof of his assertion, that America has acted on the agricultural system, that is to say, as we understand the terms, has systematically encouraged agriculture,* in preference to any other species of industry, doubtless, such proofs will carry as much weight with them as they do in proving, that the Anglo-Americans have doubled their numbers from Native procreation alone, in twenty-five years.

If we could credit certain sympathetic doc

It is an erroneous belief, that what is termed the English Agricultural System encourages agriculture, or is in any way beneficial to the farmers. It is solely calculated to cause an artificial increase of land-rent, that is to say, it is calculated solely to benefit the landholders, at the expense of the community, and for no other real object, either private or public.