I don't believe thirty millions of people with
boundless territory ever can be."

"But after all," said Endymion, "America is as little in favour of free
exchange as we are. She may send us her bread-stuffs; but her laws will
not admit our goods, except on the payment of enormous duties."

"Pish!" said Thornberry; "I do not care this for their enormous duties.
Let me have free imports, and I will soon settle their duties."

"To fight hostile tariffs with free imports," said Endymion; "is not
that fighting against odds?"

"Not a bit. This country has nothing to do but to consider its imports.
Foreigners will not give us their products for nothing; but as for their
tariffs, if we were wise men, and looked to our real interests, their
hostile tariffs, as you call them, would soon be falling down like an
old wall."

"Well, I confess," said Endymion, "I have for some time thought the
principle of free exchange was a sound one; but its application in a
country like this would be very difficult, and require, I should think,
great prudence and moderation."

"By prudence and moderation you mean ignorance and timidity," said
Thornberry scornfully.

"Not exactly that, I hope," said Endymion; "but you cannot deny that
the home market is a most important element in the consideration of our
public wealth, and it mainly rests upon the agriculture of the country."

"Then it rests upon a very poor foundation," said Thornberry.

"But if any persons should be more tempted than others by free exchange,
it should be the great body of the consumers of this land, who pay
unjust and excessive prices for every article they require. No, my dear
Mr. Ferrars; the question is a very simple one, and we may talk for
ever, and we shall never alter it. The laws of this country are made by
the proprietors of land, and they make them for their own benefit. A man
with a large estate is said to have a great stake in the country because
some hundreds of people or so are more or less dependent on him. How has
he a greater interest in the country than a manufacturer who has sunk
100,000 pounds in machinery, and has a thousand people, as I had,
receiving from him weekly wages? No home market, indeed! Pah! it is an
affair of rent, and nothing more or less. And England is to be ruined
to keep up rents. Are you going? Well, I am glad we have met. Perhaps
we shall have another talk together some day. I shall not return to
the works. There is little doing