Of the necessity of general

prizes; and the sum of social happiness would be evidently augmented.

To indulge however in any distant views of this kind, unaccompanied by the evils usually attendant on a stationary or decreasing demand for labor, we must suppose the general prevalence of such prudential habits among the poor, as would prevent them from marrying, when the actual price of labor, joined to what they might have saved in their single state, would not give them the prospect of being able to support a wife and six children without assistance. And in every point of view, such a degree of prudential restraint would be ex tremely beneficial; and would produce a very striking melioration in the condition of the lower classes of people.

It may be said perhaps, that even this degree of prudence might not always avail, as when a man marries he cannot tell what number of children he shall have, and many have more than six. This is certainly true; and in this case I do not think that any evil would result from making a certain allowance to every child above this number; not with a view of rewarding a man for his large family, but merely, of relieving him from a species

principles on this subject.

of distress, which it would be unreasonable in us to expect that he should calculate upon. And with this view, the relief should be merely such as to place him exactly in the same situation as if he had had six children. Montesquieu disapproves of an edict of Lewis the fourteenth, which gave certain pensions to those who had ten and twelve children, as being of no use in encouraging population. For the very reason that he disapproves of it, I should think that some law of the kind might be adopted without danger, and might relieve particular individuals from a very pressing and unlooked-for distress, without operating in any respect as an encouragement to marriage.

If at some future period, any approach should be made towards the more general prevalence of prudential habits with respect to marriage among the poor, from which alone any permanent and general improvement of their condition can arise; I do not think that the narrowest politician need be alarmed at it, from the fear of its occasioning such an advance in the price of labor as will enable our commercial competitors to undersell us in

1 Esprit des Loix, liv. xxiii. c. xxvii.

Of the necessity of general, &c.

foreign markets. There are four circumstances that might be expected to accompany it, which would probably either prevent or fully counterbalance any effect of this kind. These are, 1st, The more equable and lower price of provisions, from the demand being less frequently above the supply. 2dly, The removal of that heavy burden on agriculture, and that great addition to the present wages of labor, the poors rates. 3dly, The national saving of a great part of that sum which is expended without return, in the support of those children who die prematurely, from the consequences of poverty. And, lastly, The more general prevalence of economical and industrious habits, particularly among unmarried men, which would prevent that indolence, drunkenness, and waste of labor, which at present are too frequently a consequence of high wages.

CHAPTER XII.

Of our rational expectations respecting the future improvement of Society.

IN taking a general and concluding view of our rational expectations respecting the mitigation of the evils arising from the principle of population, it may be observed, that though the increase of population in a geometrical ratio be incontrovertible, and the period of doubling, when unchecked, has been uniformly stated in this work, rather below than above the truth; yet there are some natural consequences of the progress of society and civilization, which necessarily repress its full effects. These are, more particularly, great towns and manufactures, in which we can scarcely hope, and certainly not expect to see any very material change. It is undoubtedly our duty, and in every point of view highly desirable, to make towns and manufacturing employments as little injurious as possible to the duration of human life; but, after all our efforts, it is probable

Of our rational expectations

that they will always remain less healthy than country situations and country employments; and consequently operating as positive checks, will diminish in some degree the necessity of the preventive check.

In every old state it is observed, that a considerable number of grown up people remain for a time unmarried. The duty of practising the common and acknowledged rules of morality du ring this period, has never been controverted in theory, however it may have been opposed in practice. This branch of the duty of moral res traint has scarcely been touched by the reasonings of this work. It rests on the same foundation as before, neither stronger nor weaker. And know. ing how incompletely this duty has hitherto been fulfilled, it would certainly be visionary to expect any very material change for the better, in fu

ture.

The part which has been affected by the rea sonings of this work is not therefore, that which relates to our conduct during the period of celiba cy, but to the duty of extending this period till we have a prospect of being able to maintain our children. And it is by no means visionary to in