Trinity College - WW thinks RJ has made the right decision in 'the matter of publishing' [limiting his first book to rent - see WW to RJ, 21 May 1830: 'An Essay on the Distribution of Wealth, and on the Sources of Taxation: Part 1. - Rent', 1831]: 'It will save you and me the endless annoyances and impossibilities which we incur by trying to print a book which is still to write, as if it were already written'. WW is grateful for RJ pointing out Dupin's [Charles Dupin] speculations: 'Do you not see that they are all mere mathematical consequences of Gregory King's [probably King's 'Natural and Political Observations and conclusions Upon the State and Condition of England', 1696] talk of the dependence of price on quantity which I told you was necessary for all mathematical working? They appear to me very useless on the account you mention and on some others which I will explain to you some day. I have still a great hankering after my plan of driving the dogmatical school of political economy into their proper region of mathematics, and a growing conviction of the possibility of doing this with great profit'.
Tithe Commmission - Thanks WW for his account of the election: 'I am glad you were able to vote for Mill without injuring Wordsworth [Christopher Wordsworth junior]'. RJ is 'puzzled for some measure of the addition of human power made by tools[,] machinery etc. independently of any moving force besides the human frame. Dupin [Charles Dupin] and others confine themselves in comparing the relative productive powers of nations to a comparison of moving forces as wind['] steam[,] horses etc'. However 'give one man a spade[,] hoe and pickaxe leave another without them - what a difference between a population well supplied throughout with the best implements and machinery and a population ill supplied though their motive force be assumed the same. Take a cotton mill and a 80 horse power steam engine - but then look inside the mill and see the mechanical contrivances - do not they add also to the productive power of the population - why do I scribble all this why I want to ask you if you think Willis [Robert Willis] would give any thought to the subject if I wrote a short paper on it and sent it to him'. 'In estimating the progress and present state of industry throughout the world it is of essential importance and has been overlooked'.
Preston - WW rejoices again at RJ's appointment as Commissioner [see WW to RJ, 12 Aug. 1836]. WW was encouraged by the account RJ gave of Rose's [Hugh James Rose] 'probable promotion; and indignant to find, at the end of your letter, that it was likely to be defeated by that insatiable Lonsdale. I have heard nothing more, so I am still hoping Rose will be the man. I do not doubt that if he were comfortably seated in the office he would mollify his prejudices and dislikes and work it well. I hope he is tranquil again about your appointment. I wrote to him, explaining in as justly a manner as I could, how invincible your claims were, and how much the clergy ought to rejoice at them as well'. The BAAS meeting has gone on well: 'Charles Dupin was with us and spoke repeatedly. Buckland [William Buckland] talked such philosophy that the ladies wanted to toss him in a blanket; and your statistician Stanley of Alderly next made such a speech as almost to make me despair of the fortunes of the next meeting of which he is to be vice-president'.