A treatise on the causes and principles of meteorological phenomena : Also two essays ; the one on marsh fevers; the other on the system of equality, proposed by Mr. Owen of New Lanark, for ameliorating the condition of mankind / by Graham Hutchison.

  • Hutchison, Graham.
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the causes and principles of meteorological phenomena : Also two essays ; the one on marsh fevers; the other on the system of equality, proposed by Mr. Owen of New Lanark, for ameliorating the condition of mankind / by Graham Hutchison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    the whole, its effects are decidedly prejudicial. It di- minishes the aggregate production of useful articles relative to the population ; and in proportion as it does so, it lessens their aggregate wealth, and dete- riorates their average condition. Peace, on the other hand, independent of the bene- fit resulting from the reduction of taxation which it permits, is favourable to national wealth, and individ- ual prosperity. The transition from a state of war to that of peace, operates much in the same manner as improvements in machinery. The number of labour- ers thereby turned from the unproductive avocations of war, to the productive departments of manufactur- ing industry, lowers wages, and the price of all manu- factured goods. But though the condition of the labouring classes, and of those who hold stocks of manufactured goods, may at first be thereby injured ; still as its effect is to increase the aggregate produc- tion of useful articles, relative to the population, it ultimately increases the aggregate wealth, and raises the average condition of a people. Discriminating duties upon foreign articles, accord- ing as they are imported in foreign or British ships, is a contemptible device for favouring the home ship- ping interest, which foreign governments can easily see through, and easily counteract. The result of such a selfish policy when met by counteractives, is, that vessels can only get a cargo in one direction : they sail to foreign ports empty, with the chance of getting a cargo home. This, by requiring a greater number of seamen, and of ships, to do the same amount of work, increases the freight; and conse-