"With an open trade in corn and a fixed duty we should have every man in the country fully fed and happy, instead of our present situation in which so much distress exists - distress of our own producing"

This quote by Joseph Hume speaks with the power of open trade and fixed duties in offering the people of a country. Hume recommends that if open trade in corn and a fixed task were in location, every person in the nation would be totally fed and delighted. This is in stark contrast to the present situation in which there is much distress, which Hume suggests is a result of the absence of open trade and fixed tasks. Hume's words suggest that open trade and fixed duties are vital for offering individuals of a nation, which the absence of these policies is the cause of much of the distress that exists. His words also suggest that if open trade and fixed duties were in place, the people of the nation would be far better off.