the business was dropped, from an apprehension of the expense and trouble attending an opposition in parliament.

"An inclosure of open fields, amounting only to about 250 acres, in a township near to the above, was made a few years since; the expense of obtaining the act alone, and without any opposition, cost the proprietors, 3701*."

In a note signed W. SADLER, a detail of an interesting decision, respecting the rights of stocking common pastures, is given. The following extracts will sufficiently show the substance of it.-P. 199. It has become a prevailing practice, for the occupiers of small farms (some of which occupiers frequently resided in distant townships, and took single fields, which were entitled to common-right) to stock their commons with great numbers of cattle, and without any regard to the smallness of the farms, in respect of which these cattle were turned on.

"This evil of surcharging had increased to an alarming degree, but will now, in a great measure, be crushed, by a late legal decision, of which the following is a statement: At the York Lent Assizes, 1795, an action was tried before judge HEATH and a respectable jury, which had been brought by JOHN BYWELL, who occupied a farm of about 150 acres, entitled to common-right in Thornton Rust, against THOMAS BAINES, who occupied a house and about five acres of land, entitled to common-right in the same township, for surcharging Thornton Rust common."--P. 200.-"The learned judge approved much of the action, and was clear in his opinion, that the defence set up was insufficient; that the surcharge had been fully proved; and that comparing the yearly value

"The expense of this act of parliament, viz. 370l. perhaps would have improved the whole of the land inclosed; it would have allowed 17. 7 s. per acre for improvement.-J. Smeddle."

4

value of each person's farm with the yearly value of all the farms, and then calculating the stock a common would fairly carry, was a proper rule for regu lating the common-rights of persons entitled.'-The jury, without hesitation, found a verdict for the plaintiff."

Game Laws.-The Reporter, in speaking of “Obstacles to Improvement," heavily exclaims against the mischiefs committed by city sportsmen; which, however, he probably much over estimates.-P. 334.

"What I particularly allude to, is the excessive injury done to neighbouring farmers by tradesmen, who, in most considerable towns, keep packs of hounds; and, residing myself in a situation to experience them, I am qualified to speak feelingly upon the subject. Were it possible to form an estimate of the loss suffered in my own neighbourhood, by such trespassers, in breaking down hedges, riding over young wheat, trampling the first year's grass-sceds, damaging the turnips, chacing ewes heavy with lamb, and mixing the several stocks of cattle and sheep, by leaving gates open, and breaking gaps in the fences, he could not state it at less than several hundred pounds a year-and all this for the cruel sport of chacing a hare! This calls for redress; but the agriculturist, as laws and customs at present prevail, has not the means of obtaining it.

"Hares and pheasants, where they abound, are very destructive to the corn in spring, and the turnips in winter; many of the last, being wounded by them, are lost to the farmer, as they rot, unless consumed immediately after receiving the injury.

"To prevent these and other inconveniences, might not the game be made, with advantage to all parties, the property of the occupier of the soil? He now undoubtedly feeds them; and should the owner of the soil wish to reserve a power to hunt, shoot, or course over his estate, he might have it, by its being made

a con

a condition in the lease or agreement between Irim and his tenant."

STATE of SOCIETY. Manufactures.-P. 313."The linen manufactory in the eastern part of the Riding, and the woollen manufactory" (chiefly of stockings) "in the western part, are, in their present state, rather an advantage to agriculture, without being very prejudicial to the individuals who carry them on, by corrupting their morals, or impairing their health; but instances have already occurred, of serious illnesses having prevailed in some of the cotton-mills;"-recently erected in the North Riding. LOCAL TAXES. Poor Rates. On this subject we meet with some valuable items of information: by whom, does not appear. I do not find them in the original Report. The subjoined extracts contain what is particularly interesting.

P. 50." This Riding is favored with various circumstances which ought to operate forcibly in keeping down the expenditure on account of the poor, the most material of which, the general residence of the principal landed proprietors on their estates, and an almost total absence of manufactures, need only be enumerated as adequate to the purpose. Fortunately in this instance, the reasoning appears fully to be borne out by the fact. There is reason to believe that the average of the poor-rates of the Riding are still moderate, compared with those of many other places, notwithstanding a late and great increase brought on by the war; but this addition caused by the war, it is to be hoped will cease, whenever the country is blessed with a return of peace."

P. 52.-" An account of the assessments for the relief of the poor in twenty-two townships in the hundred above referred to," (not named) "in the North Riding of Yorkshire, during thirty-five years, from the year ending April 1758, inclusive, to April 1793; the average being taken in each seven years, extracted from the books of the parish officers of as many town

ships

ships in the hundred as had books of accounts going

back to the

year 1758:

P. 53. "Sum total of the return made by the overseers of the poor of the hundred above referred to, in the North Riding of the county of York, of the assessments raised for the relief of the poor in their respective townships, in the years 1783, 1784, and 1785, in pursuance of the act of 26 Geo. III. b. 56.

P. 54. "At the period when the above return was made, (1785) it appeared, that in the above hundred, the highest rated parish paid under two shillings in the pound poor-rate, and that five townships had never yet raised any assessment for the poor, and were entirely exempt from any charge on their account; and it is a circumstance deserving of much attention, that the three market towns in the hundred were much higher rated than any other parish, and that the rate of assessment generally increased in proportion to the size and population of the parish or township; and that the five townships that had never yet levied a poor-rate, were among the smallest in the hundred; and also, that the poor were best attended to, and the least numerous in proportion

proportion, in the smallest and least populous townships ; strong arguments these, against uniting great districts in the general maintenance of the poor, under the plea of their being better attended to, and maintained at less expence."

Speaking of Provident Societies, Mr. Tuke, or some one for him, says, p. 316, "Many of these societies have long been established in the Riding; and their affairs, excepting some few instances of embezzlement, have generally been well conducted. Fifty-one societies have already been enrolled under a late act of parliament; forty-five societies in 1794, three in 1796, and three in 1797; and their number is likely to increase by fresh associations."

The following observations on free schools confer, on whomsoever wrote them, very much credit. They appear to have recently found their way into a great assembly. P. 317. "It is an undoubted fact, that of many of these schools (it is believed of a majority of them) in this Riding, the doors are shut, and the stipends evaporate in the hands of sinecure masters: the gentry of the Riding are thus put to a great and unnecessary expence and inconvenience, in sending their children to remote schools for their education; and the inferior orders, for whose use these freeschools were more especially founded, suffer an irreparable injury, in being deprived of every means of education. The reign of ignorance in the latter class of society, has been sufficiently long, and the fruits of it have nothing in them commendable: to it may be ascribed much of the licentiousness, and much of the unsettled principles of the tires; it is now fitting to counteract these evils, by the practice of an opposite system. Let it be tried what education can do; enable the lower orders to think; place before them the advantages that will arise to themselves, from order, from sobriety, and industry; and having learnt in what their happiness consists, they will not turn their backs upon it."

Tithes.