11 AUGUST 1866, Page 23

Pcpular Agricultural and Commercial Fallacies. By W. Walter Good. (Stanford.)—Twenty

years of free trade have brought the nation to the verge of ruin. Our author does not appear bold enough to deny that we are prosperous to-day. The increase in the productiveness of the income-tax and in the value of land is too much for him, but to-morrow we shall break down. With all our show of wealth wo are really in the position of the late Mr. Wyndham of Felbrigg, our land mortgaged and our money spent foolishly with foreigners. This had led in some way or other, the author does not explain how, to the present dearness of pro- visions ; and the consequence will be that we shall all have to go to America bodily, unless we lower the price of food by reimposing the duty on corn. Here, again, there lea want oflogical connection, but our author does not appeal to the reason ; he works on the feelings, and his abuse of Messrs. Gladstone and Mill and Radicals in general will go straight to the heart of any Tithonus of the Eldonian times, who; through the cruel kindness of the gods, has been spared to see these evil days. Any one who likes a good hater will enjoy these 525 pages, the perfec- tion of which from his point of view is not marred by any mixture of reasonableness.