44 RATES AND TAXES 



by the claims of bond- fide purchasers, and 

 only a small part was recovered. Charles 

 II. renewed the process of alienation, and 

 in 1663, the total revenue from this source 

 was only 100,000. 



In this brief history two points only require 

 emphasis for the present purpose. In the 

 first place, the demesne land had ceased to 

 be an important part of the revenue for 

 national purposes three centuries ago. 

 Complaints had been made of the wasting 

 of the ancient revenues of the realm, both by 

 the people and by Parliament, but in vain. 

 That is the first point, for good or evil the 

 ancient demesne had been alienated centuries 

 ago. 



The second point is that once the aliena- 

 tion had been effected, recovery was 

 impossible on account of the claims of bond- 

 fide purchasers. It is true that for a long 

 time there was a popular agitation for the 



