oportioned to the offence, as
in cases of usury, and then it would be effectual; but to let small
misdemeanors go free and to punish great ones beyond measure is the
way to elude punishment in all cases. A man ought to pay his bill; let
the attorney take the money at his peril, and let there be a court to
judge fairly, at little expense, and with promptitude, and punish the
extortion by a treble fine. This would answer; but all regulations,
relative to law, are left to the lawyers themselves; and the fable of the
Man, the Lion, and the Picture, was never so well exemplified, Never,
in any case, was redress more wanted; perhaps, never was it less likely
to be had.

The unequal division of property, as has been shewn, arises partly
from bad laws, and partly from neglect of regulation; it is, indeed, one
of the most delicate points to interfere in; nevertheless, as it has been
proved, that laws do already interfere between a man and the use of
his property, (and that it is, in some cases, necessary that they should
do so) the question is reduced to one of circumstances and
expediency, it is not one to be determined, in the abstract, on
principle. It is also of too nice a nature to be touched roughly by
general regulation; but, if large estates in land, and large farms, were
taxed higher in proportion than small ones, it would counteract, to a
certain degree, the tendency of landed property to accumulate in any
one person's hand; and, except in land, property seldom remains long
enough in one family to accumulate to a dangerous degree. {213}

---
{213} Besides the above truth, of other property being liable to be
dissipated from its nature the law of primogeniture does not attach on
it, and the evil, if it did, would not be any way considerable.
-=-

[end of page #280]

The increased consumption of a nation, which we have found one of
the causes of decline that increases with its wealth, may be more
effectually prevented than any other; not by interfering with the mode
in which individuals expend their wealth, but by managing it so that
vegetable food shall always be in abundance; and if so, the high prices
of animal food, and the low price of vegetables will answer the
purpose of counteracting the taste for the former, which is the cause of
the dearth, and brings on depopulation; and therefore its hurtful effect
will be prevented. {214}

To this, gentlemen of landed property may object, and no doubt will
object, bu