270 
lands, which were once accounted to be 
invincibly barren. Multiplying population 
has produced a neceffity fornew inclofures, 
‘new fubdivifions of felds,. extended till- 
age. Augmented wealth, luxury be- 
coming continually more fumptuous, 
tate more juft, more capricicufly fickle, 
more magnificent in its defigns ; have, in 
the formation of new ornamented grounds, 
brought vait tracts of territory into a 
ftate of rich cultivation, which were, 
before, barren and neglected. All thefe 
means have concurred to enlarge our 
domeitic market for the produce of lands 
umproved by hufbandry ;.and of conie- 
uence, to promote their improvement. 
he diffufion of knowledge throughout 
the land, and the encreating application 
of fcience to the improvement of every 
one of the ufeful arts; has alfo begun 
at length to lend its powerful aid towards 
the advancement of agriculture ; and has 
fuggefted various means of the mott 
effential utility, for reducing watte 
unds under profitable cultivation. For 
- ufe of ail the arts in general, our 
reads and canzls have been, within thefe 
Jaft thirty years, prodigioufly improved, 
extended, multiplied: And this opeming up 
of the country, has, in the moft eminent 
degree, contributed to refcue all its parts 
from defolation. I know net, if any direct 
meafures employed for the fertilization of 
our more barren lands, could have, within 
the fame time, fo effectually atchieved 
their purpofe, as have thofe natura! and 
indirect means here enumerated. 
6. Ecannot but think, that a moment's 
reflection would induce your enlightened 
correfpondent to fee the impropriety of 
any plan which fhould legally av- 
thorife government to purchaie and then 
parcel-eut, anew, our prefent ewajfe lands. 
ft can never be advifeable to put into the 
hands of government any powers, fave 
thofe of providing for our wumediate 
national defence, of maintaining public 
order, by the adminiftration of dittributive 
juftice, of tevying, under a proper fancion, 
means for the neceffary public. expences and 
of giving the watchword, if pofhble, to 
the nation, in regard te whatever can pro- 
- mote the general welfare. _ Is not our own 
government invefted, at prefent, by the 
“unavoidable exigency of circumftances, 
with, perhaps, too much power over 
private’ life and property * Is it, not 
univerfally known, that, wherever govern- 
ments have deicended into tee particular 
an interference in the general ceeconomy of 
the national induitry, this ceconemy has 
Been always deranged and injured? Have 
Plans for the Cultivation of Wafte Lands, 
not nine-tenths of all the great projects 
of governments for the accomplithment 
of iudden and extenfive improvements im 
induftry and manners been unavoidably 
defeated, by difadvantages inftparable 
from their own nature? The plan of 
Brajcki, the laft of the Popes, fordxaining 
the Campagna di Roma ; that of a Spamith 
minifter for peopling and Breet. 
Siena Morena by the introdu€tion of a 
German colony; that of the Scottith 
Truttees, forty years fince, for improving 
the forfeited eftates. Were not thefe all 
great {chemes, not unlike to this which is 
propofed by your correfpondent ; and 
which were fruftrated chiefly by that 
management which became peculiar to 
them, as being the fchemes of mimifters 
and of government? Let any one but 
enter, in imagination, into all thofe cir- 
cumitances of management, which would 
neceflarily attend the execution of .your 
correfpondent’s project ; the influence it 
would have upon the price of land and on 
faies, the partialities which might be 
exercifed in parcelling out the dittle fiel ds, 
the jealoufies which would be excited 
among all the candidates for the pureha! 
the injuries which'the prefent propri 






: - 5 Sate 
would, in a thoufand inftanees, fuftain, 
from being forced to fell, even at. 
price, that which they rathel 
referve: And he will eaiily be 
that there could be nothing much 
unwile, than the adopting of fuch a 
of improvement as that -propoled 
correipondent ! . 2t Sheet 
7. But, how, then, . profecute this 
improvement to its due point of perfec- 
ion? | 
Extend, repair, multiply your roads 
and canals, till, by means of them, the 
moft diftant parts of the country fhall be 
brought virtually nearer together; and 
the mutual communication between its 
provinces, which are mutually the moft 
remote, fhall be eaty, almoft. as if thes 
were but different fireets of the fame great 
town. iz 
Cherith, with particular care, thofe 
arts which work up fer ion the 
products of agriculture. Such are thofe 
ot the brewer, the diftiller, the maker of 
ftarch and hbair-powder, befide all dur 
other manufactures. which demand da- 
ca 
hourers, that mutt -be fed. from “the pro- 
duce of our own land, + ’ 
Cultivate commerce, manufatturesyanad 
agriculture,.as reciprocally condueive to 
ene another's profperity.. “But, wherever 
the interefis of our manufagtures uagretate 
; wit 
x 
~ 
