l8o3« cf the Comity of Down. 4^5 



great, viewed either in an ai^ricultur il or political light. Were 

 there an Agrarian law eftablillied in Downlhirc, and its territory 

 divided among its freeholders, each of them would have fifty 

 Irilh acres. This would produce a temporary equality, and a tur- 

 bulent deiriocracy, in which agriculture would be very impcrfLxt- 

 ly concluded. But at prefent, when landed proprietors contrive 

 to keep a miiltitude of freeholders on their ellates, in order to 

 promote their county politics, neither rational liberty, nor an im- 

 proved cultivation, will be attended to by the great body of thefe 

 frcehoklers. We fliould be glad to hear there were more large 

 farmers, and J^ewer treeholders in this county. The rents indeed 

 are high, being 20s. per Irilli, 15s. 6d. per Scotilh, or i2s. per 

 Englifh acre. 



' Tlie Third Chapter treats of the State of Buildings ; and the 

 judicious Reporter very properly paiibs over the fpacious habita- 

 tions of the nobleman, and the numerous and elegant manfions 

 of the gentleman, in order to infpetSt the houfes of the farmer, 

 and the cottages of the poor. We are lorry to find, that thefs 

 are in o-eneral neither lari:^e nor convenient. The farmer's houfc 

 is for the moft part a low cottage, v/ith only one fire-place, and 

 two or three roofts without iirc- places, all on the ground 

 door. The caufe of this want of lire- places is the Irifli 

 tax, called hearth-money, amounting to 2s. 8{-d. for every fire- 

 place, where there is more than one in a houfe : And he judici- 

 ouijy obferves, that if Parliament had made every houfe which 

 had two nre -places, pay only for one, little lofs would have ac- 

 crued to the revenue ; and fevers, and other infectious diforders, 

 would not be fo fatal. This deferves the attention of our legilla- 

 tors, who wiih to gain the affe6lions, and to promote the happi- 

 nefs of the people of Ireland. The cottages are defcribed to be 

 in general very poor, and the cottagers much tolled about and 

 haralTed. The judicious Reporter recommends to the landed pro- 

 prietors to build villages for the accommodation of all cottagers 

 who are tradefiiien or manufacLurers. Married fervants, whofe 

 dependence is entirely on the farmers, muil of neceffity refule 

 where they are employed. It is to be hoped, that the union of 

 Ireland to Great Britain will tend much to ameliorate the condi- 

 tion of the peafantry of our filter kingdom ; and it is not to be 

 denied, that much of the difcontents in that kingdom are occa- 

 fioned by the wretched condition of many of the lower clafles of 

 the inhabitants. The fituation of the peafants of Scotland has 

 been much improved fmce 1707. 



The Fourth Chapter of the Survey treats of the Mode of Oc- 

 cupation. 



Here the fize of farms is firft confidered. The large farmer, 

 who rents from 50- to loo Irifli acres, fubfiils folely by agricul- 

 ture 5 



