The Principles of Population and Production as They are Affected by the ... - John Weyland - Google Books

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page 44

Conclusions to be drawn in favour of the author's hypo-
thesis, and against that of his opponents...

Application of the fundamental propositions.

Practical inferences for the conduct of politicians and phi-

lanthropists.....

Duties and qualifications of missionaries

What is the state of nature when applied to man in the

early stages of society?...

Of the natural tendency of population in the purely agri-

cultural state, and in the early stages of the commercial

state of society....

Immense quantity of surplus produce in this state of
society renders the pressure of population against food
impossible.....

When best lands are settled, manufacturers gradually rise

up to consume this surplus produce

Before it is consumed a gradually increasing abatement

takes place in the progress of population....

This sufficient to prevent the pressure of population, where

morals and good government obtain a reasonable in-

Illustrations from the Turkish government.

from Spain..........

from the United States of America...

Application of the fundamental propositions to the states

of society treated in this chapter...

Illustrations from American writers.

ib.

Of the natural tendency of population in the more ad-

vanced stages of society....

Manufacturing population at length overtakes the supply

of surplus food.....

Inferior soils then brought under cultivation, which give a
return of further food more slowly. ....

ib.

But a corresponding abatement takes place in the progress

of population..

Means by which this effect is produced....

Illustrations from the proportions of births and deaths in

towns and the country respectively....

Arrangements of the population where one third dwells.

Effects of these arrangements....

Illustrations by a comparison of England with Spain, of

Russia with Turkey, of Scotland with Sicily....

Difference more of a moral than physical nature.....

Details respecting Turkey....

respecting Sicily.

Moral inferences....

Illustrated by reference to the state of Ireland.....

Application of the fundamental propositions to the state

of society treated in this chapter ...

Of the natural tendency of population in the most· ad-

vanced stages of society..

ib.

A theoretical objection to the hypothesis maintained in
this treatise yet remains to be removed............
When the land of a country is incapable of further pro-
duction, how is a still increasing people to be fed?....

The land of no country ever found in this condition....

Proofs that before such a state of things could occur, the

arrangements of the people would prevent any further

increase of population; or that the population would

have arrived at ITS POINT OF NON-REPRODUCTION......

These proofs derived from calculation upon actual returns

of the proportionate number of births, deaths, and

ib.

ib.

Conclusions from the preceding view...

Moral and political qualifications to which the hypothesis

Effects of the preceding argument upon the hypothesis of

Further illustrations of the subjects treated in the two

preceding chapters...

View of society in its highest stages best illustrated by a
reference to the commonwealth of Britain.....

Illustrations from a reference to the present condition of

society in China..

ib,

Observations upon the authorized practice of infanticide

in that country..

Actual state of China very far from establishing the ne-

cessity of infanticide, as a means of preventing the pres-

sure of population against subsistence

The increase of industry, the improvement of the govern-

ment, and the amelioration of the morals of the Chinese,

would be sufficient to set the people permanently at ease

as to their means of subsistence....

Comparison of the condition of China, with that of the

united British kingdom, with respect to population and

production, with the causes of the difference between

This difference chiefly derived from moral causes

Opposition between the hypothesis maintained in this trea-

tise and that promulgated by Mr. Malthus as to the

natural tendency of population to increase....

As to the permanence of the prosperity of particular states

This opposition principally founded in moral causes....

Brief recapitulation of the contents of the preceding book
Doubtful nature of the illustrations derived from historical
and statistical inquiries with respect to questions of po-
litical economy.

ib.

In the early stages of society population evidently keeps

at an immense distance within the powers of the soil.

to afford it subsistence......

The same in the purely agricultural stage...

In the more advanced stages the progress of population is

nicely adapted by Providence to the decreasing powers

of the soil.....

Provided the people are reasonably moral and industrious

The sum of the whole argument is, that a practicable

degree of good government, and sound morals, will

enable a people to flourish in a state of progressive im-

provement, without any impediment from the principle

of population..

POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES DEDUCIBLE FROM THE PRINCI-

PLES MAINTAINED IN THIS TREATISE.

Consequences to be deduced from the first principle, viz.
"that population has a natural tendency to keep within

the powers of the soil to afford it subsistence in every

gradation through which society passes "

The encouragement of population is a question open to
the sound discretion of statesmen..

They should always encourage industry...

Cases may occur where a direct encouragement to popu-

lation may be consistent with that of industry...

But care should be taken that the two objects should pro-

ceed pari passu..

Modes by which this may be effected...

ib.

And made subservient to the interests of humanity.....

How far experience justifies such a system ......

Justice, policy, and humanity, of such a system illus-

trated by the opinions of Montesquieu and Sir J. Steuart 180

Application of the second principle; viz. "that the ten-

dency of population to keep within the powers of the

soil to afford subsistence CAN NEVER BE DESTROYED,

and can only be altered or diverted from its natural

course, so as to induce a mischievous pressure of popu-

lation against the actual supply of food by grossly impo-

litic laws and customs; either, first, accelerating the

progress of population beyond its natural rate-or, se-

condly, depressing agriculture below its natural' stand-

Artificial habits and the consumption of food in luxuries

will always prevent a people far advanced in society

from literally pressing against the actual supply of food 187

But it may press against the conveniences of life, and

require further production in order to preserve the peo-

ple in their actual condition

Necessary to inquire how further production of food is

then to be secured

An inquiry into the natural order of precedence between

population and the production of food ....

Various opinions entertained by different writers on this

Opinions of Dr. Paley....

of Dr. Adam Smith....

of Sir James Stewart

Summary of these opinions...

Attempt of the author to reconcile them, and to draw out

a consistent system from the contending arguments.... 205

This system founded upon a comparison of the different

states of society, from the observation of which individu-

ally each writer seems to have drawn his conclusions .. 206

The arguments of this chapter establish the truth of the

fifth fundamental proposition of this treatise; viz.

"That in the alternate progress of population and pro-

duction in the earliest as well as in the most advanced

stages of society a previous increase of people is neces-

sary to stimulate the community to a further production

Of the mischievous pressure of population caused by acce-

lerating its progress considerably beyond the natural

This pressure will be produced wherever population is
encouraged, without a corresponding encouragement of
industry and of morality..

Instances of this mistaken encouragement..

Illustrations from Ireland and America......

Remedies proposed chiefly of a moral nature..

Different consequences which flow from encouraging po-

pulation respectively by moral and immoral methods ..

Of the mischievous pressure of population caused by de-

pressing the productive energies of the soil considerably

below its natural powers.....

...

ib.

ib,

Expense of reclaiming fresh land is continually increasing
with the progress of society ...

The encouragement must therefore increase in proportion 227

Especially when the public institutions of a country are of

a liberal and expensive nature

Unless the community has recourse to the hazardous ex-

pedient of permanently trusting to a supply of imported

This encouragement must be afforded by the legislature,

upon some fixed principles which should be ascertained

by an investigation into the principle of corn laws.....

An inquiry into the principle of corn laws

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