SECT. V.] RESULTS OF THE INQUIRY. 243 



another, without appeal to the courts, or even to 

 the House of Lords. 



This it is that has given to agriculture in Eng- 

 land so admirable a unity, and has transferred the 

 pursuit of that difficult art from the lowest to the 

 highest rank of society, from the most ignorant to 

 the most enlightened ; and this it is which the 

 Commissioners propose, with the more reason, as 

 such an interference of legislation, applying only 

 to waste lands, bogs, woods, mountains, and other 

 uninhabited spots, does not destroy any existing 

 property, nor injure any individual. 



France and the North of Germany would in a 

 few years double their power, if they would adopt 

 this legislation for the uncultivated and uninha- 

 bited portion of those countries. 



If, on the contrary, a system of drainage and 

 cultivation is followed on the principles of General 

 Bourke, quoted in this Section, we see that by an 

 outlay of 71. an acre that gentleman has realized a 

 rent of 30s., that is to say, above 20 per cent, in- 

 terest on his capital : but why ? because he has let 

 his land in lots of five and ten acres. He has 

 therefore created new families, with insufficient 

 means of existence. This has caused an increase 

 of the public misery ; and the proof is, that these 

 works of drainage have taken place in Con- 

 naught, a district in which, since the peace, the 



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