
Retrofpedt of Domeftic Literature—Law. 
College of Agriculture, and the other 
Branches of Rural Economy.”” We have 
no doubt, if fucha college were hand- 
fomely endowed, and conducted ona libe- 
and {cientifical plan, that our fyftem 
of agriculture would be greatly bene- 
fitted. ‘There is not much probability, 
however, that Government would attord 
vauch affitance to fuch an inftitution ; 
and we have our apprehenfions that the 
fubfeription of individuals would be in- 
adequate to its eftablithment. Mr. Mar- 
fhall has given the public anew edition of 
his “ Minutes, Experiments, Obferva- 
tions, and General Remarks on Agricul- 
ture in the Southern Counties ;” to which 
are prefixed, a’ Sketch of what he deno- 
minates the Vale of London, and an Out- 
line of its Rural Ec onomy,now firlt pub- 
lifhed. 
Lord SoMERVILLE, itn his ** Addrefs 
to the Board of Agriculture,.on the Sub- 
ject of Sheep and Wool,” declared his in 
tention of wearing cloth made of Britifh 
wool only ; and fpoke with fome feverity 
againft monopolies and other methods 
which he fuppofed had raifed in an inor- 
dinate meafure the price of Spanifh wool ; 
obferving, at the fame time, that Englith 
wool, with proper management, might be 
rendered of equal value with the Spanifh. 
Thefe remarks provoked an anonymous. 
“© Anfwer to Lord Somerville’s Addrefs,”’ 
by a gentleman who appears to be a clo- 
thier of Gloucefterfhire; who contends, 
that the high price of Spanifh wool 1s oc- 
eafioned, not by monopoly or other artifi- 
cial methods, but by the war with Spain: 
he contends, moreover. that no cloths can 
be made but from Englifh and Spanith wool 
mixed ; and that to manufacture good 
cloth from Englith wool alone is impoili- 
ble; This Anfiwer has produced ‘ A Re- 
ply,” which is likewife anonymous. The 
author of this laft tract, who feems weil 
acquainted with the fubject, fhows that 
both in Yorkfhire and Somerfetfhire Eng- 
lith wool only is employed in making ex- 
cellent broad-cloths: he ig an advocate, 
however, for the importation af Spanith 
wool, which he conceives would be pro 
perly employed in the manufacture of the 
lighter cloths intended for the Turkey 
trade, which we are now about to recover. 
This controverfy, though not conduéted 
with a fufficient degeee of courtely, may 
be read with pleafure, as it communicates 
information on an interefting and import- 
ant fubject. To the Reply is, annexed 
a remarkably fine fpecimen of Englifh 
cloth. 
A fecond yolume is publifhed 
Montary Mac, LX, 
of 
\ 
639 
‘* Communications to the Board of Agri- 
culture;’’ in which is comprehended 
much valuable information oa various 
branches of hufbandry. | 
Law. 
Dr. NasMITH, in a charge delivered 
to the grand jury at the general quarter 
fellions of the’ peace for the Ifle of Ely, 
has confidered at large “ The Duties of 
Overfeers of the Poor, and the Sufficiency, 
of the prefenr Syftem of Poor-Laws.’’ 
Dr. N, is of opinion, that whatever abufes 
exifi in the management of the poor, they 
are attributable, not to the infufficiency of 
the prefent laws, but ro the neglect of 
them; confequently, that any new fta- 
tutes would be unneccflary. Annexed to 
this Charge are fome Remarks on Mr.. 
Saunders’s ** Obfervations on the Prefent 
State and Influence of the Poor Laws ;” 
a work which we noticed in terms of high 
refpect in a former Retrofpeét. Mr. 
Saunders differed fo diametrically from 
the prefent writer as to the efficacy of 
thefe laws, that he confidered moft of the 
evils, which are fo loudly complained of 
in the management of the poor, to origi- 
nate in the nature of the overfeer’s office., 
Dr. Nafmith, in his Remarks, endeavours 
to invalidate the objeétion of Mr. Saun- 
ders. However we may differ in opinion 
from the Doétor, it is but juftice to fay, 
that his pamphlet evinces a great deal of 
judgment, much knowledge of his fub- 
ject, and is written, in refpeét to Mr. 
Saunders, as becomes one gentleman when 
he diflers in opinion from another. We 
are alfo indebted to Dr. Nafmith for an 
‘‘ Examination of the Statutes now in 
force relating to the Aflize of Bread;”. 
with Remarks on the Bill intended to be. . 
breught inte Parliament by the Country 
Bakers.” This like the former pam-. 
phlet proclaims the writer to be a man of 
good fenfe and acute obfervation. 
An anonymous author has publithed 
fome very fenfible and judicious ** Obfer- 
vations on the Office of Conftable, with 
a view to its Improvement.” He pro- 
pofes an augmentation of the number of. 
conftables, and an alteration in the mode. 
of their ele€tion: that in the execution of 
their duty, certain rules and orders of 
difcipline fhonld be obferved; that they 
fhould be furnifhed with more adequate 
means for profecuting offenders; and that 
their annual ftipend fhould, as much as 
potfible, be propertioned to their labor 
and lofs of time. It will be learned with 
pleafure that a third edition is publifhed, 
in three o€tave volumes of Serjeant WiL- 
SON’s “ Reports, 8c,” 
4N Mr, 
