hand, he maintained that the colonies turned adrift would fall out with each other, and be glad to return to political union. The policy pleased nobody in England, and Tucker, though his views were approved in later years by many of the laisser-faire economists, was for a time treated as a ‘Cassandra,’ under which name he published some contributions to the newspapers (see Nichols, Illustrations, vii. 462). The most popular of his American tracts was ‘Cui Bono?’ in the form of letters addressed to Necker (1781), arguing that the war was a mistake for all the nations concerned. In the same year he published a book upon ‘Civil Government,’ attacking Locke's principles as tending to democracy and supporting the British constitution. In 1785 he again applied his theories to the disputes about Irish trade with Great Britain.
Tucker's first wife was the widow of Francis Woodward of Grimsbury, Gloucestershire, and he educated his stepson, Richard Woodward [q. v.], who subsequently became dean of Clogher and bishop of Cloyne. In 1781 Tucker married his housekeeper, Mrs. Crowe. He became infirm, and in 1790 desired to resign his rectory at Bristol on condition that his curate might succeed to it. The chancellor refused to give the required promise, until, at Tucker's request, his petitioners signed a petition on behalf of the curate. Tucker then resigned, and the curate was appointed. Tucker died on 4 Nov. 1799 of ‘gradual decay,’ and was buried in the south transept of Gloucester Cathedral, where a monument was erected to his memory. His portrait, painted by G. Russell, was twice engraved (Bromley, p. 472).
Tucker was a very shrewd though a rather crotchety and inconsistent writer. He is praised by McCulloch and others who shared his view of the inutility of colonies; and he argued very forcibly that a ‘shopkeeping nation’ would not improve its trade by beating its customers. The war with the colonies would, he said, hereafter appear to be as absurd as the crusades. He retained, as McCulloch complains, a good many of the prejudices which later economists sought to explode. He is not clear about the ‘balance of trade;’ he believes in the wickedness of forestalling and regrating, and wishes to stimulate population by legislation. In spite, however, of his inconsistencies and narrowness of views, he deserves credit, as Turgot perceived, for attacking many of the evils of monopolies, and was so far in sympathy with the French economists and with Adam Smith. He deserves the credit of anticipating some of Adam Smith's arguments against various forms of monopoly, but, though he made many good points, he was not equal to forming a comprehensive system.
Tucker's works are: 1. ‘Brief History of the Principles of Methodism,’ Oxford, 1742, 8vo (answered in Wesley's ‘Principles of a Methodist,’ 1746). 2. ‘Two Dissertations’ (in answer to Chubb), 1749. 3. ‘Brief Essay on the Advantages which … attend France and Great Britain with regard to Trade,’ 1750; reprinted in McCulloch's ‘Collection of Tracts,’ 1859. 4. ‘Impartial Enquiry into Benefits … from use of Low-priced Spirituous Liquors,’ 1751, 8vo. 5. ‘Earnest Address to the Common People concerning Cock-throwing on Shrove Tuesday,’ reprinted 1787, was published about this time, and advertised in No. 7. 6. ‘Reflections on … Naturalisation of Foreign Protestants’ (two parts), 1751, 8vo (reprinted 1806). 7. ‘Letter … concerning Naturalisations,’ &c., and a second letter, with opinions of lawyers, 1753, 8vo (in defence of the act for naturalising Jews). 8. ‘Reflections on the Expediency of opening the Trade to Turkey,’ 1753, 8vo. 9. ‘The Elements of Commerce and Theory of Taxes’ (privately printed), 1755, 8vo. 10. ‘Instructions for Travellers’ (privately printed), 1757, 4to. 11. ‘Manifold Causes of the Increase of the Poor,’ &c. [1760], 4to. 12. ‘The Case of going to War for the Sake of … Trade … being a Fragment of a greater Work,’ 1763 (translated by Turgot). 13. ‘The Causes of the Dearness of Provisions assigned,’ 1766 (attributed to Tucker). 14. ‘Apology for the present Church of England … occasioned by the Petition for abolishing Subscription,’ 1772, 8vo. 15. ‘Letters to the Rev. Dr. Kippis,’ 1773 (on same occasion). 16. ‘Four Letters on important National Subjects … to the Earl of Shelburne,’ 1773, 8vo. 17. ‘Religious Intolerance no Part … of the Mosaic or Christian Dispensations,’ 1774, 8vo. 18. ‘Brief and Dispassionate View of the Difficulties attending the Trinitarian, Arian, and Socinian Theories,’ 1774, 8vo. 19. ‘Four Tracts, together with Two Sermons on Political and Commercial Subjects,’ 1775, 8vo; to a third edition (1775) is added a fifth tract, also published separately. 20. ‘Review of Lord Viscount Clare's Conduct as Representative of Bristol’ [1775], 8vo. 21. ‘The Respective Pleas and Answers of the Mother Country and of the Colonies …,’ 1775, 8vo (McCulloch). 22. ‘Letter to Edmund Burke,’ 1775, 8vo (answer to his speech of 22 March 1775). 23. ‘An Humble Address and Earnest Appeal to Respectable Personages …,’ 1775, 8vo
