hel of wheat 16 0
" malt 9 0
1 lb. of butter 1 0
1 lb. of cheese 4
Tobacco 1
--------
L1 6 5
========

His wages were now 9s., and his allowance from the rates 6s., so that
there was a deficiency of 11s. 5d.

The increase in the cost of living in the last thirty years is
further illustrated by the following table:

1773. 1793. 1799. 1800.
L s. d. L s. d. L s. d. L s. d.

Coomb of malt 12 0 1 3 0 1 3 0 2 0 0
Chaldron of coals 1 11 6 2 0 6 2 6 0 2 11 0
Coomb of oats 5 0 13 0 16 0 1 1 0
Load of hay 2 2 0 4 10 0 5 5 0 7 0 0
Meat, per lb. 4 5 7 9
Butter, " 6 11 11 1 4
Loaf sugar, per lb. 8 1 0 1 3 1 4
Poor rates, in the L 1 0 2 6 3 0 5 0

It was again proposed by Mr. Whitbread in the House of Commons that
wages should be regulated by the price of provisions, and a minimum
wage fixed; but there was enough sense in the House to reject this
return to obsolete methods.

After March, 1801, prices commenced to fall, owing to a favourable
season and the reopening of the Baltic ports, which allowed imports to
come in more freely, for most of our foreign corn at this time came
from Germany and Denmark. At the end of the year wheat averaged 75s.
6d., and with fair seasons it came down in the beginning of 1804 to
49s. 6d. Beef at Smithfield was from 4s. to 5s. 4d. a stone, mutton
from 4s. to 4s. 6d.[530] This great drop in prices was accompanied by
an increase in wages, the labourer from 1804 to 1810 getting on an
average 12s. a week[531]; the cost of implements rose, so did the rate
of interest, and the cry of agricultural distress in 1804 was heard
everywhere. More protection was demanded by those interested in the
land, and accordingly a duty of 24s. 3d. was imposed when the price
was 63s. or under; a bounty was paid on export when it was 40s. or
under; and wheat might be exported without bounty up to 54s.

However, 1804 was a very deficient harvest, owing to blight and
mildew, and by the end of the year wheat was 86s. 2d