440] ANNUAL. REGISTER, 1796. 
pleasure I add, that the recommen- 
dation was attended with more ex- 
tensive consequences than could 
well have been expeétcd. From 
all parts of the kingdom, intelit- 
gence has been received, that a 
greater quantity of wheat was sown 
Jast auiumn than perhaps at any 
period in the memory of man ; ‘and ~ 
should the ensuing harvest prove 
favourable, this kingdom will be 
as well stocked wiih grain as it was 
some years ago. At any ratc, by 
these measures, much risk of an 
immediate scarcity seems to be ob- 
viated, 
The high price of corn, at the 
commencement of the last session, 
natur:lly directed the attention of 
parliament to consider the best 
Means, not on!y to remedy the pre. 
sent distress, but to prevent it in 
future. For obtaining the frst ob, 
ject, a select committee was ap- 
pointed, known onder the name of 
the corn committee, whose anxi- 
ous zeal to'doeyery possible justice 
to the great subject referred io their 
consideration, merits the utmost 
Praise, The measures recommend. 
ed by that committee have since 
been considered unnecessary by 
some individuals, in consequence 
of the price of grain having had a 
temporary fall—But it will pro- 
bably yet appear, that, bad it not 
been for the earnest recommenda- 
tion of that committee to econo- 
mize the consumption of bread, 
to use other kinds of grain as sub. 
stitutes for wheat, and to enccu- 
rage the importation of foreign 
corn by bounties of yncommon 
magnitude, the price of grain would 
not probably have decreased, and 
¢omplaints would have been made 
of the inattention of government 
to the distresses of the country ; 2 
more scrious ground of accusation 
than any over anxiety, which, at 
all times, particularly in regard te 
sO critical a matter as the subsist. 
ence of the people, is at least ex 
cusabie, but on the present occasion 
was not only necessery, but has 
proved extremely beneficial. 
It was a matter, however, of stiil 
greater importance to preyent, by 
some great aod effectual measure, 
the risk of scarcity in future, and 
eur being under the disgraceful 
and fata] necessity, not only of de- 
pending upon foreign grain for our 
susistence, but also of encourag- 
ing ts importation by high boun, - 
ties, With that view, in conse. 
quence of the digections of this 
Board, I bad the honour of movin 
in parliament for the appointment 
of a seleét committee, to take into 
its consideration the means of pro. 
moting the cultivation and im. 
provement of the waste, uninelos. 
ed, and unproductive lands of the 
kingdom. The passing of a genera} 
bill of inclosure, though long ar- 
dently wished for, has hitherte 
been attempted in vain, and by 
many was held to be impracticable. 
By the exertions, however, of the 
select committee, to whom the 
drawing up the bill, and the con. 
sideration of the whole-subje& was 
referred, a bill has at Jast heen pre- 
pared, which, in the opinion of 
many inte]ligent persons conversant 
in that subject, is fully adequate 
to the objest in view; and had not 
the last segsion been closed rather 
earlier than was expected, it would 
probably have recejved the sanétion - 
of the ‘egislature this year. J 
trust, however, that the first session 
of the ensuing parliament will 
have the credit of completing this 
important and valuable system, on 
which 
