40 STATISTICAL SURVEY 



holders of them portioning each child with their fhare 

 of the land ; others, by the temptation of a profit rent, 

 a much eafier way of living than by labour, let off 

 part of their lands to under-tenants, that, on the ex- 

 piration of the leafes, were taken as tenants by the 

 landlords, who thus anfwered two purpofes ; one, of 

 providing for thofe already found on their eftates, and 

 the other, of increafing their interefl by the number of 

 freeholds. But, from whatever caufe this divifion has 

 arifen, it certainly has proved very prejudicial to agri- 

 culture, and not very conducive to the general comfort 

 of the clafs of men, whom we are fpeaking of, as muft 

 be evident to thofe, who have paid attention to the 

 fituation of the country; in years of plenty they may 

 do tolerably well, as they will have lefs to buy, and 

 what they want may be obtained at an eafier rate; but 

 in times of fcarcity their lot is much more hard, and 

 fraught with more difficulties, than the mere manu- 

 facturer's, for the former has all the labour and expenfe 

 of ground, befides the rent, without a fubfiftence, 

 whilft the latter has only the increafed price of provi- 

 fions to ftruggle with. The number of petty land- 

 holders, who have been ruined, and obliged to difpofe 

 of their little properties, by the lair, two years of 

 fcarcity, is too ftrong a corroboration of what is here 

 advanced, to admit of contradiction. In this cafe, as 

 in many others, it is much eafier to fee the evil, than 

 to point out the remedy; and this mode of occupying 



land 



