Addiimial Information. 41 



affected by it. We do not so much complain of the sum of money taken from us, 

 by means of it, as we do, that it is the cause of lands being sown with improper 

 crops, and prevents an immense consumption of barley in tiie way it ought to be 

 used, namely, in Malt. The price of malt now entirely precludes the poor man, 

 and the next class of housekeepers, from brewing, and is a strong inducement to the 

 common brewers to give their beer an intoxicating quality without malt, as well as 

 to encourage the use of spirits. 



We are willing to pay the same quantity of money as we now do, and we are of 

 opinion that it may be done by a commutation tax, that will fall more equally on 

 the Public. 



It may perhaps be found that the average tax paid on malt, by the landed pro- 

 perty of this part of the country, amounts to about 5 per cent, on the rental. The 

 rental of the kingdom will }iow be pretty well known; and if it is so, let 5 per cent. 

 be laid on all occupiers both of land and buildings, down to 20*. a year, and let 

 the master of every family who keeps male servants which are constantly employed 

 in trade or agriculture, pay 405. a piece for them. We think this would raise a sum 

 sufficient to drop the malt tax entirely, which would enable all descriptions of men 

 to make use of malt. 



Rev. Abraham Jobson, Vicar of Wisheacb. 



The Vicar of Wisbeach is obliged to John Edes, Esq. one of the most respectable 

 and intelligent gentlemen farmers in the isle, for the inclosed answers. He and the 

 Vicar both think, that all that Parliament can well do, " is to have the ports inva- 

 riably shut against the importation of foreign corn, or cautiously opened for its 

 importation, under certain judicious rules, which should be regulated by the average 

 price of all the different sorts of corn, estimating the quality of such corn by its 

 ■weight per bushel : so that the farmer may live.'' There would then be a regular 

 system of Agriculture ; nor would grazing be neglected. Whereas, the farmers, now 

 finding that they cannot pay their rents by the plough, are busy laying down their 

 arable for pasture ; and thus running, as the ports are opened, from one extreme to 

 another, we shall soon have a scarcity of bread, and must send again millions of 

 money out of the nation, to buy corn ; while our valuable lands lie waste, and com- 

 mons, to the disgrace of the proprietors, and not much to the credit of the legislators, 

 for not enforcing their cultivation by heavy taxes, or someother mode of compulsion. 



VOL. V. G 



