To prevent the recurrence of misery, is, alas! beyond the power of man.

In the vain endeavour to attain what in the nature of things is impossible, we now sacrifice not only possible but certain benefits.

We tell the common people that if they will submit to a code of tyrannical regulations, they shall never be in want.

They do submit to these regulations.

They perform their part of the contract, but we do not, nay cannot, perform ours, and thus the poor sacrifice the valuable blessing of liberty and receive nothing that can be called an equivalent in return.
Notwithstanding, then, the institution of the poor laws in England, I think it will be allowed that considering the state of the lower classes altogether, both in the towns and in the country, the distresses which they suffer from the want of proper and sufficient food, from hard labour and unwholesome habitations, must operate as a constant check to incipient population.
To these two great checks to population, in all long occupied countries, which I have called the preventive and the positive checks, may be added vicious customs with respect to women, great cities, unwholesome manufactures, luxury, pestilence, and war.
All these checks may be fairly resolved into misery and vice.