ཉ

tion, suppose, that we were to apply to one of those regulating philosophers who believe the wisdom of government to be of such sovereign influence in the affairs of this world, as that without its immediate interference every thing must run into confusion; that, in short, the happiness and the prosperity of a people is so intimately dependent on the influence of their governors, that unless these shall be at all times superlatively wise and good, and vigilant in the discharge of their duty, the public must be brought to the lowest ebb of wretchednefs and misery. To a man profefsing these principles, and whom we shall farther suppose to be possessed of great talents and uncommon benevolence, we apply for a set of regulations that shall be the best calculated for providing such a city as London with a continued supply of all those necefsaries, conveniences, and luxuries, which so vast a multitude of people, under such a diversity of circumstances, require; and that it shall be required, that matters shall be so arranged, as that there shall never be either a deficiency or a superabundance of any one article; that there shall be always enough to satisfy every individual when he calls for it, and not so much as to allow any of it to run to waste; while at the same time it can be bought at the very lowest price for which, in general, such articles can be there afforded, and so distributed every where as to be brought to the hand of every purchaser, without confusion or disturbance of any kind. And, in order that this system may be in every respect complete, we shall farther suppose, that the philosopher is to be endowed, not only with the privilege of making the regulations

tem, but that he shall be farther invested with unlimited power to enforce these his regulations in the very best way that his superior wisdom shall direct. Let us now see in what manner this superior wisdom, power, and beneficence, under the regulation of the principle we have supposed, would exert itself.

In the first place, before his wisdom can be allowed to operate in providing the necessary supplies, he must know the precise number of the people who are to participate of them. An exact calculation, therefore, must be made of their precise number; but where are the data upon which these calculations are to be grounded? He will soon find reason to be satisfied, if he examines it, that parish registers, and every other source within his reach, would prove entirely fallacious in this respect. Let us, however, for a moment, suppose, that by a miracle he has got over this first rub. He has now to ascertain the precise quantity and kind of food, raiment, utensils, and furniture, that every individual of this multitude would require in a given time, otherwise too much or too little of any one sort may be ordered. We have allowed our governor talents; yet the extent of talents that would be necessary to ascertain all this, it will be easily seen, far exceeds the limited faculties of man. But suppose this rub also surmounted; he has next to make himself acquainted with the places from whence all the articles of convenience and luxury wanted are to be obtained, and to dispatch ships and messengers to every part of the world to bring them in the exact proportion required, and at the times that will be necefsary. He has then to appoint purveyors in the country to buy up each article that is wanted, in its exact quantity; but how shall

he establish a correspondence between the whole, so

as to prevent one from giving a greater price than another, or providing too much or too little of any one sort? Leaving these then for his wisdom to regulate, he must next have a body of carriers, waggoners, boatmen, &c. established, and put under such regulations as that they must each reach his place of destination at the time appointed, and bring with them the precise quantity of goods of each kind wanted at that time. To regulate these, and to see that they do not neglect their duty from carelessnefs, drunkenness, or any other allurement, there must be appointed over them a set of commifsaries, officers, and inferior agents, who must be invested with very extensive powers, or their influence would be nugatory; and this will give occasion for another set of regulations to prevent these men from abusing their power. It is needlefs, however, to proceed farther in this sort of analysis; these hints, which do not embrace a thousandth part of what would be required, are sufficient to shew, that this regulating system of government, which is understood to originate in human wisdom and beneficence, supposes the exertion of powers that never were designed, and never can belong to man. It is, therefore, a chimera, the cherishing of which in a lefser or greater degree can only tend to derange that economy which the Supreme Being had ordained from the beginning of time to regulate the affairs of human society; and sorry we have been to see the baneful effects of such a system so often experienced, and so cruelly exemplified among mankind, without having, even until this hour, seen the abettors of that system

justly excite; for, unfortunately for Europe, they are to be found intermingled among all sects, amidst all parties, and under every form of government that exists on the globe.

Let us now take a slight glance at the manner in which the simple principle ordained by the Creator universally to prevail, with a view to preserve the existence of society, operates, when it is not overruled by the opprefsive weight of human institutions. With this view, we shall not have recourse to abstruse reasoning, but to plain facts, to clear and undeniable experience alone, such as we find established by the practice of this metropolis. First, let us go to Billingsgate market; but we must be there by three o'clock in the morning, or we shall lose our errand. See what a multitude of boatmen, carmen, fishwomen, hucksters, and others, are all afsembled together at this early hour, and with what keenness and alacrity every individual goes about his businefs! The bustle, the noise, the confusion, is distressing to the idle observer; but to those who are engaged it is nothing. The stalls are emptied in a moment, and again supplied before you can turn yourself twice round. Horses, carts, baskets, wheelbarrows, are seen going off in every direction, full (no one can tell where they are going, or what is to be made of them); while a fresh supply is pouring in from the other side with an equal rapidity. The imagination is confounded by the multiplicity of objects that are passing in succession, and the immense loads of fish that are thus disposed of and distributed with such profusion around. In two hours this bustle is all over, the street is cleared, and we are left at liberty to recollect ourselves a little. We

he establish a correspondence, between the whole, so as to prevent one from giving a greater price than another, or providing too much or too little of any one sort? Leaving these then for his wisdom to regulate, he must next have a body of carriers, waggoners, boatmen, &c. established, and put under such regulations as that they must each reach his place of destination at the time appointed, and bring with them the precise quantity of goods of each kind wanted at that time. To regulate these, and to see that they do not neglect their duty from carelessnefs, drunkenness, or any other allurement, there must be appointed over them a set of commifsaries, officers, and inferior agents, who must be invested with very extensive powers, or their influence would be nugatory; and this will give occasion for another set of regulations to prevent these men from abusing their power. It is needlefs, however, to proceed farther in this sort of analysis; these hints, which do not embrace a thousandth part of what would be required, are sufficient to shew, that this regulating system of government, which is understood to originate in human wisdom and beneficence, supposes the exertion of powers that never were designed, and never can belong to man. It is, therefore, a chimera, the cherishing of which in a lefser or greater degree can only tend to derange that economy which the Supreme Being had ordained from the beginning of time to regulate the affairs of human society; and sorry we have been to see the baneful effects of such a system so often experienced, and so cruelly exemplified among mankind, without having, even until this hour, seen the abettors of that system