Usclessness of Bearing- Reins. 
73 
material and moral difficulties involved in a struggle with them ; 
the laws we already possess, or still further require, to avert 
negligence and provide for improvement ; and the varied ex- 
amples of outfall opening and river cleansing — with either a 
removal of mills, an abandonment of navigation, a simultaneous 
improving of all interests, or a conducting of drainage by an 
independent course, — which certain localities have offered for 
general emulation : I can only add my anxiously-felt desire for 
a full consideration, on the part of my readers, of all facts and 
observations applicable to the waters of their own neighbourhood, 
or in the mismanagement of which they may have a share, and 
€a dispassioned judgment as to wliether tlie remedies described, 
or only suggested, are worthy of their personal adoption and 
energetic public support. 
Note. — Owing to the increase in price of materials, labour, 
and land, to extra surveys and works, 6cc., the Nene Valley 
Commissioners are this session applying to Parliament for power 
to raise a further fund of 80,000/., the mode of apportioning it 
being left by the contributing interests to two engineers. Wis- 
bech will be expected to add 25,000/. to its former contribution. 
II. — On the Usclessness of Bearing- Reins. By Viscount Downe. 
It is said that wlien his Majesty George III., with a view to 
some improvement in military uniform, asked a life-guards- 
man, who had done good service in the battle of Waterloo, what 
sort of dress he should prefer had he another similar battle to 
go through, he received for answer, " Please your Majesty, I 
should prefer my shirt-sleeves." Now, though we should be 
much surprised to see our cavalry regiments turn out for 
parade in shirt-sleeve order, there can be no doubt the life- 
guardsman's principle is a sound one. If a man wants to do a 
hard day's work — if he wants to exert his muscles and sinews, 
either in walking, running, fighting, digging, felling trees, or 
carrying weights — he must have those muscles free and uncon- 
fined by straps and ligatures and tiglit clothing : no one can 
gainsay this. But how is it, then, that a principle which every 
one, whether soldier or sailor, farmer or labourer, would insist 
upon in his own case, should be, in England at least, so univer- 
sally disregarded in the case of our hard-working, patient, and 
too often ill-used beasts of burthen ? How is it that the ignor- 
ance of "common things," which Lord Ashburton so justly 
