Wesley Corpus

But where is the remedy? Perhaps it exceeds all the wisdom of man to tell: But it may not be amiss to offer a few hints on the subject. II. 1. What remedy is there for this sore evil,--many thou sand poor people are starving? Find them work, and you will find them meat. They will then earn and eat their own bread. 2. But how can the masters give them work without ruining themselves? Procure vent for what is wrought, and the masters will give them as much work as they can do. And this would be done by sinking the price of provisions; for then people would have money to buy other things too. 3. But how can the price of wheat and barley be reduced?" By prohibiting for ever, by making a full end of that bane of health, that destroyer of strength, of life, and of virtue, -distil ling. Perhaps this alone might go a great way toward answer ing the whole design. It is not improbable, it would speedily sink the price of corn, at least one part in three. If anything more were required, might not all starch be made of rice, and the importation of this, as well as of corn, be encouraged? 4. How can the price of oats be reduced ? By reducing the number of horses. And may not this be effectually done, (without affecting the ploughman, the waggoner, or any of those who keep horses for common work,) (1.) By laying a tax of ten pounds on every horse exported to France, for which (notwithstanding an artful paragraph in a late public paper) there is as great a demand as ever? (2.) By laying an additional tax on gentlemen’s carriages? Not so much on every wheel, (barefaced, shameless partiality !) but five pounds yearly upon every horse. And would not these two taxes alone supply near as much as is now paid for leave to poison His Majesty’s liege subjects? 5. How can the price of beef and mutton be reduced ? By increasing the breed of sheep and horned cattle. And this would soon be increased sevenfold, if the price of horses was reduced; which it surely would be, half in half, by the method above mentioned. 6. How can the price of pork and poultry be reduced ? Whether it ever will, is another question.