66 Ohfervations on Tyihes* T^'^** 



ixig the flighteO: defence. It is not concerning their utility or 

 expediency that economifts difpute. Upon this point almoft 

 every one is agreed who has inveftigated the bufinel's. The dif- 

 ference which prevails arifes entirely from the difficulty of mak- 

 ing a juft arrangement, where fo many interells are concerned. 

 If tythes, however, prevent the improvement of the country, or, 

 in other words, occafion the national ftock to be lefs than it 

 would be if they ceafed to operate, every friend to his country 

 will join me in declaring, that a remedy ought to be fought 

 after ; nay, even if a flrong meafure is neceflary to remove fuch 

 an extenfive evil, that it is an incumbent duty upon the govern- 

 ment of the country to put fuch in execution. — Salus populi fum 

 prema lex. 



After having fully conceded the right of impropriators, it can- 

 EOt be fuppofed, that, in propoiing a commutation of tythes, I 

 am in the imalleft manner hoftile to their interefts. My ideas 

 are, that fuch h'^lders are entitled to a full compenfation, if the 

 tax was to be abolifiied ; and I am clear, that it is for their real 

 intcreft that an adjuftment fhould be made. The unproduQive 

 ftate of fuch an extenfive portion of the national property does 

 not ferve them ; nor is it prai^icable to coUedt the full value of 

 tythes were laws multiplied at infimtum, 



I am convinced, that it is the difficulty, not the inexpediency, 

 of a commutation, which has hitherto prevented fuch a lalutary 

 meafure from being enacSled. It has been propofed to value all 

 the tythes prefently paid, and to make that valuation the rule 

 of payment in all time coming ; but to this it is objected, 

 that no regard is thereby paid to the gradual depreciation of 

 money, confequently that the real value of the payment might 

 be annually diminiihcd. The plan eftabliflied in Scotland has 

 teen alfo recommended ; but, though this would cffc£lually re- ^ 

 move the evil, yet, as the right of impropriators is now better 

 fecured than in Charles I's- days, it is evident thi»t fuch a plan 

 flands little chance of being adopted. Again, a corn rent has 

 been propofed by fevcral people, and by others, that a certain 

 part of all tytheable land fliould be fet apart, in lieu of an an- 

 nual payment. To both thefe modes of adjuflment, ftrong, and, 

 in my opinion, valid objections may be offered. Corn is but an 

 awkward article for clergymen to deal in ; and, at any rate, fuch 

 a mode of payment could not apply to pa(tu:-e and wafte land. 

 Befidcs, it would open a door for conftant fquabbling about the 

 quality of the article delivered. The other mode of adjuftment, 

 giving land in lieu of tythe, would, fo far as the clergy are con- 

 cerned, be ftill worfe in a national view. It would put fuch a 

 quantity of land in a Itatc of mortmain as would inevitably en- 



