L 209 ] 



Land-owners occupying their own lands are gene- 

 rally difpofed to try experiments, and they can belt 

 afford to do it. If thofe experiments fucceed, the 

 community are benefited j and if they fail, the lofs 

 may poffibly be moderate, and will afteft only them- 

 felves ; but if they fucceed, and that profit is to be 

 taxed one-tenth, it is, to all intents and purpofes, a 

 drawback upon induftry. 



The landlord, therefore, cannot venture to make 

 the mod important, which are generally the mod; 

 expenfive, improvements; nor the tenant raife the 

 mofl valuable, which are likewife the molt expenfive, 

 crops J fo long as the church, (or lay claimant) who 

 pays nothing of the expence, runs away with fo large 

 a fliare of the profits. 



In whatever point of view tithes are confidered, 

 whether they be in the hands of the clergy, which is 

 placing them in the befl fituation, and where they 

 were originally defigned to be ; or whether they 

 are in the hands of the lay impropriator, who, gene- 

 rally fpeaking, has no other interefl: in the parifli, and 

 is therefore lefs mindful of being upon good terms 

 with the inhabitants ; they are in either cafe ftrong 

 obftades to every improvement upon agriculture. 



Survey of Hampshire, p. ^y 



TiTHKs: This is a fubjeft of great national im- 

 portance, and which, if properly adjulled, would 

 VOL.. VIII. p prevent 



