A little place like Geneva, of not more than from twenty-five to thirty thousand inhabitants,—­which has no territory, or next to none,—­which depends for its existence on the good-will of three neighboring powers, and is of course continually in the state of something like a siege, or in the speculation of it,—­might find some resource in state granaries, and some revenue from the monopoly of what was sold to the keepers of public-houses.  This is a policy for a state too small for agriculture.  It is not (for instance) fit for so great a country as the Pope possesses,—­where, however, it is adopted and pursued in a greater extent, and with more strictness.  Certain of the Pope’s territories, from whence the city of Rome is supplied, being obliged to furnish Rome and the granaries of his Holiness with corn at a certain price, that part of the Papal territories is utterly ruined.  That ruin may be traced with certainty to this sole cause; and it appears indubitably by a comparison of their state and condition with that of the other part of the ecclesiastical dominions, not subjected to the same regulations, which are in circumstances highly flourishing.

The reformation of this evil system is in a manner impracticable.  For, first, it does keep bread and all other provisions equally subject to the chamber of supply, at a pretty reasonable and regular price, in the city of Rome.  This preserves quiet among the numerous poor, idle, and naturally mutinous people of a very great capital.  But the quiet of the town is purchased by the ruin of the country and the ultimate wretchedness of both.  The next cause which renders this evil incurable is the jobs which have grown out of it, and which, in spite of all precautions, would grow out of such things even under governments far more potent than the feeble authority of the Pope.

This example of Rome, which has been derived from the most ancient times, and the most flourishing period of the Roman Empire, (but not of the Roman agriculture,) may serve as a great caution to all governments not to attempt to feed the people out of the hands of the magistrates.  If once they are habituated to it, though but for one half-year, they will never be satisfied to have it otherwise.  And having looked to government for bread, on the very first scarcity they will turn and bite the hand that fed them.  To avoid that evil, government will redouble the causes of it; and then it will become inveterate and incurable.

I beseech the government (which I take in the largest sense of the word, comprehending the two Houses of Parliament) seriously to consider that years of scarcity or plenty do not come alternately or at short intervals, but in pretty long cycles and irregularly, and consequently that we cannot assure ourselves, if we take a wrong measure, from the temporary necessities of one season, but that the next, and probably more, will drive us to the continuance of it; so that, in my opinion,