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should　see　not　merely　the　259　1/2　millions　manufacturing



production；　but　also　the　greatest　part　of　the　3；311　millions



agricultural　capital；　and　consequently　of　the　539　millions



agricultural　production；　disappear。　The　English　national　production



would　not　merely　lose　259　1/2　millions　（the　value　of　its



manufacturing　production）；　but　the　value　of　land　would　decline　to



the　value　which　it　has　in　Poland；　i。e。　to　the　tenth　or　twentieth



part　of　its　present　value。



　　　　From　this　it　follows　that　all　capital　which　is　devoted　by　the



agricultural　nation　in　a　profitable　manner　to　manufactures；



increases　in　the　course　of　time　the　value　of　the　land　tenfold。



Experience　and　statistics　everywhere　confirm　this　statement。



Everywhere　it　has　been　seen　that　in　consequence　of　the



establishment　of　manufactures　the　value　of　land　and　also　that　of



the　stock　of　capital　rapidly　increases。　Let　anyone　compare　these



values　in　France　（in　1789　and　in　1840）；　in　North　America　（in　1820



and　in　1830）；　or　in　Germany　（in　1830　and　in　1840）；　how　they　have



corresponded　with　a　less　developed　or　a　more　fully　developed



condition　of　manufactures；　and　he　will　find　our　observation



everywhere　confirmed。



　　　　The　reason　for　this　appearance　lies　in　the　increased　power　of



production　in　the　nation；　which　emanates　from　the　regular　division



of　labour　and　from　the　strengthened　confederation　of　the　national



powers；　also　from　a　better　use　of　the　mental　and　natural　powers



placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　nation；　and　from　foreign　commerce。



　　　　These　are　the　very　same　causes　and　effects　which　we　may



perceive　in　respect　to　improved　means　of　transport；　which　not



merely　yield　in　themselves　a　revenue；　and　through　it　a　return　for



the　capital　spent　upon　them；　but　also　powerfully　promote　the



development　of　manufactures　and　agriculture；　whereby　they　increase



in　the　course　of　time　the　value　of　the　landed　property　within　their



districts　to　tenfold　the　value　of　the　actual　material　capital　which



has　been　employed　in　creating　them。　The　agriculturist；　in



comparison　with　the　undertaker　of　such　works　（improved　means　of



transport）；　has　the　great　advantage　of　being　quite　sure　of　his



tenfold　gain　on　his　invested　capital　and　of　obtaining　this　profit



without　malting　any　sacrifices；　while　the　contractor　for　the　works



must　stake　his　whole　capital。　The　position　of　the　agriculturist　is



equally　favourable　as　compared　with　that　of　the　erector　of　new



manufactories。



　　　　If；　however；　this　effect　of　manufactures　on　agricultural



production；　on　rent；　and　therefore　on　the　value　of　landed　property；



is　so　considerable　and　advantageous　for　all　who　are　interested　in



agriculture；　how；　then；　can　it　be　maintained　that　protective



measures　would　favour　manufactures　merely　at　the　cost　of　the



agriculturists？



　　　　The　material　prosperity　of　agriculturists；　as　well　as　of　all



other　private　persons；　principally　depends　on　the　point　that　the



value　of　what　they　produce　shall　exceed　the　value　of　what　they



consume。　It；　therefore；　is　not　so　important　to　them　that



manufactured　goods　should　be　cheap；　as　especially　that　a　large



demand　for　various　agricultural　products　should　exist；　and　that



these　should　bear　a　high　value　in　exchange。　Now；　if　measures　of



protection　operate　so　that　the　agriculturist　gains　more　by　the



improvement　of　the　market　for　his　own　produce　than　he　loses　by　the



increase　of　the　prices　of　such　manufactured　goods　as　he　requires　to



buy；　he　cannot　rightly　be　described　as　making　a　sacrifice　in　favour



of　the　manufacturer。　This　effect　is；　however；　always　observable　in



the　case　of　all　nations　who　are　capable　of　establishing　a



manufacturing　power　of　their　own；　and　in　their　case　is　most



apparent　during　the　first　period　of　the　rise　of　the　native



manufacturing　industry；　since　just　at　that　time　most　of　the　capital



transferred　to　manufacturing　industry　is　spent　on　the　erection　of



dwelling　houses　and　manufactories；　the　application　of　water　power；



&c。；　an　expenditure　which　chiefly　benefits　the　agriculturist。



However　much　in　the　beginning　the　advantages　of　the　greater　sale　of



agricultural　produce　and　of　its　increased　value　outweighs　the



disadvantage　of　the　increased　price　of　manufactured　goods；　so　must



this　favourable　condition　always　increase　further　to　the　advantage



of　the　agriculturists；　because　the　flourishing　of　the　manufactories



always　tends　in　the　course　of　time　continually　more　and　more　to



increase　the　prices　obtainable　for　agricultural　produce　and　to



lessen　the　prices　of　manufactured　goods。



　　　　Further；　the　prosperity　of　the　agriculturist　and　landed



proprietor　is　especially　dependent　on　the　circumstance　that　the



value　of　the　instrument　from　which　his　income　is　derived；　namely；



his　landed　property；　at　least　maintains　its　former　position。　This



is　not　merely　the　chief　condition　of　his　prosperity；　but　frequently



of　his　entire　economical　existence。　For　instance；　it　frequently



happens　that　the　annual　production　of　the　agriculturist　exceeds　his



consumption；　and　nevertheless　he　finds　himself　ruined。　This　occurs



if　while　his　landed　property　is　encumbered　with　money　debts；　the



general　credit　becomes　fluctuating；　if　on　one　side　the　demand　for



money　capital　exceeds　the　supply　of　it；　and　on　the　other　hand　the



supply　of　land　exceeds　the　demand。　In　such　cases　a　general



withdrawal　of　money　loans　and　a　general　offer　of　land　for　sale



arises；　and　consequently　land　becomes　almost　valueless；　and　a　large



number　of　the　most　enterprising；　active；　and　economical　land



cultivators　are　ruined；　not　because　their　consumption　has　exceeded



their　production；　but　because　the　instrument　of　their　production；



their　landed　property；　has　lost　in　their　hands　a　considerable



portion　of　its　value；　in　consequence　of　causes　over　which　they　had



no　control；　further；　because　their　credit　has　thereby　become



destroyed；　and　finally；　because　the　amount　of　the　money　debts　with



which　their　landed　property　is　encumbered　is　no　longer　in



proportion　to　the　money　value　of　their　possessions；　which　has



become　depressed　by　the　general　worthlessness　of　landed　property。



Such　crises　have　occurred　in　Germany　and　North　America　during　the



last　fifty　years　more　than　once；　and　in　this　manner　a　large



proportion　of　the　German　nobility　find　themselves　no　longer　in



possession　of　property　or　landed　estate；　without　having　clearly



perceived　that　they　really　owe　this　fate　to　the　policy　adopted　by



their　brothers　in　England；　the　Tories　whom　they　regard　as　so　well



disposed。　The　condition　of　the　agriculturist　and　landed　proprietor



is；　however；　totally　different　in　countries　where　manufactures



flourish　vigorously。　There；　while　the　productive　capabilities　of



the　land　and　the　prices　of　produce　are　increased；　he　not　merely



gains　the　amount　by　which　the　value　of　his　production　exceeds　the



value　of　his　consumption；　he　gains；　as　landed　proprietor；　not　only



an　increase　of　annual　rent；　but　the　amount　of　capital　represented



by　the　increase　of　rent。　His　property　doubles　and　trebles　itself　in



value；　not　because　he　works　more；　improves　his　fields　more；　or



saves　more；　but　because　the　value　of　his　property　has　been



increased　in　consequence　of　the　establishment　of　manufactures。　This



effect　affords　to　him　means　and　inducement　for　greater　mental　and



bodily　exertions；　for　improvement　of　his　land；　for　the　increase　of



his　live　stock；　and　for　greater　economy；　notwithstanding　increased



consumption。　With　the　increase　in　the　value　of　his　land　his　credit



is　raised；　and　with　it　the　capability　of　procuring　the　material



capital　required　for　his　improvements。



　　　　Adam　Smith　passes　over　these　conditions　of　the　exchangeable



value　of　land　in　silence。　J。　B。　Say；　on　the　contrary；　believes　that



the　exchangeable　value　of　land　is　of　little　importance；　inasmuch



as；　whether　its　value　be　high　or　low；　it　always　serves　equally　well



for　production。　It　is　sad　to　read　from　an　author　whom　his　German



translators　regard　as　a　universal　national　authority；　such



fundamentally　wrong　views　about　a　matter　which　affects　so　deeply



the　prosperity　of　nations。　We；　on　the　contrary；　believe　it



essential　to　maintain　that　there　is　no　surer　test　of　national



prosperity　than　the　rising　and　falling　of　the　value　of　the　land；



and　that　fluctuations　and　crises　in　that　are　to　be　classed　among



the　most　ruinous　of　all　plagues　that　can　befall　a　country。



　　　　Into　this　erroneous　view　the　school　has　also　been　led　by　its



predilection　for　the　theory　of　free　trade　（as　it　desires　the　latter



term　to　be　understood）。　For　nowhere　are　fluctuations　and　crises　in



the　value　and　price　of　land　greater　than　in　those　purely



agricultural　nations　which　are　in　unrestricted　commercial



intercourse　with　rich　and　powerful　manufacturing　and　commercial



nations。



　　　　Foreign　commerce　also；　it　is　true；　acts　on　the　increase　of　rent



and　the　value　of　land；　but　it　does　so　incomparably　less　decidedly；



uniformly；　and　permanently；　than　the　establishment　of　home



manufactures；　the　continuous　regular　increase　of　manufacturing



production；　and　the　exchange　of　home　manufacturing　products　for



home　agricultural　products。



　　　　So　long　as　the　agricultural　nation　still　possesses　a　large



quantity　of　uncultivated　or　badly　cultivated　land；　so　long　as　it



produces　staple　articles　which　are　readily　taken　by　the　richer



manufacturing　nation　in　exchange　for　manufactured　goods；　so　long　as



these　articles　are　easy　of　transport；　so　long　also　as