336 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. XVI. 



in explaining the different kinds of this servi- 

 tude ; especially, as the evil is neither univer- 

 sally nor severely felt in this county ; and as, 

 besides, the grievance is now in a great mea- 

 sure removed, by a late successful application to 

 the Legislature. By an act obtained in the last 

 session of Parliament, the dominant proprietor 

 is obliged to relinquish all further claim to 

 this servitude, upon receiving from the pro- 

 prietor of the astricted lands a fair and equi- 

 table compensation. By this law the most ob- 

 jectionable and oppressive species or thirlage 

 is done away ; it is now in the power of every 

 proprietor, who feels the burden, to throw it on. 

 It is surprising that a measure, so necessary to 

 the improvement of the country, should not have 

 been adopted at an earlier period. The same 

 principle that led to the abolition of tithes in 

 Scotland, should also have suggested the proprie- 

 ty of abolishing thirlage. Both operate precise- 

 ly in the same way as a check to the cultivation 

 of the soil. 



When the proprietor of the mill is also the 

 proprietor of the astricted lands, which is most 

 commonly the case in Fife, he has it in his pow- 

 er to remove the grievance, without the inter- 

 ference of public authority. Accordingly, the 

 gentlemen, sensible of the inconvenience which 

 their tenants suffer from this servitude, have re- 

 lieved them, from the burden, restricting them 

 only to the extent of the victual used -in their 

 own families. 



The quantum of multures, payable at different 

 mills, varies in consequence of the different me- 

 thods followed in exacting them. But the a- 



