[1]1
Norham Gardens
Oxford
May 27: [year illeg.]
Dear Sir
On my return from abroad yesterday afternoon I found your letter of the 5th.
Circumstances prevented my reading your article in the 19[th] century2: I much regret that I did not. I will do so as [2] soon as I can: but I am going to be Examiner in the Schools3, and shall be sorely pressed for time.
Most certainly[?] I had no feeling of scorn[?] or of any thing like it for the advocat[e]s of reciprocity5. But I cannot help thinking it a perfectly indefen- [3]5 sible and foolish policy for a notion to fall into: and I cannot for the life of me find a single thing to be said for it, except that a producer cannot sell his goods against his foreign competition and asks[?] to be supported at the cost of his own community. But [4] surely the[?] Free Trade advocates[?] say the same thing. I have said nothing new there: and the mischief is so great that I must hold not every man is authorised to speak most plainly about the matter. But I never had any feeling [5]4 except the[?] Protectionists are very naturally mistaken.
As to bounties, say the sugar one — they are indefensible: but I never could get over the difficulty, that if the French are so foolish as to make us [6] constant presents at their own cost, it is hard to find a reason why the people of England should be told not to accept them.
I promise you to read your paper [7]5 carefully and very readily[?], when I have time, and will write to you again at length, if I can[.]
Y[ours] very faith[full]y | B. Price [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3028.2996)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP3028,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3028