1821. April 14.

First Lines

Means of accomplishment

Distributive Benefits.

Subsistence.

If, against any of the causes of deficiency in regard to subsistence, the legislator /Law/ /Government/ has failed to provide an efficient remedy, the consequence is death. Security against calamity has so far failed to have been afforded.

But, against deficiency in regard to subsistence, no remedy can ever be provided bat at the expence of security for abundance. The fund of abundance is composed of the stock remaining of the produce of labour, deduction made of their several amounts subtracted by consumption, useful and useless, immediate and gradual, natural and human, in all their several shapes.

In his endeavour to provide a remedy against deficiency in their regard to subsistence, /the legislator/ finds himself all along under the pressure of this dilemma - forbear to provide supply, death ensues, and you are the /it has you for its/ author /./ of it. Provide supply, you establish a bounty upon idleness, and you thus give encrease to the deficiency which it is your endeavour to exclude.

Now to /Under/ the pressure of this dilemma, how to act is a problem the solution of which is /will/ in a great degree, to be dependent upon local circumstances: nor can any thing like a compleat solution be so much as attempted without continual reference to them. One leading observation applies to all places and all times. So long as any particle of the matter of abundance remains in any one hand, it will rest with those to whom it appears that they are able to afford /assign/ a sufficient reason why te requisite supply to any deficiency in the means of deficiency should be refused.

II. Abundance