30 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY 



With refpecl; to obfervation upon the effe£t 

 of thefe different tenures, I fhall, perhaps, appear 

 unpopular, in the eyes of thofe whofe dottrine it is 

 to recommend throwing large tra&s of land into a 

 few hands, if I prefume to fay, that I think, fince 

 the flavery of the ancient feudal fyftem has been 

 abolifhed, and the courts of law have difcouraged ex- 

 cefiive fines and immoderate heriots, molt of thefe 

 fubordinate tenures have their advantage in fociety ; 

 by keeping up a fort of barrier againft the mono- 

 poly of land, they tend to keep eftates diftincl:, and 

 preferve fome lots of land, to which fmall capitals 

 and induftry are molt applicable. This is undoubt- 

 edly a great argument in favor of collegiate and cor- 

 porate tenures, for as thefe bodies have at moil 

 only a life intereft in the eftates, a life no fooner 

 drops, by which the eftates are held, than they are 

 ready to renew with the leftee by adding another, 

 and in general upon fair conditions. 



This is not fo, under a lay-lord, whofe objeft 

 is to form a great freehold eftate, by annihilating 

 thefe fmaller obje&s. — It is, however, to be wifhed, 

 that the ftewards, who hold the courts in this coun- 

 ty, could be taught a little moderation in fetting 

 their fees ; which are higher in general than in any 

 other county I am acquainted with. — It might alfo 

 be further urged in fupport of thefe tenures, that 

 a copyholder or leftee, on lives, having his own 

 life, and perhaps that of a wife and child in his 



eftate 



