Inthesecondplace，theenforcedlownessofpricespreventedanygeneralretrenchmentonthepartofthecitizens。Nobodyfeltitnecessarytoeconomize。Everyoneboughtasmuchbread，andateitasfreely，asifthegovernmentbyinsuringitscheapnesshadinsureditsabundance。Sothecitylivedinhighspiritsandingleefuldefianceofitsbesiegers，untilallatonceprovisionsgaveout，andthegovernmenthadtostepinagaintopalliatethedistresswhichithadwrought。Itconstituteditselfquartermaster-generaltothecommunity，anddoledoutstintedrationsaliketorichandpoor，withthatsterndemocraticimpartialitypeculiartotimesofmortalperil。Butthisservedonly，likemostartificialpalliatives，tolengthenoutthemisery。Atthetimeofthesurrender，notaloafofbreadcouldbeobtainedforloveormoney。
InthiswayabunglingactoflegislationhelpedtodecidefortheworseacampaignwhichinvolvedtheterritorialintegrityandfuturewelfareofwhatmighthavebecomeagreatnationperformingavaluablefunctioninthesystemofEuropeancommunities。
Thestrikingcharacterofthisinstructiveexamplemustbeourexcuseforpresentingitatsuchlength。AtthebeginningofthefamineinBengaltheauthoritieslegislatedinverymuchthesamespiritastheburgherswhohadtodefendAntwerpagainstParma。
“Byinterdictingwhatitwaspleasedtotermthemonopolyofgrain，itpreventedpricesfromrisingatoncetotheirnaturalrates。TheProvincehadacertainamountoffoodinit，andthisfoodhadtolastaboutninemonths。Privateenterpriseiflefttoitselfwouldhavestoredupthegeneralsupplyattheharvest，withaviewtorealizingalargerprofitatalaterperiodinthescarcity。Priceswouldinconsequencehaveimmediatelyrisen，compellingthepopulationtoreducetheirconsumptionfromtheverybeginningofthedearth。Thegeneralstockwouldthushavebeenhusbanded，andthepressureequallyspreadoverthewholeninemonths，insteadofbeingconcentrateduponthelastsix。Thepriceofgrain，inplaceofpromptlyrisingtothreehalf-penceapoundasin1865-66，continuedatthreefarthingsduringtheearliermonthsofthefamine。Duringthelatteronesitadvancedtotwopence，andincertainlocalitiesreachedfourpence。“
Thecoursetakenbythegreatfamineof1866wellillustratestheaboveviews。Thisfamine，also，wascausedbythetotalfailureoftheDecemberrice-crop，anditwasbroughttoaclosebyanabundantharvestinthesucceedingyear。