409 
w his goods at an under rate, because he can’t afford to be 
any longer out of his money. It will be argued y*‘ increase 
of husbandry in this Kingdom will turn to noe account, since 
w' we have already does much exceed the consumption of 
the country. Ianswer, y’ y° loss, ifany, will fall 1* upon y* pri- 
vate proprietor, and not upon y® Crown, since the great con- 
sumption of y® nacon, being the army, will be served out of 
the produce of Crown lands, which therefore will never want 
a vent for y" commoditys, nor is it necessary, if workhouses be 
erected, y* it should all lye under tillage and pasture. But it 
may be made to produce other things serviceable for manu- 
factures; in the reign of the late King Charles there was an 
act of Parliament made for sowing such a quantity in every 
townland w' hemp and flax, under a certain penalty. The 
collecting of the penalty was at 1* neglected, and in time it 
swelled to soe great a bulk y*it would have ruined the nacon 
to have paid it all at once. Tis pity but y‘ act should be re- 
vived, and the great arrear forgiven, to free the people from y* 
apprehensions they are in of having it one day demanded; but 
a severe injunction should be made to collect the penalty for the 
future, w™, being small, would be easily paid yearly, or at least 
prevaile w™ y™ to put the statute in execution. I have heard 
some say y* in some townlands there would be no ground proper 
for hemp and flax, y' others doe not lye neer good markets, 
where the manufacture can be disposed of on good tearmes ; to 
all which I answer, y‘ there are other places where, if the 
manufacture were once begun, a great deal more ground might 
w" advantage be laid under the same crop, and would be soe 
undoubtedly, according as manufactures increast amongst us. 
As for those other places, the loss will not be great to the 
country if they yield noe profitt, w" in satisfaction of the 
statute they are sowed with those seeds; for tillage and pasture 
to w™ they are now converted is already too great for the 
consumption of the nation. 
