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expense; but by the quantity and supposed value of the work.A labourer, it may be said indeed, ought to save part of hissummer wages in order to defray his winter expense; andthat through the whole year they do not exceed what is ne-cessary to maintain his family through the whole year. Aslave, however, or one absolutely dependent on us for imme-diate subsistence, would not be treated in this manner. Hisdaily subsistence woulddbe proportioned to his daily neces-sities.

Secondly, the wages of labour do not in Great Britain fluctuate with the price of provisions. These vary every-where from year to year, frequently from month to month.But in many places the money price of labour remains uni-formly the same sometimes for half a century together. Ifin these places, therefore, the labouring poor can maintaintheir families in dear years, they must be at their ease intimes of moderate plenty, and in affluence in those of extra-ordinary cheapness. The high price of provisions duringthese ten years past has not in many parts of the kingdombeen accompanied with any sensible rise in the money priceof labour. It has, indeed, in some; owing probably more tothe increase of the demand for labour than to that of the priceof provisions.

Thirdly, as the price of provisions varies more from yearto year than the wages of labour, so, on the other hand, thewages of labour vary more from place to place than the priceof provisions. The prices of bread and butchers meat aregenerally the same, or vevy nearly the same, through thegreater part of the united kingdom. These and most otherthings which are sold by retail, the way in which the labour-ing poor buy all things, are generally fully as cheap orcheaperingreat towns than in theremoter parts of the country,for reasons which I shall have occasion to explain hereafter.But the wages of labour in a great town and its neighbour-hood are frequently a fourth or a fifth part, twenty or five-and-twenty per cent, higher than at a few miles distance.Eighteen pence a day may be reckoned the common price oflabour in London and its neighbourhood. At a few milesdistance it falls to fourteen and fifteen pence. Ten-pencemay be reckoned its price in Edinburgh and its neighbour-hood. At a few miles distance it falls to eight-pence, theusual price of common labour through the greater part of thelow country of Scotland , where it varies a good deal less