Priestley died on February 6, without receiving Jefferson’s letter. On February 16, Thomas Cooper, who had announced Priestley’s
death to Jefferson, wrote: “Before your Letter arrived Dr. Priestley was dead: of which I informed you hastily on the same afternoon.
"The work you mention of Mr Malthus, I have perused with deep interest and melancholy conviction of the general truth of his
Theory, but I cannot help thinking he carries it much too far. Granting the tendency of the procreative passion to increase
the human species far beyond the ratio of the increase of Subsistence, this cannot supercede the benefits that may arise from
improvements in the Science of Government, and in all the Arts that contribute to the comforts of human existence, nor do
I think that he allows sufficiently for a studied and improved system of gradual emigration . . .”
Cooper’s letter of criticism of Malthus’s work consists of 4 folio pages.
To this Jefferson replied on February 24: “
. . . A review of Malthus’s anonymous tract had given me great prejudices against his principles. but he has greatly mended
their appearance in his last work. he has certainly furnished some sound corrections of former errors, and given excellent
views of some questions in political economy. but I think with you he is particularly defective in developing the resource
of emigration. were half the money employed under the poor laws in England, laid out in colonising their able bodied poor
both the emigrants and those who remained would be the happier. from the singular circumstance of the immense extent of rich
& uncultivated lands in this country, furnishing an increase of food in the same ratio with that of population, the greater
part of his book is inapplicable to us, but as a matter of speculation . . .
”
Thomas Robert Malthus, 1766-1834, English political economist. The first edition of this work was published anonymously in 1798. This third edition
has certain changes, pointed out in the Advertisement to the Third Edition at the beginning. The book was written as a result
of the essay on
Avarice in William Godwin’s
The Enquirer
, see no. 2360.
[2938]
J. 252
Sinclair on the revenues of the British empire.
4
to.
1815 Catalogue, page 104. no. 408, as above.
SINCLAIR,
Sir John.
The History of the public revenue of the British Empire. By John Sinclair, Esq . . .
London: printed by
W. and A. Strahan,
m dcc lxxxv
. [1785]--
Appendix to the history of the public revenue of the British Empire. By Sir John Sinclair, Bart.
London: printed for
T. Cadell,
m dcc lxxxix
. [1789.]
HJ2603 .S4
First Edition. 3 parts in 1. 4to. 107, 65 and 48 leaves, the last a blank. The two parts of the History with separate signatures
and pagination.
Lowndes V, 2404.
Palgrave III, 403.
McCulloch 336 (not this edition).
Bound, probably for Jefferson, in calf, blue silk bookmark, not initialled by him; with the Library of Congress 1815 bookplate.
The Appendix was sent to Jefferson by Sinclair who has written on the half-title:
From the author.
Several works by Sir John Sinclair, a friend of Jefferson, appear in this catalogue.
Sir John Sinclair wrote to Jefferson on March 27, 1789, that he was sending him a copy of the Appendix: “I have requested Mr Hamilton, a Gentleman of information & merit, who will deliver this to you, to take with him to Paris, the appendix to my history of the British Revenue, of which I beg your acceptance . . .” (Pierpont Morgan Library)
[2939]
J. 253
Arithmetique Lineaire de Playfair.
4
to.
1815 Catalogue, page 94. no. 401, as above.
PLAYFAIR,
William.
Tableaux d’arithmétique linéaire, du commerce, des finances, et de la dette nationale de l’Angleterre. Par M. W. Playfair. Suivis d’un essai sur la meilleure manière de faire les emprunts publics; d’après la comparaison des emprunts
