260 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK III. 



be made with the approbation of the Board of Improve- 

 ment, and contains covenants for due management ; and 

 that they also be permitted to charge the inheritance to a 

 certain extent with any sum which they may expend on 

 lasting improvements, provided the expenditure be made 

 with the approbation of the Board of Improvement, and 

 that it do not exceed the amount of three years 3 annual 

 value of the land, and that it do not extend to ornamental 

 works, or any buildings save farm-houses and such out- 

 offices and homesteads as may be required for them. We 

 also recommend that similar powers be given to all cor- 

 porations, sole or aggregate. 



REMARKS. 



The Commissioners appointed by the king to 

 enter upon this Inquiry are certainly men distin- 

 guished by study, education, rank and condition 

 of life ; but it is manifest from this Report that 

 they are neither statesmen nor agriculturists, when 

 tbey speak of the injury produced by the system 

 of entails. 



The benefits resulting to society from every in- 

 stitution which strengthens the maintenance of 

 families form no part of the subject of this Inquiry, 

 they belong only to agriculture. There are three 

 causes of prosperity, the consolidation of lands, 

 their perpetuity in this state of consolidation, and 



