A.D. 1689 
—1776. 
540 PARLIAMENTARY COLBERTISM 
it appears that live geese were brought from the Fens to the 
London market in large two-horse carts, arranged with four 
stages, which took them a hundred miles to market in two 
days and a night?; and it is difficult to understand how such 
quantities of Scotch cattle could be driven to the Norfolk 
and Suffolk marshes? unless there was fairly good going. 
XVI. SPIRITED PROPRIETORS AND SUBSTANTIAL 
TENANTS. 
Tis Whigs 233. The fostering of industry was the fundamental 
ed to pro- principle in the economic policy of the Whigs; they were 
mote tillage chiefly concerned in trying to develop existing and to plant 
new manufactures. But they did not forget that agriculture 
was by far the most important of all English employments, 
and that a very large proportion of the population was 
engaged in tillage. The party which came into power after 
the Revolution was eager to promote the interests of the 
farmers?, and formulated a scheme, which was entirely con- 
sonant with accepted maxims, for achieving this result. 
not merely The Court Party at the Restoration had given a large 
1d Thee” measure of protection to English producers of food stuffs, 
Dnglish English agriculturists, as well as English fishermen? were 
bare Joris secured by prohibitive tariffs against colonial competition 
in the home market. But this did not satisfy those who 
were looking further afield, with the view of not only 
meeting the requirements of their countrymen, but of 
catering for foreign consumers as well’. In 1663 the condi- 
tions as to time and price, on which the export of corn was 
permitted, were relaxed’; and an attempt was made by the 
Whigs to remove the export duty in 1677. This would have 
meant a reduction of royal revenue, and it was resisted by the 
1 Defoe’s Tour, 1. 54. 2 Ib. 1. 63. 
8 Colbert recognised the desirability of taking this course, but he did not 
pursue it systematically, Clément, Histoire de Colbert, 1. 365, m. 49. 
4 High rates were levied on the importation of corn by 12 C. IL. e. 4 and 
22 C. II. ¢. 13, An Act for the Improvement of Tillage and the Breed of Cattle. 
512 C. IT. c. 18, § 5. 8 Davenant, Works, v. 424. 
115 C. II. ¢. 7. Steps had been taken to give more scope for the export of 
cereals and other agricultural produce under Cromwell. Calendar 8. P. D. 
1656-17, p. 174; Whitelock. Memorials, 1v. 282.