1803O Obfervaitons tn^yihes, 6y 



creafe the evil to the ftate which the commutation is meant t© 

 correift. 



From all thefe confiderations, it appears to me, that no me- 

 thod can be deviled for regulating tythcs fufficient to remove 

 the evils attendant upon the prefenc fyftem, and fecure io effec- 

 tually the intereft of all parties, as a general law fixing a pay- 

 ment in money, according to the rentals of the land from whence 

 tythes are exigible. Such a plan carried into execution would 

 do away the complaint, that tythes obftru^t improvement. It 

 would allow the proprietor to receive full value of his company 

 concern ; it fecures the tythe-holder in his ihare of the property, 

 ns alcertained by the legifl-iture ; and prevents the farmer from 

 being deprived of the benefits flowing from fuch meliorations as 

 he may have made on the land he occupies. 



r am at a lofs to difcover any objections that can be made to 

 the principles of this adjufbment, though aware that, in applying 

 the principle to practice, a diverfity of opinions may prevail rei- 

 ' pe£ling the ratio of payment to be fubftituted ^ but with a full 

 condderation of the quetlion before me, I humbly ("uggeil the fol- 

 lowing outlines of an adjuftment that would promote the publk: 

 welfare, and fecure the intereft of every individual concerned in 

 , the collection or payment of tythes. I propofe that the whole 

 land in England fhall be arranged into three clafTes ; i. Old Ara. 

 ble, 2. Pafture, 3. Wafte. The firft clals under the prefent M^ 

 tem pays almoft the whole tythes that are collected, therefore, 

 any permanent regulation ought in juftice to be higher upon this 

 than the other two clalTes, even holding the different values m 

 view. The iecond dais is, in nine instances out often, kept from 

 convertible huibandry, to efcape the burthen of tythe j and th« 

 laft, except in a few cales, does not yield produce from which 

 tythe can be exacted. Under thefe circumftances, it would be. 

 unreafonable to demand a commutation upon the fame ratio, front 

 thefe different clalTes, though it is fair that each of them fhould 

 bear a reafonable proportion. 



The Scotch law declares, that one- fifth of the free rental fliould 

 "Ije held as equal to the tythe of land. This principle, though evi- 

 dently a fallacious one, has the merit of being clear and diftinct, 

 which is a neceiTary quality in every pubhc meafure. The fifth 

 of the rental in all cafes, like the tenth of the produce, muft o- 

 perate very differently in different fituations, but ftill not to the 

 lame extent, when the rental only is affedted, and ftock in tradr 

 and perfonal abilities are exempted. 



I fiiall therefore take the Scotch law as the bafis of the pro- 

 pofed adjuftment, and recommend that one-fixth o: the rental 

 of land, prefently in an arable ftate, fhould be let apart in lieu of 

 tythe in all time coming 3 and that where fines or graiuims ar-- 



paid, 



