i8oO. Revieiv of NottlnghamJJnt'e Burvey. p^ 



to live well with their parifliioners, and partly perhaps from habit, 

 are milch lower than the real value of the tithe. If, therefore, a 

 general compenfation is to be fixed by law, which mull nectflarily 

 be by underftanding perfons upon oath, I apprehend much the 

 greater part of the occupiers would, inilead of being relieved, find 

 themfelves charged with a much heavier cxpence than before ; and, 

 confequently, inftead of a general fatistadtion, a general complaint 

 would enfue. ' 



The chief argument which operates with us againft tithes, 

 is, that they are a tax upon induftry, operating with greater 

 feverity upon the a6live and induftrious, than upon the care- 

 lefs and flovenly hufbandman. If they were commuted, this 

 objeftion is at once removed ; for the burden to the tenanc 

 ■u-ould be no more than paying a part of his rent to the tithe- 

 holder, and the remainder to his landlord. To the farming 

 intereft of the kingdom, it is a matter of no importance upon 

 ■what principles they are commuted ; whether at their full 

 value, at a half, or any given rate. It is enough that they are 

 fixed. When that is accompliflied, the good farmer will have 

 no partner to fhare the fruits of his well-earned labours. If 

 he has limed, manured, inclofed, and drained, at a heavy ex- 

 pence, and thereby doubled his crops, no man will have a 

 right to claim a tenth fliare of the produce of thofe bene- 

 ficial improvements. In a word, laying afide every queftlori 

 refpefting the origin of tithes, the right of impropriators of 

 all defcriptions, the animofity which their colle6lion often 

 occafions j — we fay, laying thefe things totally out of view, 

 that a tax, which mull neceflarily rife or fall according to the 

 exertions of the perfon who has to pay, or the difpofition of 

 him who is to receive it, mufl: be founded upon improper 

 principles ; and that few meafures of legiflation would be 

 more conducive to the internal profperlty of the country, than 

 a valuation and commutation of tithes. 



This work, upon the whole, though rather more concife 

 than we could have wiflied, difplays a good deal of knowledge 

 in the fcience of Agriculture ; but we notice, from the cor- 

 refpondence, that the author has been ably fupported by Sir 

 Richard Sutton, Bart, who appears to have taken a confider- 

 able deal of trouble in collecting materials for his information. 



Art. 



