PREFACE,

Xx1it
the use of his terms through a long train of rea-
soning, while the whole of his conclusions may
be vitiated by an unperceived transition from
one meaning to another in the original adjust-
ment of his premises, or in the first steps of his
argument.
Besides Mr. Ricardo, the only writerson whom
there are any strictures worthy of notice in the
following work, are Mr. Malthus, Mr. Mill,
and the author of the Templars’ Dialogues on
Political Economy, published in the London
Magazine; of whom the two latter may be
considered as having adopted the doctrines of
Mr. Ricardo with little variation.

Mr. Malthus and Mr. Mill are too well
known to the students of political economy, to
render it necessary to say any thing in this
Place as to their general merits, and it can ex-
cite no surprise that the writings of either
should be subjects of examination in a treatise