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e“< rity. To remedy this evil, proviſion-rents have formerly been adopted. But < a moment's conſideration will convince us, that a commutation of tithes for «““« provifion-rents, or the produce of land in a marketable ſtate, would be liable fo much trouble and abuſe. It would not be eligible even for the farmer; nor can “« it be expected, that the tithe-owner would ever conſent to it."--And the objec- tions made by the clergy, againſt having the value of their tithes commuted into land, appear juſt and well-founded.

<< The moſt unobjed&tionable commutation is that of a money-payment, chargeable << on the owners of the land now titheable, but to vary with the value of money, in << ſuch a manner as for the ſame income to purchaſe the ſame quantity of the ne «« ceſlaries of life in all times to come.=--The-method of doing this ſhould be as “« ſimple and certain, as little complicated as general, and liable to the leaſt trouble “« poſlible.--In fixing upon one ſingle ſtandard, by which to eſtimate the future value “« of tithes, in proportion to the value of money, or that of the land out of which << they iſſue, perhaps there is no one more proper than that of a buſhel or quarter of << wheat."--This is proved by the pra&ice of Eton College.=-The cuſtom of receiv- ing wheat and malt as part of rent, was begun as far back as 4770 1551*.--Wheat was then reckoned at 8 ſhillings per quarter, and malt at 5 Mhillings per quarter.-- And the juſtneſs of this idea, applied to the payment of tithes, is partly acknowledged by the encloſure-bill for the Langtons in Leiceſfterſhire.+ The livings of Mr. Hanbury are there valued at 600/.--And it is enated, that the commiſlioners for the encloſure ſhall, and are thereby required to aſcertain from, or by the gazette, the average-price of the Wincheſter-buſhel of wheat in the county of Leiceſter, during the term of 14 years| preceding the commencement of the a&(paſſed in 1790) 3 and ſhall, in and by their ſaid award, ſet forth ſuch average-Pprice, and what quantity of wheat, at that price, the ſum of 600/. would purchaſe; and ſhall apportion ſuch ſum among the owners and proprietors of the lands and grounds; and ſhall alſo aſcertain and ſet forth the quantity of wheat which ſhall be equal in value to the proportion of each of ſuch owners and proprietors of land, in the ſaid[um of 600/.--Indeed, afterwards there is a power given, at the end of ſeven

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* See 42d Number of Vol. II. of the Muſeum Ruſticum.

The old rent of Compton in money, was-=---=-- ESTO2PA4" O It was altered to rent in money,-----= BOSE AN ERG A Rent in wheat, 20 quarters, at 85. per quarter,-=-- 6.170130 4

Rent of Compton in 1751. The price of wheat, being taken on an average of 25 years prior to that time, was 17. 138. per quarter. So that the rent of Compton in money, was=-=-=- 42:81. 45.0 PIA Value of 20 quarters of wheat, at 1/. 135. per quarter,-- 5 33 0 7 ,. 4 4 0

Andif the rent had been all paid in wheat, the value of the rent, in 1751, would ii ISOPE 76

been vpwards of------ S 3 5 5 + Page 567. of Vol. XV. of the Annals of Agriculture.

+ By the prices of Leiceſterſhire, the average of 14 years, ending with 1790, was about 1. 135, 2d. per quarter; ſo that 362 quarters of wheat might be ſaid to be equivalent to 600,

Years,