Penfions, falaries, and other payments

charged on the Land Revenue,

Salaries and allowances

to the Welch Judges,

Sheriffs, and other 1,446 10 9

officers of the Princi

pality

23,383 18 8

IT

into any controverfy concerning the best mode of managing the lands belonging to the crown, but only to give some account of the manner in which they are now managed. The demifeable estates of the crown are let to tenants, for terms of 50 or 31 years, under certain yearly rents, and upon payment of a fine upon every renewal, proportionable to the value of

the estate granted. Confequently, we may prefume, that lands fo paid for are not left without proper care and tillage, and in fact they are as well cultivated, and turned to as much profit, by the leffees, as any other eftates. The best mode of defcribing the manner in which the land revenue is now managed, may be by tracing the courfe of office, through which every grant or leafe of lands must pass.

The forms of proceeding, in order to obtain a grant of lands in fee, are described by Davenant, in his discourse on ministers impeached for procuring grants. The courfe of office ftill remains nearly the fame, in respect to grants in fee; excepting only, that he has omitted the reference to the Surveyor General, in whofe office the principal part of the business is transacted; and that fince the civil lift act

of

of ' Queen Anne, grants in fee cannot be made without an act of parliament. He fays, that regularly, and according to the laws of the land, grants from the crown ought to take the following courfe :

"The petition is first made to the King, in which the petitioner ought to infert the true express value of the thing demanded. The King refers this petition to the Treafurer of the Exchequer, whose first step is to have a particular of the thing petitioned for from the Auditor, if it lies before him, or from the King's Remembrancer, if it lies before him. This care is taken that the state may not be deceived in the value of the thing. The petition is first referred to this high officer, because the law prefumes that the whole state and condition of the revenue lies before him; that he knows what debts and engagements the King has upon him; and whe

ther