book, to be finally superseded by John
Stuart Mill. Other works statistical and bibliographical showed great
industry, and have still their value. He was so much the typical
economist of the day that he has been identified with Carlyle's
_M'Crowdy_, the apostle of the dismal science.[351] He writes,
however, with enough vivacity and fervour of belief in his creed to
redeem him from the charge of absolute dulness. An abler thinker was
Colonel (Robert) Torrens (1780-1864).[352] He had served with
distinction in the war; but retired on half-pay, and was drawn by some
natural idiosyncrasy into the dry paths of economic discussion. He was
already confuting the French economists in 1808; and was writing upon
the Bank-charter Act and the Ten Hours' Bill in 1844. Torrens held
himself, apparently with justice, to be rather an independent ally
than a disciple of Ricardo. His chief works were an essay upon the
'External Corn-trade' (1815)[353] and an 'Essay on the Production of
Wealth' (1821). Ricardo pronounced his arguments upon the Corn-trade
to be 'unanswered and unanswerable,'[354] and he himself claimed to be
an independent discoverer of the true theory of rent.[355] He was
certainly a man of considerable acuteness and originality. In these
writings we find the most sanguine expressions of the belief that
political economy was not only a potential, but on the verge of
becoming an actual, science. Torrens observes that all sciences have
to pass through a period of controversy; but thinks that economists
are emerging from this stage, and rapidly approaching unanimity. In
twenty years, says this hopeful prophet, there will scarcely exist a
'doubt of its' (Political Economy's) 'fundamental principles.'[356]
Torrens thinks that Ricardo has generalised too much, and Malthus too
little; but proposes, with proper professions of modesty, to take the
true _via media_, and weld the sound principles into a harmonious
whole by a due combination of observation and theory. The science, he
thinks, is 'analogous to the mixed mathematics.'[357] As from the laws
of motion we can deduce the theory of dynamics, so from certain simple
axioms about human nature we can deduce the science of Political
Economy. M'Culloch, at starting, insists in edifying terms upon the
necessity of a careful and comprehensive induction, and of the study
of industrial phenomena in different times and places, and under
varying institutions.[358] This, however, does not