The fact that we are not in a state of desolation does not mean we should be grateful to the law.

John Bright, translated by Frédéric Bastiat
Complete Works, Volume 3, pages 419 to 429 (in French)
Manchester, January 22nd, 1845

This first meeting in 1845 gives the opportunity to John Bright to give an overview of the progress made by the League over its five years of existence. Its success may be observed in the amounts that it has collected, growing from 5.000 pounds in 1839 to a little more of 80.000 pounds in 1844 but also through the vote of Charles Villiers’ motion on June 28, 1844 that was rejected by a majority of “only” 132 votes.

In today’s quote, the law that is referred to is indeed the corn law. What John Bright is reminding us here is that legislation is not the source of everything and that if the wheat costs “only” 45 shillings a quarter rather than 65 shillings as it did two years earlier, this is not thanks to the legislation but in spite of it. This is also true for most government actions. It is no luxury to remind ourselves that the economy “works” with production and consumption of individuals who are or are not organised in all sorts of collaborating entities. Unlike what they would like us to believe, the government is not at the origin of GDP or the job market. Unfortunately, the damage that can be caused by government is much higher than the good it can do but politicians do not know that. The existence of a legislation is not sufficient to explain the good that is attributed to it and the absence of a legislation that is necessarily coercive is often desirable. This will be the theme of the Circulars from a Government that is Nowhere to be Found.