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valuable suggestion,-well entitled to the consideration of legislators. For the close of those remarks, see Workpeople, ensuing.

TITHES. This subject is repeatedly brought forward, in the Report under review. We reach, however, nearly the close of the work, before we fully discover that the writer of it is personally interested in the subject.-P. 490." Neither popular prejudice nor the esprit du corps have, I trust, biassed my sentiments."-This impels us to admire, the more, the candor with which he has treated it.

But waving the doctor's sentiments concerning the nature and tendency of tithes, I will here attend to their operation, in the County under Report.

P. 91. "The highest composition for vicarial tithes in this district being only 3s. per acre in dairying farms, and the highest rectorial no more than 7s. in the most productive and well cultivated parishes; while several vicars, to my knowledge, have only the very low composition of 9d. in the pound rent, and rectors 4s.: so that, taking the average of vicarial compositions, they do not exceed Is. 3d. in the pound, nor great tithes 5s. This must obviously be extremely reasonable; and I can add, from a very minute investigation of the fact, that not one rector in ten takes his tithes in kind; and I heard only of one or two vicars who did so, and who were probably driven to this measure, by the stubborn opposition of their parishioners*. Yet notwithstanding this indulgence, I will not disguise that complaints exist of the hardship of tithes from the farmer, and of the unpleasant situation in which the incumbent is sometimes placed, by trying to raise his humble benefice to twothirds, or even one-half of its real worth. Hence there must be something radically wrong in a system, which excites prejudices in the most liberal and enlightened minds, and which equally militates against the interests of religion and the interests of agriculture."

Under this liberal impression Dr. M. adverts to a COMMUTATION OF TITHES.-His thoughts on the subject are clearly expressed in the subjoined extract.-P. 94. "A corn-rent alone is found to be an inadequate mode of commutation; but taking the three great articles of life in every family, bread, meat, and,malt, the clergyman would be se

cure

"I will candidly own, that except in extreme cases, it is seldom beneficial to the clergy to take up their tithes. The expence of servants and horses, and the charge of poor rates, to which they are thus rendered liable, must inevitably absorb all the profits which can accrue, over and above the terms of a fair composition, while the chance of being unpopular or unhappy, must be increased in a tenfold degree."

cure from injury, and the farmer paying only in proportion to the value of his produce, would have no reason to complain. It will be observed, however, that I wish the laws uniformly to act for the benefit and security of the parochial minister, without subjecting him to the necessity of coming forward in a personal and partial light. By these means, what he might lose in the influence of fear, would be amply compensated for on the principle of love; without which he can seldom be happy himself, or discharge the duties of his sacred office with effect and satisfaction.

"Where lands have been exonerated from tithes by an act of parliament, and an allotment made in land in lieu of them, even where an adequate value has been given, which in no instance that has fallen within my notice is really the case, it is throwing too much land into mortmain, it is subjecting the incumbent to all the cares and incumbrances of landed property, and driving him to the necessity of becoming a farmer, for which he is often ill qualified, or of letting his lands, according to the existing laws, on such conditions, that improvement must be checked, and industry languish."

Tithe of Wood.-P. 99. "Vicars are usually entitled to the tithe of woods. At Hurley, a composition, under a decree of chancery, which has been hitherto acquiesced in, though certainly not binding, is paid in lieu of nine loads of billet wood, at the rate of 12s. per load, though the fair value is from 36s. to 42s. per load. Even the nine loads of billet wood seem to have been a still more ancient composition, in lieu of the value of the tithes, on cutting the woods formerly belonging to Lord Lovelace."

Other ancient Customs, in Berkshire, relating to Tithes.P. 99. "The parishioners who pay tithes to my respected friend, the vicar of Cumner, formerly one of the largest parishes in the county, have a claim of being entertained at the vicarage, on the afternoon of Christmasday, with four bushels of malt brewed into ale and beer, two bushels of wheat made into bread, and cwt. of cheese. An allowance in money is now made in lieu of this singular entertainment.

"At Southmoreton, where there are four tithings, one of them belongs to the rector solely, and another jointly with a layman, in which the tithes are taken in kind, and their produce being divided into five parts, the rector has two of them. The other tithings are in lay hands."

INLAND NAVIGATION.-The Reporter appears to have paid particular attention to this important branch of political economy, in a populous Country. In the section, "Navigable Rivers and Canals," we find interesting accounts of

the

the navigations of the rivers Thames and Kennet; of the Kennet and Avon Canal, and of the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal. The subjoined extracts convey an interesting account of the INLAND TRAFFIC of a rich and populous line of Country. P. 427. "Berks, though an inland county, has peculiar advantages in respect to its navigations. The river Thames,' which forms its boundary on the north and north-eastern side; the river Kennet, and the Kennet and Avon canal, which pass through the most southern parishes for nearly three-fifths of its extent; and that part of the Wilts and Berks canal, nearly executed, within its limits, on the north-west, have precluded the necessity of projecting any future increase of navigations within the county. Upon inspection of the map, it will be perceived, that in the western division of it, no part of the area of the triangle formed by the Thames on the north-east, by the Kennet on the south, and by the Wilts and Berks canal on the west, is distant more then twelve miles from water carriage; and in the east and south-eastern parts, when we consider that the Basingstoke canal is carried in a line nearly parallel to, and only about eight miles distant from its southern boundary, we find in that division of the county no place more than twelve miles distant, either from that navigation, the Thames, or the Kennet.

"Of all these navigations, the first in importance is the river Thames, almost the whole of whose navigable stream, not within the jurisdiction of the corporation of the city of London, washes the borders of this county in a circuitous course of nearly 105 miles. For neither Lechdale, to the west, where it first becomes navigable, nor Staines, to the east, where the city jurisdiction commences, are far from the limits of Berkshire.

"The antiquity of the navigation of this river may be traced beyond any records of parliament, to the reigns of Henry II. and III., at which time it appears, that barges (naves) brought down wood for firing from the upper part of the Thames to London. For the passage of these barges, a custom or toll, called 'avalagium,' was paid, which having been farmed, appears to have been part of the royal revenue."

P. 431. "From Lechlade to Staines stone, the distance is 108 miles, the fall being 225 feet; and as the fall from Staines to the tide-way at Brentford is 45 feet, the total height of Lechdale above the sea appears to be about 270 feet."

P. 433. "The exports from the country adjacent to this river consist of corn, wool, timber, and woodland produce. Corn is conveyed principally in its manufactured state, as

F4

flour,

flour, meal, or malt; there being many considerable mills seated on the river, and supplied by its stream. The principal mills subservient to manufacturing purposes are the Temple copper mills, near Marlow, and several paper mills, seated on the short but rapid stream of the Wye, which flows into the Thames, at a little above Cookham, and below Marlow. Beech in timber, plank, and billet for the bakers in London, and various other uses, makes a large proportion of the downward trade, from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire wharfs.

"From Lechlade and Abingdon are sent considerable quantities of cheese, the produce of the rich pastures of Gloucester and North Wiltshire, as well as of the dairying parts of Berks.

"The imports, or upward freight to the above places, consist of those commodities which now form so large a proportion of the necessaries and comforts of a British popula tion-Such are the productions of the East and West Indies, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and the South Sea, through the port of London. Newcastle coal is conveyed upwards as far as Abingdon and Wallingford; but at these places, and at Reading, its consumption is now limited, by the Staffordshire coal brought down the Oxford canal, and by Shropshire and Welch coal brought down the Thames and Severn canal. There are, however, express statutes to prevent coal, brought down the Oxford or Wilts and Berks canal, from being carried down the Thames lower than Reading. No kind of manure seems to have found its way generally up the Thames, except woollen rags, which are sold in considerable quantitics at Reading, Henley, and Marlow. Coal ashes have scarcely ever been brought up higher than Maidenhead or Marlow, peat ashes, which will be particularly mentioned hereafter, being more generally sold as a manure at the wharfs between Maidenhead and Wallingford, a distance of nearly forty miles. Exclusive, however, of the produce and manufactures of the county more immediately adjoining, by its communication with other navigations, the division of the Thames, which we have been describing, conveys the produce and merchandize of very distant counties, to and from London. The Thames and Severn canal connects it with the river Severn, and consequently with all ports, upwards as well as downwards, on that river:- with Wales, and circuitously with Bristol. The Oxford canal unites it with the various navigations of the North, with Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool."

In the " conclusion" of the body of the Work is inserted a paper of Mr. PAGE,-on the "System of Improvement by Pond Locks, as practised on the Thames;"-together with

remarks

remarks (by the Reporter?) on facilitating the passage, by water, from the Thames, above Windsor, to the Metropolis*. ROADS. This is another favorite topic of the Reporter; and the only one, I think, on which he speaks as a practical man. P. 422. "On the facility of communication, and consequently the goodness of the roads, not only the comforts of residence, but agricultural improvements and advantages materialiv depend. Few places in this county are above three miles from some good turnpike road; yet it is necessary to limit this commendation of good. Indiscriminate censure or praise is generally unjust. If much has been done, much more might be effected towards the improvement of the public roads, as the materials are generally excellent, and the revenues ample.. Throughout the greatest part of Berkshire we find fine gravel, flints, or calcareous stone near at hand; and it is therefore the fault of the trustees if the roads are not put and kept in the most perfect repair. But in many places, even in the line of the great roads, they are not sufficiently raised in the middle, the water tables + are neither regularly made, nor with proper outlets towards the ditches; and the ditches themselves are not scoured, or the hedges cut, where it might be equally beneficial to the roads and to the contiguous grounds.

"In some places, I believe the baneful practice of letting the roads by contract per mile prevails. Where this is the case, the contractor will do as little as he can help for his money; he must naturally be expected to make a profit by his engagement; and that neatness, which is so cheap under a better system, and those improvements which mark attention, and are so delightful to the eye of the traveller, are either wholly neglected, or but slovenly performed."

P. 423. "From long observation, and taking an active part in the management of a particular road of great travelling, I am convinced that the only effectual means of improving or keeping up roads, is to have an honest and intelligent surveyor, at a suitable salary, whose business it is to superintended the whole line, to pay the labourers, to call out the statute duty, observe the directions of the commissioners, and to be responsible to them. It is proper, likewise, that he should have a kind of foreman, at the increased

* See my observations on the VALE of LONDON ; prefixed to the 8vo Edition of the MINUTES of AGRICULTURE, in the Southern Counties, on this interesting topic.

+ Water Table is a west of England term (rather ill chosen) for the draining channel; on the side of a barreled road, to convey away the rain water that may fall upon it.

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