[29] Let us compare the wealth of the British landholder with that of the like grade on the Continent. It is the unrivalled skill and industry of our manufacturers and traders which have laid every shore under contribution for the immense riches which has poured in upon our landholders, and which, from juxtaposition, will continue to do so, in a certain degree, under the fullest freedom of trade. It is now absurd to talk of duties on foreign products, to counterbalance home taxation—taxation now bears lightly on home agricultural production, more so than in many parts of the Continent, and our manufacturers, under the same or greater taxation, compete with and outstrip all the world in cheapness of production. [30] The dread of change in Catholic countries—the proscription of almost every new work treating of science—the complete submission of the mind to the religious authorities, bearded men “becoming little children” even to the letter—the consequent general abandonment to sensual enjoyment—the immense number of holidays—and the shoals of meddling priests, are a great bar to improvement—an insurmountable one to manufacturing pre-eminence. We need not say that all this is subordinate to climate. Effect, however, soon turns to cause. [31] Our industrious operatives, rendered trebly more productive by recent machinery improvements, fabricate three times more commodity than our landed and other population can with their present habits consume. Few other nations can give else but food in exchange for this overplus; our landholders have enacted laws to exclude food, and our operatives are being starved down to the requisite number for home supply. [32] The same polity under which Britain has acquired supremacy, will not now serve to continue it. A knowledge of the interests of nations is abroad, and if we will not suffer our country to be the emporium of the world, another will. [33] See App. E. [34] The price of any article raised at home, when any part requires to be imported, of course rises to the whole cost (prime cost, duty and freight) of the foreign. [35] The chance of loss by wreck, damage from sea-water, and pilfering, being much less in British than in foreign bottoms, enables the British to obtain a higher freight than the foreign. {138} PART IV. NOTICES OF AUTHORS RELATIVE TO TIMBER.