from the rules they had once laid down. It 

 furely cannot be thought unworthy the at- 

 tention of the Britifh legiflature to follow the 

 example of a nation fo wife, fo politic, and 

 fo powerful. 



Suppofe a law were enabled, that no per- 

 fon fhould purchafe an additional quantity of 

 Jand before he had improved the one half of 

 what he already pofleffed ; or that he fhould 

 be obliged to feu out his wafte grounds, at a 

 moderate rate, to fuch as were capable of im- 

 proving them, if he did not chufe to improve: 

 them himfelf. By this he could not poffiblybe 

 hurt; but, on the contrary, would receive 

 very great benefit, as the value of his lands 

 would foon increafe to more than double what 

 it was before. 



The mode of improvement, by keeping 

 one half conftantly in grafs, and the other in 

 corn, might alfo be enforced by law; and 

 thus a regular fyftem of agriculture, and na- 

 tional uniformity in its pradlice would take 

 place, which could not but be attended with 

 the mod happy effeds, both to gentlemen 

 and farmers. 



Gentlemen, by purchafing large eftates, 

 not only hurt and depopulate the country, 



but 



