* 
Cutting down Trees. —E'xercise 
1810.] 
gaean those who, year after year, neg- 
lect to cut down trees evidently past 
their prime, and daily tending to decay. 
When the country was overstocked 
with wood, and a tree would not pay 
the expense of cutting it down, there 
was no criine in allowing it to stang, 
But circumstances in this respect are 
now completely altered. It is a maxim 
in law, as well asin religion and common 
sense, that a man is only the steward of 
the good things he possesses; and that, if 
he raises more corn, cattle, or stock 
of any kind, on his estate, ‘than 
serves for his own and his family’s sup- 
port, though he has a right to sell, he 
es no right wantonly to destroy ‘it. 
Phe same holds with regard to the trees 
on his estate. While these are rising in 
value, and in astate of progression, it is 
zis duty to let them grow, uniess necessi- 
tated to selé them for:the support of him. 
elf and his family. But when he is 
certain that they are arrived at their 
ae plus ultra of growth and perfection, 
aud that the longer they stand they will 
become less and less valuable, he be. 
comes criminal in not either applying 
them himself, or permitting others to 
apply them, te the purposes for which 
mature intended them. It is no excuse 
that the trees in question were planted 
by his father, his grandfather, or other 
suicestor; that they have a venerable 
appearance, and that it gives him plea- 
sure to see them, Reasons of this kind 
signify nothing, either in a moral or 
political point of view; since, by withe 
holding them, he robs the community at 
Jarge of what the Author of nature in- 
tended for their good. 
If a man chooses to be pulled along 
in a carriage by a couple, or even an 
individual horse, and to be attended by 
one or more servants in livery, the wis- 
dom of this country has thought it_pro- 
per to tax him for indulging a propensity 
to shew and equipage. Now, if govern- 
ment has seen it proper to tax a man for 
indulging this propensity, in many cases 
innocent, how much rather ought: they 
to be taxed, who, notwithstanding the 
enormous sums paid by government and 
the community at large to other coun- 
tries for wood, do not cut duwn those 
trees, which, by not being cut down, 
become every year of considerably less 
value ! 
To suffer so many trees, Mr. Editor, 
to rot and become useless, as is done 
yearly in Britain and Ireland, is an evil 
that eries loudly for amendment. Jt is, 
ra] 
411 
as the scripture expresses it, not using, 
but abusing, the talent put into our hand, 
I am aware, men being generally wedded 
to their errors, and averse to lay burdens 
on themselves, that a bill founded on 
thisadea would with difficulty pass either 
the house of lords, or that of the com- 
mons. The cry would be, “What! is the 
country to be denied wood, and dee 
prived of one of its greatest ornaments ?? 
No; to prevent this, let it be enacted, 
that for every tree cut down, two shall be 
planted; and a: person appointed in 
every county to declare, by a mark put. 
on them by him, what trees should be cut 
down, and what not. In the mean time, 
I leave it to you, Mr. Editor, and your 
unprejudiced readers to say, how far it ig 
proper that the day-labowrei’s very shoes 
the beer he drinks at his meals, and 
almost every article necessary to his 
existence, should be taxed; while at the 
same time the land-holders, the destroy-= 
ers wilfully and wantonly of so impor= 
tant an article as wood, are not taxed by 
the state in proportion to the injury thus 
done toit. With a high opinion of your 
pages, and the judicious selection you 
make from the mass of materials that 
monthly flow in upon you, Lam, &c, » 
Chesnut Walk, James Hang, 
Walthamstow. 
a 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
HINTS to the SEDENTARY; on EXERCISE 
and the PRESERVATION of HEALTH. f 
A GREAT proportion of the inhas 
bitants of our cities and populous 
towns, are necessarily devoted to sedene 
tary pursuits. Many of these have nat 
Opportunity, or cannot spare the tine 
that is necessary, for taking that exercise 
which is essential to health, Exercise 
is best taken in the open air, But 
where that cannot be done, means should 
be found of taking it within doors, Ta 
the sedentary therefore I address my-= 
self, and have no doubt they will find: 
the following hints deserving their at- 
tention. TI shall describe several effec 
tual methods of taking exercise which, 
may be performed at all times. in all 
weathers, and in almost any “plate 
out of doers or in, without any re. 
paration, and without any ap paratee or 
expense whatever. In a study, in a 
workshop, by a tire-side, even Behind a 
counter, or at a desk, these methods 
may be foliowed. I have practised them 
myself daily for several years past with 
great beyelic, Indeed [ am eankdenc, 
tadig 
