Permanent and Substantial Improvements. 519 



provements. Many of these improvements might be success- 

 fully promoted, by the establishment of corporations, for carry- 

 ing on particular objects, which cannot be effected by indi- 

 vidual wealth ( z9 ). This is frequently done in the case of 

 canals, and the practice ought to be extended to other useful 

 objects. The formation of such associations, is at present 

 the more expedient, that there is likely to be a large capital, 

 requiring profitable employment, much of which will be 

 sent abroad, unless it can be laid out at home to advantage. 

 Much good therefore might be effected, by erecting public 

 companies, for specific objects of improvement ; for em- 

 ploying the poor in agriculture ; or for lending money to 

 all such landed proprietors, as had any great improvement 

 to execute ; the sum advanced, never to be demandable, but 

 the stock of the company to be transferable, like other public 

 securities, which would answer equally well the purposes of 

 those stockholders, who might wish to receive again the 

 sums which they had subscribed. Estates under the fetters 

 of strict entail, might thus be improved, which otherwise would 

 be neglected. The surplus capital of the country would thus 

 be employed at home, and embodied, it may be said, with our 

 own territory ; and the whole country would be improved 

 in a manner, and to an extent, that cannot otherwise be at- 

 tainable. 



It was by promoting such measures as these, that the 

 most celebrated statesman of modern times, justly called 

 Frederick the Great, (more from his attention to internal 

 improvement, than to foreign conquests), raised his domi- 

 nions, notwithstanding the disadvantages of situation, soil, 

 and climate, to that height of prosperity and power, to 

 which they attained during his reign ( 3& ). His practice was, 

 to lay out about L.300,000 sterling per annum, in the en- 

 couragement of agricultural improvements, which he consi- 

 dered, " as manure spread upon the ground," to secure an 

 abundant harvest ; and in fact, instead of being impoverish- 

 ed by such liberal grants, he thereby increased his revenues 

 so much, that he was enabled to leave a treasure behind 

 him, amounting to above L. 12,000,000 sterling ( 3 ' ). On the 

 other hand, this country, owing partly to unfavourable sea- 

 sons, partly to its increased population, and in no small de- 

 gree, to its agricultural interest not being sufficiently encou- 

 raged ( 3i ), has been under the fatal necessity, of transmitting 

 to other nations, above 57 millions sterling, in the space of 



2 L 



