Page:Vindication of a fixed duty on corn.djvu/17

11

ENTERED FOR CONSUMPTION.

			Qrs.			Persons.
1831 to 1840	Wheat		929,707		food for	929,707
	Beans		64,976		„	64,976
	Peas		68,544		„	68,544
	Barley		212,154	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	„	188,350
	Rye		23,2843
	Oats		241,345		„	120,673
			1,540,010		„	1,372,250

In the first period, therefore, 2.194,200, and in the second 4,485,541 of the additional population must have been supplied from our own increased produce.

In what degree our own produce may yet be increased by a still improving mode of culture, I am not prepared to decide; but from the tillage of fresh land the increase must plainly every year become less, and, except perhaps in Ireland, soon cease altogether. Looking, therefore, to the next period of ten years, we cannot estimate the supply which we shall annually require from abroad at less than 1,500,000 quarters of wheat and 750,000 quarters of other sorts of corn; or, in other words, we must annually import corn sufficient to feed two millions of our population.

During the last thirteen years we have had ample opportunities of trying a Corn Law with a variable duty, and in its present state it is, I believe, uni-