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m a religious p.nd political point of view, a-; it is 

 often the means of crejiting Tuch divifions between 

 the clergyman and his parifliioners, as renders the 

 religious inih-uclions of the former of little avail, 

 while it loofens that chain of intercouife and con- 

 ^ledion which it is confidered cf fo much importance 

 to keep united. It has happened, (though to the 

 credit of the clergy of this diftricl be it faid, the in- 

 ftances are very rare), where the tithes have beeir 

 let to a layman for the purpofe of opprelfion. he. has 

 been laiown to exert that authority with which he 

 was inverted, and has not only taken the tenth fhock 

 of corn, and the tenth cole of hay, but alfo the tenth 

 Iamb, pig, hen, egg, ijc. nay has even gone into 

 the garden, and taken not only the tenth part of the 

 fruit, but alfo the tenth of the produce of the 

 kitchen-garden. Under fuch circumftances as thefe, 

 jt may be afked, who is the farmer who would not 

 feel himfelf aggrieved ? 



Many plans have been fuggefted, in order to 

 bring about an arrangement of tithes, and to place 

 them on fome permanent footing. It has been pro- 

 pofed, that the proprietors fliould farm the tithes in 

 each parifh, or that a corn-rent llrould be fixed by 

 the average price of grain for a number of years 

 pad ; but that which appears moft likely to meet 

 general approbation, and which feems beft calcu- 

 lated to do juftice to all parties, is to give the cler- 

 gyman a compenfation for his tithes in land, becaufe 

 the depreciation in the value of money has been fo 

 great, as to render any arrangement which is to be 

 founded on it as a medium by which the value is to 

 be afcertained in future times, very uncertain ; 

 whereas the produce of land muft always bear re- 

 ference to the value of money at the time. 



Whether the open field pariflies are to be inclo- 

 fed, or allowed to remain in their prefent ftate, ftill 

 it is humbly fuppofed, that a general arrangement 

 might be made refpeding the tithes, by giving a 



compenfation 



