The State and the Land. 113 



Inclosure Office, which combhies several objects, only State 



depart- 

 more or less appertaining to landed property, ment 



but with no power to interfere except when connected 

 applied to for the means of facilitating improve- ^ 

 ments. The costs of all proceedings effected 

 through this department are provided by those 

 who make use of it. Its original object was to 

 promote the inclosure of waste lands, and 

 thereby to increase the home produce of food, 

 and afford increased employment to the agri- 

 cultural labourers. These objects, so far as 

 they were necessary, have to a great extent 

 been otherwise accomplished, and the agri- 

 cultural labourer has become happily inde- 

 pendent of such aid. The duty of this branch 

 of the office now is not to promote inclosure 

 with the object of dividing the land amongst 

 severalty owners, except in cases where by no 

 other means could its improvement be effected, 

 but to encourage the improvement of " com- 

 mons " under a system of regulation, by which 

 the land may be drained, planted for ornament 

 and shelter, and the surface be improved for 

 pasturage, without excluding the public from its 



