The Online Library of Liberty

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• Abbreviations
• 300.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 290 & 299]
• 301.: Ricardo to Murray1
• 302.: Ricardo to Mill1[answered By 303]
• 303.: Mill to Ricardo2[reply to 298 & 302]
• 304.: Trower to Ricardo1[reply to 295.—ANSWERED By 307]
• 305.: Ricardo to Place2
• 306.: Sharp to Ricardo2
• 307.: Ricardo to Trower2[reply to 304]
• 308.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[answered By 309]
• 309.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 308.—ANSWERED By 310]
• 310.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 309.—ANSWERED By 314]
• 311.: Trower to Ricardo1[answered By 312]
• 312.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 311]
• 313.: Ricardo to Trower2
• 314.: Mcculloch to Ricardo4[reply to 310.—ANSWERED By 315]
• 315.: Ricardo to Mcculloch3[reply to 314]
• 316.: Trower to Ricardo1[answered By 317]
• 317.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 316]
• 318.: Ricardo to Mill2[answered By 319]
• 319.: Mill to Ricardo1[reply to 318]
• 320.: Mill to Ricardo1
• 321.: Ricardo to Mill4[answered By 322]
• 322.: Mill to Ricardo3[reply to 321.—ANSWERED By 323]
• 323.: Ricardo to Mill1[reply to 322.—ANSWERED By 325]
• 324.: Malthus to Ricardo2[answered By 328]
• 325.: Mill to Ricardo4[reply to 323.—ANSWERED By 329]
• 326.: Ricardo to Place1
• 327.: Trower to Ricardo3[answered By 330]
• 328.: Ricardo to Malthus1[reply to 324.—ANSWERED By 338]
• 329.: Ricardo to Mill2[reply to 325.—ANSWERED By 332 & 337]
• 330.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 327.—ANSWERED By 339]
• 331.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[answered By 333]
• 332.: Mill to Ricardo2[reply to 329]
• 333.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 331.—ANSWERED By 344]
• 334.: Brown to Ricardo1[answered By 336]
• 335.: Brown to Ricardo1[answered By 336]
• 336.: Ricardo to Brown1[reply to 334 & 335]
• 337.: Mill to Ricardo1[reply to 329]
• 338.: Malthus to Ricardo1[reply to 328.—ANSWERED By 345]
• 339.: Trower to Ricardo3[reply to 330.—ANSWERED By 346]
• 340.: Bentham to Ricardo1
• 341.: Ricardo to Place2
• 342.: Place to Ricardo1[answered By 343]
• 343.: Ricardo to Place1[reply to 342]
• 344.: Mcculloch to Ricardo2[reply to 333.—ANSWERED By 349]
• 345.: Ricardo to Malthus2[reply to 338]
• 346.: Ricardo to Trower2[reply to 339]
• 347.: Say to Ricardo1[answered By 352]
• 348.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[answered By 349]
• 349.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 344 & 348]
• 350.: Ricardo to Heathfield1
• 351.: Ricardo to Trower1
• 352.: Ricardo to Say1[reply to 347.—ANSWERED By 356]
• 353.: Lord Grenville to Ricardo2
• 354.: Ricardo to Trower1
• 355.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[answered By 358]
• 356.: Say to Ricardo1[reply to 352]
• 357.: Ricardo to Trower1
• 358.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 355.—ANSWERED By 359]
• 359.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 358.—ANSWERED By 360]
• 360.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 359.—ANSWERED By 361]
• 361.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 360—answered By 366]
• 362.: Ricardo to Mcculloch2[answered By 366]
• 363.: Ricardo to Malthus2
• 364.: Ricardo to Sinclair1
• 365.: Ricardo to Napier1
• 366.: Mcculloch to Ricardo3[reply to 361 & 362.—ANSWERED By 368]
• 367.: Ricardo to Bentham2
• 368.: Ricardo to Mcculloch3[reply to 366.—ANSWERED By 372]
• 369.: Bentham to Ricardo5
• 370.: Ricardo to Mill3
• 371.: Trower to Ricardo3[answered By 373]
• 372.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 368.—ANSWERED By 375]
• 373.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 371.—ANSWERED By 376]
• 374.: Ricardo to Mill2
• 375.: Ricardo to Mcculloch2[reply to 372.—ANSWERED By 377]
• 376.: Trower to Ricardo1[reply to 373—answered By 380]
• 377.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 375.—ANSWERED By 381]
• 378.: Malthus to Ricardo1[answered By 379]
• 379.: Ricardo to Malthus2[reply to 378.—ANSWERED By 388]
• 380.: Ricardo to Trower2[reply to 376.—ANSWERED By 384]
• 381.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 377]
• 382.: Mill to Ricardo1[answered By 383]
• 383.: Ricardo to Mill1[reply to 382]
• 384.: Trower to Ricardo1[reply to 380.—ANSWERED By 387]
• 385.: Mill to Ricardo2[answered By 386]
• 386.: Ricardo to Mill1[reply to 385.—ANSWERED By 389]
• 387.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 384.—ANSWERED By 390]
• 388.: Malthus to Ricardo1[reply to 379.—ANSWERED By 392]
• 389.: Mill to Ricardo1[reply to 386.—ANSWERED By 394]
• 390.: Trower to Ricardo1[reply to 387.—ANSWERED By 391]
• 391.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 390.—ANSWERED By 397]
• 392.: Ricardo to Malthus1[reply to 388.—ANSWERED By 395]
• 393.: Say to Ricardo1[answered By 430]
• 394.: Ricardo to Mill1[reply to 389.—ANSWERED By 398]
• 395.: Malthus to Ricardo1[reply to 392.—ANSWERED By 402]
• 396.: Grenfell to Ricardo1
• 397.: Trower to Ricardo4[reply to 391.—ANSWERED By 403]
• 398.: Mill to Ricardo2[reply to 394.—ANSWERED By 400]
• 399.: Mill to Ricardo2[answered By 400]
• 400.: Ricardo to Mill3[reply to 398 & 399]
• 401.: Ricardo to Mccullochcculloch3[answered By 406]
• 402.: Ricardo to Malthus1[reply to 395.—ANSWERED By 404]
• 403.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 397.—ANSWERED By 410]
• 404.: Malthus to Ricardo1[reply to 402.—ANSWERED By 405]
• 405.: Ricardo to Malthus1[reply to 404.—ANSWERED By 408]
• 406.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 401.—ANSWERED By 407]
• 407.: Ricardo to Mccullochcculloch1[reply to 406.—ANSWERED By 412]
• 408.: Malthus to Ricardo1[reply to 405]
• 409.: Ricardo to Mcculloch3[answered By 412]
• 410.: Trower to Ricardo2[reply to 403.—ANSWERED By 415]
• 411.: Malthus to Ricardo2
• 412.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 407 & 409.—ANSWERED By 416]
• 413.: Mill to Ricardo3[answered By 414]
• 414.: Ricardo to Mill2[reply to 413]
• 415.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 410.—ANSWERED By 419]
• 416.: Ricardo to Mcculloch2[reply to 412.—ANSWERED By 417]
• 417.: Mcculloch to Ricardo2[reply to 416.—ANSWERED By 418]
• 418.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 417.—ANSWERED By 421]
• 419.: Trower to Ricardo1[reply to 415.—ANSWERED By 420]
• 420.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 419]
• 421.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 418.—ANSWERED By 422]
• 422.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 421.—ANSWERED By 424]
• 423.: Trower to Ricardo3[answered By 426]
• 424.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 422.—ANSWERED By 428]
• 425.: Tooke to Ricardo3
• 426.: Ricardo to Trower1[reply to 423]
• 427.: Tooke to Ricardo2
• 428.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 424.—ANSWERED By 431]
• Malthus to Sismondi1
• 429.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1
• 430.: Ricardo to Say2[reply to 393.—ANSWERED By 446]
• 431.: Mcculloch to Ricardo2[reply to 428.—ANSWERED By 433]
• 432.: Ricardo to Sinclair1
• 433.: Ricardo to Mcculloch2[reply to 431.—ANSWERED By 434]
• 434.: Mcculloch to Ricardo1[reply to 433.—ANSWERED By 436]
• 435.: Trower to Ricardo1[answered By 437]
• 436.: Ricardo to Mcculloch1[reply to 434.—ANSWERED By 474]

372.

m^cculloch to ricardo1
[Reply to 368.—Answered by 375]

Edinburgh 16 July 1820

My Dear Sir

I trust to your goodness to excuse me for having so long delayed acknowledging the receipt of your most valuable and excellent letter of the 13th ulto—It will be of great use to me in framing the article Value for the Supplement2 —I am not so presumptuous as to imagine that I shall be able to fix on a measure of value which will not be liable to any of those objections which have been urged against those hitherto employed; but I think that all that is necessary to set your theory of value in a sufficiently clear point of view, is to compare commodities produced under different circumstances with standards also produced under different circumstances—Such a comparison might be instituted without occasioning any great intricacy of statement, and if it were properly conducted would exhaust the subject as far as actually existing standards are concerned, and explain many of the seemingly anomalous appearances which occur in the relation of commodities to each other—This is nearly all I ever intended attempting, and with your assistance I may perhaps hope to succeed.

I have been thinking of trying my hand on an article on the subject of Tithes for the Review.3 Tithes as you have shewn (for it is to you that I acknowledge myself indebted for almost all that I know of political economy) are merely a tax on corn—But they are tax levied in the most revolting manner, and it will also be necessary to give the reasoning by which your conclusion has been established a greater degree of extension, and if possible a more popular shape—It would be most gratifying to me to receive any suggestion from you relative to this subject—

I perceive you have been moving for some papers connected with the trade in French wines—This is a subject of which I should like to be master—Do your motions embrace the quantities of French wines imported and consumed for a long period back? and do they distinguish the different rates of duty? Permit me to say that this is what I think they ought to embrace, and not to be restricted to a few years or to the port of London1 —Mr. Brougham, in his celebrated speech on the state of the Nation in March 1817 refers to a petition presented by Mr. Sharpe as containing an accurate history of the wine trade2 —I have never been able to obtain a copy of this petition; and if I might use so much freedom I would beg you would have the goodness to send me, if it can be easily procured, a copy of it, along with the papers you have moved for, and whatever brief remarks may be necessary to make me understand them—

The discussions about the Queen, and still more the discussions about the Professorship of Moral Philosophy have for the last five or six weeks made a complete breach in my studies—However one of these interruptions will speedily be removed, and as I presume by the election of Wilson—He is as thorough a knave as is to be found in the country, but he is connected with the son in law of Sir Walter Scott who has got Lord Melville to interfere in his behalf, and that I suppose will be enough—Almost all the respectable part of the Tory party have protested against this most disgusting of all disgusting jokes—Wilson, I know for certain, once dined at Mr. Jeffreys country house, and he very soon after published a most false and offensive account of what took place at the table of his accomplished host, and even ridiculed Mrs. Jeffrey!—Yet this is the most venial of a thousand other offences of which this protegé of ministers has been guilty—I have to apologise for obtruding this on your attention; but I am sure you cannot but be indignant at this vile attempt to degrade the most efficient Seminary in the kingdom1 —I am with the greatest affection and esteem

Yours most faithfully

J. R. M^cCulloch

Have the goodness in future to address me at

No 10 Būccleūgh Place

[1 ]Addressed: ‘David Ricardo Esq M.P. / Upper Brook Street, / London’. Re-directed: ‘13 Artillery Place / Brighton’.

MS in R.P.

[2 ]See above, p. 189, n. 2.

[3 ]See below, p. 222, n. 2.

[1 ]See below, p. 214, n. 1.

[2 ]The petition of the importers of wine, mentioned by Brougham on 13 March 1817, had been presented to the House of Commons by Richard Sharp on 25 February the same year; see Hansard, XXXV, 639 ff. and 1034, and Journals of the House of Commons, vol. lxxxii, p. 107.

[1 ]In the end, John Wilson was elected. McCulloch, who had a personal feud with Wilson (see below, IX, 205), conducted a vigorous campaign against him in the Scotsman; and after the election J. G. Lockhart, the son-inlaw of Scott, celebrated the success of his friend with a poem (‘The Testimonium’, in Blackwood’s Magazine, July 1820) in which he lavished abuse on ‘The Galovegian Stot (I mean Macculloch)’. The Professorship combined the subjects of Moral Philosophy and Political Economy, and when in 1825 McCulloch’s friends proposed to establish for him a Chair of Political Economy at Edinburgh, Wilson succeeded in defeating the project by appealing to Government for protection of his vested interest. On that occasion Wilson, under the pseudonym of ‘Mordecai Mullion, Private Secretary to Christopher North’, issued Some Illustrations of Mr. McCulloch’s Principles of Political Economy, Edinburgh, Blackwood, 1826, in which he exposed McCulloch’s practice of reprinting over and over again the same articles, representing them as fresh ones, in the Scotsman, in the Edinburgh Review, in the Supplement to the Encyclopaedia Britannica and in his books. However, as Prof. Ferrier writes, ‘in after life Professor Wilson and Mr McCulloch were thoroughly reconciled.’ (See A. Lang, Life of Lockhart, 1897, vol. i, pp. 239–43; Mrs Gordon, ‘Christopher North’, A Memoir of John Wilson, 1879, p. 297 ff.; J. Wilson, Works, ed. Ferrier, 1855, vol. i, p. 140, n.)