Henry Charles Carey

The Harmony of Interests, Agricultural, Manufacturing and Commercial Henry Charles Carey

The leiideiicj of I be whole Uritish Bjstcm of political economy is t.n II ib production of discori Jamong men and nations. It i based upon the Riciudo and Malthnian doctrines of rent an Jpopulation, wliich tench that men every irhere commence the work of cuttivation on the rich soils of the earth, and that, it lien population is small, food is bandant; but that as numbers increase, men are forced to resort to poorer soils, yielding steadil; less nod less iu return to labor. As a neccssarf consequence of the increasing flcardty of fertile soils, it is held that with this diminishing return, the land-holder ia enabled to take a larger proportion of the proceeds of labor, thus profiting at the coat of the laborer, and lij reason of tl.e same causes which tend to the gradual suhjugation of the latter to (lie will of his master. Here are, of course, I jing at the very foundation of the system, discordant interests, and this discord ia found in every succeeding portion of it. Oirer-popula ion is held fo be a result of a great law of nature, in virtue of which men grow in numbers faster than can grow the food that is to nourish them; nnil the poverty, vice,and crime that eveiywhere exist, are regarded as necessary consequences of this great law, emanating from an all-wise, all-powerful, and all merciful Being. War, fajuine, and pestilence aie regarded as means provided by that Being for restraining population within the limits of subsistence. Charity is regarded afl almost a crime, because it tends to promote the growth of population. Tlie landlord escuaea himself for taking laie rents, on the ground that it is a necessary consequence of the natural tendency of mant increase in numbers with too great rapidity. The slockholder of the East India Company, who lusuriatos upon the produce of his stock, regards it as one of the natural consequences of this great law tha
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