Caprainvy of Rios de Senna. 67 



is of the greatest importance ; because on it depends the 

 reciprocal and public property* of every individual throughout 

 the mass of population, and I cannot help making some in- 

 teresting observations, tending to shew the necessity of a 

 thorough reform and improvement. 



Comparing the number of crown estates in the district of 

 Tette, with those of Senna, and their corresponding rents, it 

 is evident that the 27 Senna estates pay more than twice as 

 much as all the 48 of Tette. The imposts laid on all the 

 estates are settled by the members of the royal factory, with- 

 out any certain rule or regularity ; hut the great dispropor- 

 tion in the rents of the lands in these districts, proceeds, 

 besides this cause, from the great inequality in the size of 

 the estates, those of Tette being small, whilst those of Senna 

 are unreasonably large, the natural consequence of which, is, 

 that they are badly regulated and cultivated, which would 

 still he the case, even if the population in colonists or slaves 

 were equal to the establishments of the whites. Reason and 

 experience teach us, in support of the opinions of Dr. 

 Franklin, and other political economists, that the primary 

 equality of distribution of the lands in British America, gave 

 such opportunities and advantages to marriage and the sup- 

 port of families, that the population was doubled in the 

 space of 15 or 20 years- To this we may add another cir- 

 cumstance not less predjudicial to the public good, viz. that 

 the holders have not the power of alienating their estates, 

 which prevents those duties from accruing to the state, which 

 would fall to it, were the estate free to be sold or transferred, 

 or if they were allowed to be sub-divided by inheritance, 

 according to the usual custom amongst the whites. Such a 

 reform in the constitution and distribution of the crown 

 estates, would be the means of increasing the population, and 

 consequently the following revenues : 1st, a great increase of 

 fines and tenths ; 2d, a new tax on the houses, and on the 

 s and purchases of lands ; 3d, such a considerable increase 

 of import and export, as will bring a large revenue to the 

 custom-house. All the gold exported from the Rios de 

 Senna does not pay the fifth, as was anciently the case in 

 America, nor even the tenth. At present this tribute falls 

 short, because the mines on the crown lands are exhausted, 

 and almost all the gold is purchased in the interior, and in 

 the ind< pendent countries. The government might, however, 

 impose a new tax on gold, without prejudice to commerce ; 

 if at Quillimane or Mozambique, there was established a mint 

 to reduce all to current coin, the value of it would by this 

 means be so much increased, that it could well afford to pay 



* Su it stwls iu M.S. 



