Page:The Effects of Civilisation on the People in European States.djvu/59

Rh them if it only procured the common necessaries: hence a much greater proportion of their incomes is expended on those articles; of course a greater proportion of the labouring hands are forced to apply their industry in the various fine manufactures, in which only they can get employ. By these means, hands are drawn off powerfully from agriculture and such coarse manufactures as produce the things that they themselves make use of.

From the foregoing statements, it seems, the following conclusions may be drawn:—

1st. That the scarcity which lately and frequently has prevailed, was real.

2nd. That the general cause of scarcity is, that too small a number of hands is employed in agriculture.

3rd. That the cause why so few are so employed is, that too many are thrown into the manufactures.

4th. That the cause why so many are thus forced into the manufactures is the wealth of the rich.

As it appears that it is the wealth of certain individuals that is the cause of the taking off the labourers from agriculture, by which the scarcity of the necessaries of life is occasioned, and of driving them into the manufactures, of course, it must be the cause, not only of the scarcity alleged,