'f8o3- Agricuhiiral Intelligence, 345J 



limits reftrain lis from doing more than merely mentioning them. 

 He is at prelent bufy in improving a flieep farm, on a great fcalc ; 

 cultivating a iliare of a large common, whicli is chiefly allotted by 

 liim to the fmall farmers removed from the Hieep farm above men^i 

 tinned ; elbiblifhing ah inland village at Halkirk, and a fifliing 

 village at Brodiellown. The extenfion of the town of Thurfo alia 

 claims a principal part of his care ; and, in fhort, he is doing more 

 for the improvement of his native county, than perhaps was ever 

 attempted, in any inftance, by a fingle individual of his rank and 

 fortune. We adniire the unabated zeal of the worthy Baronet, 

 and remark vt^ith pleafure, that no dilficulty is too great for his 

 exertions. In a word, he never lofes fight of his obje£l, but 

 fteadily perfeveres till it is accomplifhed. 



In our lad vi^e difculTed, at confiderable length, the queftion. 

 Whether Scotland was able to pay a malt-tax of equal extent with 

 England } and gave it as our opinion, that, if levied in both coun- 

 tries at the fame rate, fatal confequences would enfue to our 

 agriculture. If we were right, (and public opinion feems now to 

 be on the fide we efpoufed), then thefe confequences muft be 

 dreadfully increafed by the heavy additional burthen, fincc im- 

 pofed, of two fliillings per bufhel ; which in fact will amount al- 

 together to a tax of twenty-two {hillings and fixpence per Liii" 

 hthgow boll of barley, malted in Scotland ; whereas the fuperior 

 barley of England will only pay about twenty-fix {hillings and fix- 

 pence. We find no fault with the tax, merely as a matter of re- 

 venue, if it had been impofed upon jufl principles ; that is to fay, 

 had Scots barley been taxed in proportion to its real value : but as 

 this is not the cafe, every argument, formerly ufed, receives ad- 

 ditional force; In fa£l:, if the preference then amounted to fix: 

 fhillings per boll, on the fide of Englifli barley, it is now aug- 

 mented to double that fum at leall, though perhaps local circum- 

 ftances may prevent this preference from operating regularly in 

 our markets. Except in particular fituations, Scots barley cannot 

 now be malted but under an inevitable lofs, uiilefs it is fold at a 

 price below ifs real value. We fay, its real value ; becaufe the 

 price is artificially deprelTed by the operation of heavy taxes, on 

 all the ilages of manufa6lure ; and this artificial deprelfion ought 

 to be confidered, wben the propriety of an equal tax is difculTed. 



Still, under thefe circumitances, there is caufe to believe that 

 the rriatter will foon be adjufted upon fair and equitable prin- 

 ciples. Mr Addington has promifed that a Committee Ihall be: 

 appointed early in next fcfiion, for afccrtaining the relative qua- 

 lities of the barleys of both countries ; and here we red our 

 hopes. If a pioper Committee are appointed j if they are men 



VOL. iv^ NO. 15. I i i poiTciTei 



