Iamsufficientlyawarethattheredundanttwenty—eightmillions，orseventy—sevenmillions，thatIhavementioned，couldneverhaveexisted。ItisaperfectlyjustobservationofMrGodwin，that，’Thereisaprincipleinhumansociety，bywhichpopulationisperpetuallykeptdowntothelevelofthemeansofsubsistence。’Thesolequestionis，whatisthisprinciple？isitsomeobscureandoccultcause？Isitsomemysteriousinterferenceofheavenwhich，atacertainperiod，strikesthemenwithimpotence，andthewomenwithbarrenness？Orisitacause，opentoourresearches，withinourview，acause，whichhasconstantlybeenobservedtooperate，thoughwithvariedforce，ineverystateinwhichmanhasbeenplaced？Isitnotadegreeofmisery，thenecessaryandinevitableresultofthelawsofnature，whichhumaninstitutions，sofarfromaggravating，havetendedconsiderablytomitigate，thoughtheynevercanremove？
Itmaybecurioustoobserve，inthecasethatwehavebeensupposing，howsomeofthelawswhichatpresentgoverncivilizedsociety，wouldbesuccessivelydictatedbythemostimperiousnecessity。Asman，accordingtoMrGodwin，isthecreatureoftheimpressionstowhichheissubject，thegoadingsofwantcouldnotcontinuelong，beforesomeviolationsofpublicorprivatestockwouldnecessarilytakeplace。Astheseviolationsincreasedinnumberandextent，themoreactiveandcomprehensiveintellectsofthesocietywouldsoonperceive，thatwhilepopulationwasfastincreasing，theyearlyproduceofthecountrywouldshortlybegintodiminish。Theurgencyofthecasewouldsuggestthenecessityofsomemediatemeasurestobetakenforthegeneralsafety。Somekindofconventionwouldthenbecalled，andthedangeroussituationofthecountrystatedinthestrongestterms。Itwouldbeobserved，thatwhiletheylivedinthemidstofplenty，itwasoflittleconsequencewholabouredtheleast，orwhopossessedtheleast，aseverymanwasperfectlywillingandreadytosupplythewantsofhisneighbour。Butthatthequestionwasnolongerwhetheronemanshouldgivetoanotherthatwhichhedidnotusehimself，butwhetherheshouldgivetohisneighbourthefoodwhichwasabsolutelynecessarytohisownexistence。Itwouldberepresented，thatthenumberofthosethatwereinwantverygreatlyexceededthenumberandmeansofthosewhoshouldsupplythem;thatthesepressingwants，whichfromthestateoftheproduceofthecountrycouldnotallbegratified，hadoccasionedsomeflagrantviolationsofjustice;thattheseviolationshadalreadycheckedtheincreaseoffood，andwould，iftheywerenotbysomemeansorotherprevented，throwthewholecommunityinconfusion;thatimperiousnecessityseemedtodictatethatayearlyincreaseofproduceshould，ifpossible，beobtainedatallevents;thatinordertoeffectthisfirst，great，andindispensablepurpose，itwouldbeadvisabletomakeamorecompletedivisionofland，andtosecureeveryman’sstockagainstviolationbythemostpowerfulsanctions，evenbydeathitself。
Itmightbeurgedperhapsbysomeobjectorsthat，asthefertilityofthelandincreased，andvariousaccidentsoccurred，theshareofsomemenmightbemuchmorethansufficientfortheirsupport，andthatwhenthereignofself—lovewasonceestablished，theywouldnotdistributetheirsurplusproducewithoutsomecompensationinreturn。Itwouldbeobserved，inanswer，thatthiswasaninconveniencegreatlytobelamented;
butthatitwasanevilwhichborenocomparisontotheblacktrainofdistressesthatwouldinevitablybeoccasionedbytheinsecurityofproperty;thatthequantityoffoodwhichonemancouldconsumewasnecessarilylimitedbythenarrowcapacityofthehumanstomach;thatitwasnotcertainlyprobablethatheshouldthrowawaytherest;butthatevenifheexchangedhissurplusfoodforthelabourofothers，andmadetheminsomedegreedependentonhim，thiswouldstillbebetterthanthattheseothersshouldabsolutelystarve。
Itseemshighlyprobable，therefore，thatanadministrationofproperty，notverydifferentfromthatwhichprevailsincivilizedstatesatpresent，wouldbeestablished，asthebest，thoughinadequate，remedyfortheevilswhichwerepressingonthesociety。