J 8 CO.. during a Tour through England. 3J 



I have caufe to believe, that the withholding of leafes 19 

 meant to increafe the political influence of the landlord ; who 

 thereby facrifices a part of his annual income, and injures the 

 national capital, merely to promote a purpofe, feldom bene- 

 ficial to himfelf, and contrary to the fpirit of the Britifli con- 

 llitution. It augments the number of votes in the hand of ons 

 man, and is juft the fame thing as if the proprietor was to 

 poflefs the right of -election, according to the extent of his 

 €ilate. After all, it often goes for nothing ; as two or three, 

 or a greater number of freeholders, by a conjundlion of in- 

 terell, may be a match for the greateft ; and coalitions of this 

 nature have not been uufrequent in this very county. 



Neivcajlle is a throng, bufy place ; much engaged in the 

 coal trade, aad, like all our old towns, built in a mod incon- 

 venient and confufed manner. The collieries in the neigh- 

 bourhood afford employment to an immenfe number of peo- 

 ple 5 and if many fortunes are not gained in this line of bufi- 

 nefs, yet great fums of money are thereby circulated in the 

 town and adjoining country. The town is almoll furrounded 

 by wind machines for grinding flour, &c. ; and there is a large 

 muir at the very gates, the diviflon of which has always beea 

 oppofed by the independent burgeffes. 



From Newcaftle to Durham, the road is exceedingly dif- 

 agreeable, as it is carried to a great height over Gates-Head- 

 Fall ; whereas, by tuwiing round by the lower ground, it might" 

 have been made incomparably eafier to the traveller, without 

 much increafuig the diftance. Similar inftances of inattention 

 prevail in many parts of the kingdom, particularly where roads 

 were earlieft made, and occafion a heavy lofs to the trade of 

 the country. Many people think that a itraight line muft air- 

 ways be the fhortefl road, which certainly is the cafe when 

 the ground is level •, but in hilly and mountainous fituations, 

 the reverfe is generally the faft. 



Durham is a moft irregular built city, but well ftocked with 

 clergymen of all defcriptions, who poilefs a large fliare of terri- 

 torial property in the neighbourhood. The bifhop is an amia- 

 ble character ; is very popular, fi'om fome recent inftances of 

 public fpirit \ and, I believe, well deferves the large ftock of 

 worldly goods which has fallen to his (hare. I have fome- 

 times attempted to afcertain the ufe for which prebends and 

 other dignitaries of the like kind v/ere iritended, but have con- 

 ftantly failed in the attempt. To me It appears, that the grant 

 of a prebendary means the grant of a comfortable penlion, 

 without drawing it from exchequer ; and that religion i-j 

 neither direcii^ly nor indirectly' concerned in tlie tranfaclion. 



I noticed v/ith pleafur", to the northward of this place, fc- 



C 2 Vvral 



