460 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



noting the distress of the farmers, 

 have come to your knowledge, 

 which may not be included under 

 the above queries ? 



5. Is the present distress greater 

 on arable, or on grass farms ? 



(J. Have flock-farujs suffered 

 equally with others ? 



7- Does the country in which 

 you reside, suffer from a dimi- 

 nished circul'ition of paper? 



S. What is the state of the la- 

 bouring poor ; and what is the 

 pioportion of poor-rates, com- 

 pared with the years 1811 and 

 381'2? 



9. AVhat remedies occur to ynu, 

 for alleviating these difhculties ? 



To these queries the Board re- 

 ceived 32(j letters in reply, from 

 which the following statement 

 has been collected. 



First Query. — Occupancy. 

 Thi'ce hundred and thirteen re- 

 plies, describing tlie state of oc- 

 cupation, have been received, 

 which nsay be thus arranged : 

 Letters, mentioning farms 

 unoccupied by tenants, be- 

 ing thrown on the land- 

 lord's hands ICS 



Letters, in wliicli no such 



want of occupancy occurs. 127 

 Letters, in which farms are 

 stated to luive been micul- 

 tivated for want of being 

 cccuj)ied by the landlords. 



18 



313 

 It is necessary to observe, in 

 relation to tlie 'vi7 letters, that 

 their not conlairJng the article of 

 occupation by tenants, is not sin- 

 gly to be taken as a sign of pros- 

 perity, as a great number of 

 the;n are amongst those the most 

 descriptive of agricultural dis- 



tress ; and 64 of them also add, 

 tliat notices have been given to 

 quit ; a ciicums'ance maiking, in 

 scnne degree, the progi'ess of the 

 evil. 



It may further be remarked, 

 that th?se letters represent a large 

 quantity of land to be unculti- 

 vated. 



Second Query. — Notices to Quit 

 Three hundred and twenty-two 

 leplies have been received to this 

 query, which may be thus ar- 

 ranged : 



Letteis, in which the expres- 

 sion is, 7itany faimcrs have 



given notice to quit 103 



Letters, in which the expres- 

 sions are, several, or n few, 

 havegivtn notice to quit. . 

 Letters, in which the expres- 

 sion is, all that can, have 



given notice to quit 



Letters, in which the cxjires- 

 sion is, none have given 

 notice to quit , 



Ill 



37 



1 



2.11 

 It is scarcely necessary to re- 

 mark, that until the ))resent pe- 

 riod of declension C(mimeiiced, 

 such an idea, as giving notice to 

 quit a farm, except for the pur- 

 pose of hiiing a better one, may 

 be said to have been almost un- 

 known in the kingdom 5 and no 

 circumstance can moje clearly 

 mark the jiresent degradation of 

 the employment, than these no- 

 tices to quit. 



Third Query. — Reduction of Rent. 



There have been '2 1':^ returns, 

 specifying the proportionate re- 

 duction of rent, and the aveiage 

 of them all is 25 per cent. 



It should however he remarked, 



that 



