natural level, is occasioned by some change, actual or expected, in
the state of the demand or supply. The reason why the consumer pays
a tax upon any manufactured commodity, or an advance in the price of
any of its component parts, is because, if he cannot or will not pay
this advance of price, the commodity will not be supplied in the
same quantity as before; and the next year there will only be such a
proportion in the market, as is accommodated to the number of
persons who will consent to pay the tax. But, in the case of labour,
the operation of withdrawing the commodity is much slower and more
painful. Although the purchasers refuse to pay the advanced price,
the same supply will necessarily remain in the market, not only the
next year, but for some years to come. Consequently, if no increase
take place in the demand, and the advanced price of provisions be
not so great, as to make it obvious that the labourer cannot support
his family, it is probable, that he will continue to pay this
advance, till a relaxation in the rate of the increase of population
causes the market to be under-supplied with labour; and then, of
course, the competition among the purchasers will raise the price
above the proportion of the advance, in order to restore the supply.
In the same manner, if an advance in the price of labour has taken
place during two or three years of great scarcity, it is probable
that, on the return of plenty, the real recompense of labour will
continue higher than the usual average, till a too rapid increase of
population causes a competition among the labourers, and a
consequent diminution of the price of labour below the usual rate.

This account of the manner in which the price of corn may be
expected to operate upon the price of labour, according to the laws
which regulate the progress of population, evidently shows, that
corn and labour rarely keep an even pace together; but must often be