4© Curfory Remarks oti Increafing Rents. Jan. 



half of the produce, and, according to the greatefl part of 

 our modern leafes, little more tlian that proportion may be 

 conlldered as referved to the tenant for interell of his capital, 

 flock, tear and wear thereof, expcnce of working the ground, 

 •and the fupport of his family. 



It is not my intention to enter upon a difcufhon of this que- 

 fiion at the prefent time, but to confine myfelf to a few cur- 

 fory remarks upon the dangerous confequences of increafing 

 rents too much, or, in other words, taking every halfpenny 

 from the tenant which can pofBbly be got. Perhaps, nothing 

 has contributed more to retard improvements, than the ava- 

 ricious difpofition manifefled by many proprietors, to increafe 

 their rents, and to prevent the tenantry from acquiring fuffi- 

 cient capital for working the ground in a pertedl: manner. 

 It is entirely owing to the fluftuating ftate of capital, that 

 improvements in agriculture have not kept pace with the arts 

 and manufactures of modern times. Though, at firft fight, 

 one would have been inclined to think, that as hufbandry is 

 sbfolutely necelTary to the exiftence of mankind, the practice 

 thereof would have fooner advanced to perfection than any 

 other art, daily experience, however, may convince the moft 

 fuperficial obferver, that this is not the cafe ; nor will it be 

 otherwife, till the cultivators poflefs a greater power over the 

 foil they occupy, and are provided «'ith fuflicient means for 

 undertaking all the different operations which belong to their 

 complicated bufinefs. 



It muil be confefled, that for fifty or fixty years pafl, thefe 

 circuniflanccs have lefs applied to the low country of Scot- 

 land, thain to any other part of Britain ; and that a liberal fyf- 

 tem of connexion has generally been maintained betwixt pto- 

 prietors and tenants, the falutary eficcls of which are difcerni- 

 ble to the dulleil capacity. It is from an apprehenfion that a 

 change is gradually taking place in the nature of this conne- 

 xion, which muil necelfarily be detrimental to the public good, 

 that thefe animadverfions are offered. A firm convi£lion of 

 the unavoidable dangers which muft follow the wrelting of 

 capital from the tenantry, either by an exorbitant rife of rents, 

 or by impofing arbitrary reftrictions upon their management, 

 which indireclly accomplilhes the fame end, folely influences 

 us, upon this occafion, to ftate tlie confcquences. 



From tradition we are informed, that, after the acceffion of 

 James I. to the throne of England, the profperity of Scotland 

 fuddenly declined, which was in great meafure owing to the 

 increafed luxury of the landed interell requiring an augmen- 

 tation of rents. At the conclufion of the lafl: century, almoft 

 the whole capital employed in the cultivation of the foil was 

 dr^wn from the tenantryj who were thereby reduced to the 



greateit 



