gee
which rests upon the foundation of agricultural industry, lest apopulation, fostered above the level of her internal means of sub-sistence, should be forced down to that level in a manner thatcannot be contemplated without alarm.
We shall proceed, therefore, to consider what may be of use t»promote that preferable industry, which affords a sure founda-tion of independent greatness, and which the following observa-tions are intended to discuss and explain.
Sect. II.
Ob Agricultural Industry, and the Means op
PROMOTING IT.
The means of promoting agricultural industry are to be de-duced partly from consideration of regulations affecting theholding of land, the appropriate subject of this species cf indus-try—and partly from consideration of regulations of a more ge-neral nature, which relate equally to industry of every kind. Inregard to the former, or regulations affecting the holding oflands, either in perpetual property or temporary tenure, or incommon or several possession, it has been judged proper to dis-cuss this subject in a separate dissertation, which is subjoined asAppendix 5 . Under this section, therefore, our observationsshall be confined to those general political arrangements, thataffect other classes of industry equally as agriculture. Andthese we attempt to classify under the following subdivisions;1. Regulations relating to the internal and external commerce,and to the manufacture of agricultural produce. 2. Facilitiesgiven, or attempted to be given, to interchange, by fairs, mar-kets, regulation of weights and measures, See. 3. Facilities t»intercourse, by roads, railways, canals, See .
I.
Regulations relating to the Commerce and Manufactukeof Agricultural Produce.
Of the Internal Commerce of Agricultural Productions.
Freedom of internal commerce, (though seldom perfectly enjoy-ed), is essentially necessary to the prosperity of agriculture. Itis evident, that merchants, whether wholesale or retail, are asadvantageous and necessary to the raiser and consumer of agri-cultural produce, as to the producer and consumer of manufac-tures. So obvious a truth surely requires no illustration. Thewholesale merchant takes from off the hands of the farmer, ormanufacturer, whatever produce they have respectively preparedfor market, replacing, by his capital, the capital advanced byeither of them in such preparation, and thus enabling eash, with