18 Decr 1801

Maximum

Ulteriora

3

Importation as a permanent and constant recourse is another recourse essentially

inadequate, because it supposed a constant surplus, constantly at our command,

and adequate to our encreasing wants. The recent inadequateness of it matter of

experience: it has been grievously expensive, and still inadequate. Relying on

it, we remain in a state of continual dependence for our daily bread: the state

whatever it may be, from which we draw the largest portion of our supply, has us

in its power /at its mercy/. The system pursued till within these | | years the

system of bounties on exportation, supposed a /an habitual/ deficiency of corn

in the rest of the commercial world: the system of importation supposes an

habitual redundance. Both suppositions are random ones: both can not be true at

the same time: but the risk attendant on the former is as nothing in comparison

of that attendant on the latter. Quantity for quantity to fail of filling up a

deficiency is a much worse misfortune than to fail of getting rid of a

redundance /superfluity/ upon advantageous terms: and the superfluity formerly

got rid of was but a small part of the deficiency of late endeavoured and in

vain to be filled up. Measure for this purpose has never yet been taken of the

commercial world: the world is a large place and corn in abundance grows in it

further than this calculation has not /scarce/ extended, greater precision than

this calculations have /has/ never aimed at.