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In reference to [Clarke's?] letter concerning Whewell and Richard Jones's view of Ricardo's theory of rent.

Trinity College - WW had already discovered the mistakes RJ pointed out concerning WW's paper ['Mathematical Exposition of Some Doctrines of Political Economy', 1829]: 'I never expected to do anything except describe the logical consequences of assumed principles, but it seemed not useless to do this - first because Ricardo had done it wrong. Secondly because the strict consequences cannot be obtained, viz the proportions of the tax on rent and without mathematics - and thirdly because it does not seem too much to expect that the data on which the details of the calculation depend may be obtained when it is known to what use they may be put'. RJ must send him without delay the manuscripts to his book ['An Essay on the Distribution of Wealth, and on the Sources of Taxation: Part 1. - Rent', 1831], since the syndics of the Cambridge press meet on May 5th.

Queen's College - CBC thanks WW for a copy of his Six Lectures on Political Economy. He follows the Ricardian view of rent and does not accept WW's or Richard Jones's criticism of it: 'I do not admit the force of the objection that in the great majority of cases throughout the world the Ricardian rent is not the rent actually paid...the Ricardian rent is the rack-rent plus the tenants rates and taxes'. CBC sees no problem applying this to any type of agriculture. WW's 5th lecture is 'most interesting and satisfactory, but the late rise in rents does not mitigate against Ricardo's theorems as deduced from his definition of rent'.

Sends condolences on the death of Angelo Sraffa; comments on Hume's veracity and the rarity of Hume's Abstract [of a treatise on human nature]; is writing a review of W. R. Scott's Adam Smith. Is worried about the Ricardo edition, which he sees as reaching a point of crisis.

Pleased to hear that the Ricardo edition is making good progress; asks Sraffa if he can make any definite announcements with regard to priting. Would like to finish off the edition of Hume's Abstract [of a treatise on human nature].

Concerns possible assistance with the Ricardo edition; asks Kahn to consult with Sraffa. Reddaway has taken a post at the Bank of England. Italian translation of the second volume of the Treatise on Money has arrived.

Is sorry a financial arrangement could not be put in place to work for Sraffa on the Ricardo edition. Reference to Kahn and Keynes. Will 'look after the de Castro etc. at the beginning of September in Amsterdam, talking once more with [Samuel?] Mendes da Costa, who is more than 50 years secretary of the Port[uguese] Jewish community'.

East India College - TRM thanks WW and Richard Jones 'for a valuable work on the distribution of wealth, which I have lately received [Richard Jones, 'An Essay on the Distribution of Wealth and on the Sources of Taxation', 1831]. I have read it with great interest; and as the author has evidently brought much thought and talent to his subject, I am particularly gratified to find that he agrees with me on almost every point on which I differed from Mr Ricardo. I am not sure however whether he has not gone beyond the truth in his unwillingness to admit the tendency of continued accumulation, and of the progress of population and cultivation to lower the rates of profits and corn wages on the land; and if he has finished the subject of rent in the present volume, I cannot help thinking that he has omitted to consider its origin and progress in one of the most interesting and important divisions of it, namely, when the knowledge and habits of an old and improved country are employed upon a fresh and fertile soil, as in the United States, and the numerous colonial establishments which seem about to fill the newer parts of our world. In these cases we must not think of commencing with profits of ten per cent, and corn wages at all like what are found to prevail in old countries. In the United States the corn wages are decidedly above double what they are in this country, while the rate of profits is at the same time very much higher. Now it appears to me that the fall of these high wages and profits, is an absolutely necessary condition of the full cultivation and peopling of the United States; and that if in this country the agricultural labourers were to receive the value of 20 quarters of wheat in the year instead of about 9, it would be quite impossible to retain in cultivation a great part of the land that is now cultivated. - The profits and wages of new colonies, by their gradual fall, allow a considerable increase of rents, without improvement in the mode of conducting the business of agriculture; but in old States, as I have specifically stated, where neither profits nor corn wages are high, the limit to the further increase of rent from the fall of profits and wages is very narrow, and the enlarging incomes of the landlords are almost wholly derived from improvements in agriculture. Even however where an increasing rent is accompanied with a diminution of profits and wages, it is a great error to suppose that it is a mere transfer to the landlord; it always involves an increase of capital and produce, and in fact, on the supposition of a period without improvements in agriculture - a case which surely ought to enter into our consideration, it is a necessary condition of a farther increase of cultivation and agricultural wealth. If the progress of cultivation and population has no tendency to diminish corn wages, I do not see what cause should ever retard the rate at which population is known to increase in the new colonies. I like much in Jones's account of the different kinds of rent which prevail in different countries and at different periods; yet I certainly think that the progress of rent in new colonies not interrupted by premature monopoly and very bad government, together with the farmers rents in the more improved states of Europe, are the most important parts of the subject, and the most practically interesting to us, particularly in this age of emigration. - Mr Jones's view of the effects of auxiliary capital upon the land in diminishing the proportion of agricultural population, and increasing the proportion of the non-agricultural, is very good; and also what he says of the effects of cheaper manufactures in contributing to maintain the same corn wages, though not so new and perhaps pushed a little too far. - It is quite true as Mr Jones observes that I have been unfortunate in my followers. I trust he is aware that the general and practical conclusions which I have myself drawn from my principles both on population and rent, have by no means the gloomy aspect given to them by many of my readers. - I shall be anxious to see the remaining volumes of Mr Jones's work, and I beg you will return him my best thanks. By the bye I have lately read a Review of Lyell's geology in the British Critic, which I hear is by you, with very great gratification and instruction, and another nearly as interesting'.

Boroughmuirhead, nr. Edinburgh - JDF thanks WW for his letter and is very satisfied with his recommendations to his queries [see JDF to WW, 29 May 1831]. He has subsequently purchased a copy of Poisson [S. D. Poisson's Traite de Mechanique, 1811?]. JDF has been studying some of the more difficult parts of the Integral Calculus: completing a paper on the barometer, and conducting an 'experimental examination of a curious question on heat which appears to me to be yet quite unexplained'. JDF read WW's paper on David Ricardo 'with a great deal of pleasure', and gives some minor corrections [Mathematical Exposition of some of the Leading Doctrines in Mr Ricardo's Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, 1831]. The Edinburgh University library has an incomplete collection of the Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and would like WW to forward the missing volumes. He hopes WW will make the first BAAS meeting at York. 'Is Herschel's [John Herschel] Treatise on finite differences only to be found in his translation of Lacroix, which is now very scarce?'.

Hopes to be able to reply to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners before 25th, reading Adam Smith and Ricardo in preperation for being appointed Registrar

Authors include: George Canning, George Ellis, William Elliot, William Henry Freemantle, Robert Grant, J R Grossett, Francis Horner, Thomas Kennedy, William Lamb, Charles Long, James Macdonald, Sir James Mackintosh, Dr Herbert Marsh, Viscount Morpeth, George Lord Nugent, Dr Phillimore, David Ricardo, Sir Samuel Romilly, Earl of Rosebery, Charles Tennyson, Samuel Whitbread and William Windham

Items D3/11/1-85 relate to the Ricardo edition in general. Within this items D3/11/1 - D3/11/35 were preserved together and are files of notes for the Ricardo edition, items D3/11/37-D3/11/55 were preserved together and are files of notes for the Ricardo edition marked "Obsolete"and items D3/11/56- D3/11/76 are files of correspondence relating to the Ricardo edition, many being replies to requests for information on Ricardo letters.
Items D3/11/85a-D3/11/99 relate to Volume I of the edition.
Items D3/11/100-D3/11/106 relate to Volume II.
Items D3/11/107-D3/11/126 relate to Volumes III and IV.
Items D3/11/127- D3/11/137 relate to Volume V.
Items D3/11/138-D3/11/155 relate to Volumes VI to IX.
Items D3/11/156-D3/11/192 relate to Volume X.
Items D3/11/193-D3/11/233 relate to Volume XI.
Items D3/11/234-D3/11/240 relate to the 1973 reprint.