Pièce 76 - William Whewell to Richard Jones

4 pp.

WW sends his corrections to one of RJ's printed sheets ['An Essay on the Distribution of Wealth, and on the Sources of Taxation: Part 1. - Rent', 1831]. He has also scrutinized the manuscript and made some changes. WW is not convinced by RJ's 'argument to shew that a creation of rent arising from a rise in raw produce diminishes the share of the producers[,] it seems to me that you only shew that it diminishes the share of the consumers and that a link or two is wanting'. RJ should leave all the talk concerning the value of metals in different countries to Ricardo and Malthus. 'The rent is clear enough and I think will interest' - although WW thinks RJ should, wherever possible, relate the argument to the bearing it has on this or some other country: 'it is the most obvious way to attract and enliven and will prevent your being as dull as the corresponding parts of Ricardo which you cannot afford to be because your results are not so paradoxical as his - moreover you write diabolically - and have I really think got an impediment in your writing by way of compensation for the glibness of your tongue'.