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have over an indictment. An in dictment is attended with a great certain expence, with considerable delay, is liable to much evasion and uncertainty as to the issue; the expence of an indictment, if traversed, amounts to at least seven pounds: this circumstance alone, would make it impossible for a poor man to have recourse to it; and, indeed, would render it imprudence even for a wealthy person, as in most cases he would find the remedy worse than the disease. But the delay is another main'ob. jection to proceeding by indict. ment, for if traversed, it cannot be tried till the sessions after it is laid; but, after all, if neither expence nor delay are considered as suffici. ent objections, it must be observed, that when the cause is brought to issue, though the complainant may prove that the miller has taken exorbitant toll, the indictment mest fall to the ground, provided it ap. pears that the predecessors of the miller have taken the same toll, or that he is the proprietor of a new mill.

The measure I have in view, contains some other regulations, but they are chiefy subordinate, and connected with the two objects I have stated. If the plan I propose should be adopted, I think few disputes could hereafter arise between millers and those who employ them, as the chief subjects of their usual differences, namely, the exorbitantcy and uncertainty of the toll, would no longer remain. But if, contrary to my expectation, there should be any complaints in future, they would be settled at a small expence, and without any dela, before two justices of the peace, probably well known to both

the contending parties. I propose that the decision of the justices should be final, for the purpose of avoiding expence and delay; but if this power is thought too great to be lodged in the hands of these rangistrates, an appeal may be allowed to the quarter sessions.

I beg pardon for taking up so much of your time on this subject, which really appears to me im. portant, and therefore to deserve the serious consideration of the corn committee.

I have the honour to be, &c.
FRANCIS BASSET.

The Sele& Committee have come to the following Resolutions respecting the making of mixed Dread.

Resolved, March 24, 1796. 1. That it is the opinion of this committee, that it is expedient that mag strates should, in times of scarcity and high price of corn, have power to make certain regulations relative to the manufac ture and sale of certain sors of meal and bread; which they do not now by law possess.

2. That it is the opinion of this committee, that whenever the average price of middling British when shall be above a certain sum, magistrates, at their general quarter sessions, or at any sessions to b

specially appointed for that purpose, shall be empowered, within their respective jurisdictions, to prohi bit, for a limited time, the separation at the mill of more than five pounds of bran from every sixty pounds of wheat; and also to prohibit the sale of any wheaten meal from which a greater proportion of bran shall have been sep rated.

3. That it is the opinion of this Ff3

committee,

committee, that no miller should be prevented from making fine four for the consumption of any persons who reside within the districts where the use of fine flour is not prohibited, so far as the inak. ing such flour for the consumption of such persons hath been the usual course of his trade.

4. That it is the opinion of this committee, that magistrates be al o empowered to prohibit, within their respective jurisdictions, for a limit ed time, the making for sale any other bread made of wheat meal alone, than such as shall be made of the whole meal, deducting only at the rate of five pounds of bran out of sixty pounds of wheat.

5. That it is the opinion of this committee, that magistrates be em powered, within their respective jurisdictions, to prohibit, for a li mited time, the making of any bread for sale, except such as shall

be made of the whole meal of wheat as above described, or of such mixtures of wholesome fari. naccous food, and in such propor. tions as they shall appoint.

6. That it is the opinion of this committee, that for the purpose of carrying the last resolution into ef. fect, magistrates be empowered to oblige the millers, within their respective jurisdictions, for a limited time, to grind and dress, if requir. ed, and if consistent with the pow. ers and mechanism of their mills, such sorts of grain as shall be ne. cessary for making the said approved mixtures.

7. That it is the opinion of this committee, that magistrates shall not make any of the prohibitions Before mentioned, without suffici. ent public notice.

8. That it is the opinion of this committee, that within the city of

London and the liberties thereof, the company of the bakers of the said cy, and in any other county, city, division, district, town or place, any baker or maker of bread for sale, miller, or mealman, may, within the respective jurisdiction to which he or they do belong,orwhere. In he or they do exercise their trade, occupation, or mystery, have an op portunity of offering to such justices as afor said, all such objections as such company of bakers, or such bakers or makers of bread for sale, or such miliers or meatmen, may have and think fit to offer, against any such prohibition or regulation as aforesaid, at the time when such justices as aforesaid shall have under consideration the ordering any such prohibition or regulation.

Sir John Sinclair's Aidress to the Board of Agriculture, 2416 May, 1796.

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Igitur et de culturà agri præcipere, principale fuit, etiam apud exteras; siquidem et reges fecere, Hiero, Phil tor, Att lus, Archelaus, es duces Xeno, phon, et Panus etiam Magɔ; cui qui. dem tontum honorem senatus noster (Romanus) habuit, Carthagine cap. tá; ut cum regulis Africa bibliothecas donavet, wairs jus duo de triginta de agricultura valamina, censeret in La. tinam linguam transferenda, cum jam M. Cato præcepta condidisset, peri, nisque ligue Puricæ dendum nego. tium, in quo præcessit omnes vir cla rissima familia ). Syllanus.

PLIN. HIST. MUND. 1. xviii. c. 3,

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not be improper to take the oppor. tunity of this meeting briefly to state the progress we have made, since I last had the honour of ad. dressing myself to you at the con. clusion of the preceding session.

It is on all hands acknowledged, that the exertions of the Board of Agriculture last year, in promoting an extra cultivation of potatoes, was attended with the happiest consequences, the beneficial effects of which (both the culture and use of that valuable root having thus been greatly extended) will probably long be felt, when the circumstance from which it originated may be forgotten. In fact, in times of scarcity and distress, there is no article comparable to potatoes. They will grow in the poorest soils; they can be taken up in detail as they are wanted; they require no manufacture of drying, milling, &c. previous to their being used; and they can be prepared in various ways for consumption. Above all, it is to be observed, that there is a space of perhaps four months, which generally is supplied from the old stock, but in times of scar. city must be taken from the new crop. That is a circumstance of less consequence where spring corn is the food of the people (but even there it is desirable to thrash the corn -in winter rather than in the spring, as the straw is better for the cattle): but where the people live upon wheat, which is sown in autumn, the case is otherwise; and it is impossible to say what distress it might Occasion (when there is no old stock of wheat in the country), un-less the aid of such an article as potatoes can be obtained, if the farmer is obliged, in a hurried and destructive manner, to thrash corn,

both for seed for himself, and food for the public. He might be tempted, indeed, by the high price of grain, for food, to delay sowing his seed until the favourable season has elapsed, in which case it is impos. sible to say what damage would ul. timately result from it.

The Board not having yet obtained the privilege. of franking, its correspondence is much more limited and less regular than it ought to be, and is attended with a degree of trouble and inconvenience to the person who presides at it, of which it is difficult to form an adequate conception. In consequence, however, of the want of this privilege, so essential to a public institution, and the great restrictions recently imposed upon the privileges enjoyed by a member of parliament, it has been found impossible to keep up that extensive and regular correspondencé, and to procure that extent of infor. mation, from which the public might derive so many important advantages. By the activè zeal, however, of many friends to the institution, information was at very early period sent to the Board, containing rather unfavourable ac counts of the last year's cropof wheat. I

thought it a duty, therefore, incumbent upon me, to make use of every degree of influence which my situation as president of this Board gave me with the public, to recom mend, in the strongest manner, an extra cultivation of wheat last an tumn. My letter upon that subjest, dated 11th of September, 1795, was sent to all the members of the Board, was transmitted to the quar ter sessions of the different counties, and was printed in above fifty dif ferent newspapers, It is with much Ff4 pleasure

pleasure I add, that the recommendation was attended with more extensive consequences than could well have been expected. From all parts of the kingdom, intelligence has been received, that a greater quantity of wheat was sown last autumn than perhaps at any period in the memory of man; and should the ensuing harvest prove favourable, this kingdom will be as well stocked with grain as it was some years ago. At any rate, by these measures, much risk of an immediate scarcity seems to be obviated.

The high price of corn, at the commencement of the last session, naturally directed the attention of parliament to consider the best means, not only to remedy the present distress, but to prevent it in future. For obtaining the first ob. ject, a select committee was ap. pointed, known under the name of the corn committee, whose anxi. ous zeal to do every possible justice to the great subject referred to their consideration, merits the utmost praise. The measures recommend ed by that committee have since been considered unnecessary by some individuals, in consequence of the price of grain having had a temporary fall-But it will probably yet appear, that, had it not been for the earnest recomienda. tion of that committee to econo, mize the consumption of bread, to use other kinds of grain as sub. stitutes for wheat, and to encourage the importation of foreign corn by bounties of uncommon magnitude, the price of grain would not probably have decreased, and complaints would have been made of the inattention of government to the distresses of the country; a

more serious ground of accusation than any over anxiety, which, at all times, particularly in regard to so critical a matter as the subsist. ence of the people, is at least excusable, but on the present occasion was not only necessary, but has proved extremely beneficial.

It was a matter, however, of still greater importance to prevent, by some great and effectual measure, the risk of scarcity in future, and our being under the disgraceful and fatal necessity, not only of depending upon foreign grain for our subsistence, but also of encouraging its importation by high boun ties. With that view, in conse. quence of the directions of this Board, I had the honour of moving in parliament for the appointment of a select committee, to take into its consideration the means of pro. moting the cultivation and im provement of the waste, unincios. ed, and unproductive lands of the kingdom. The passing of a general bill of inclosure, though long ar dently wished for, has hitherto been attempted in vain, and by many was held to be impracticable. By the exertions, however, of the select committee, to whom the drawing up the bill, and the consideration of the whole subject was referred, a bill has at last been prepared, which, in the opinion of many intelligent persons conversant · in that subject, is fully adequate to the object in view; and had not the last session been closed rather earlier than was expected, it would · probably have received the sanction of the legislature this year. trust, however, that the first session of the ensuing parliament will have the credit of completing this important and valuable system, on

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which the future subsistence of the country depends. It is not likely at least to fail, if it can be effected by the exertions of the Board of Agriculture. 1.

Another measure 'recommended by the Board, of infinitely less im portance, but at the same time beneficial to the agricultural interests of the country, has already passed. 1 allude to the exemption of linseed and rape cakes from duty, by an act of last session, 36 Geo. III. c. 113*. The first article, linseed cake, is of comiderable importance to the feeders of cattle, and may be had, it is supposed, in abundance from America, where a great quantity of linseed oil is made use of in painting their wooden houses. The refuse, known under the name of linseed oil or cake, is of little value there,, in consequence of the super. abundance of other kinds of provie sion for cattle. Nothing would be more desirable than thus to establish a new source of trade, beneficial to two countries, inhabited by a race of men speaking the same language, descended from the same common origin, and who ought to consider themselves as the same people. As to rape cake, it is found to be a valuable manure in many parts of this kingdom. Considerable quantities of this article, it is supposed, may be obtained from the content of Europe; and since this regulation has taken place, rape will probably be cul ivated in America. Were Russia also to devote some part of her boundless territories to the culture of that piant, the foundation of a

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commerce might be laid advantä. geous to both empires.

In regard to collecting and cir. culating agricultural information, the true foundation of all those various improvements, which, under the auspices of the Board, will probably be effected, considerable pro gress has been made. The general views of the agricultural state of the different counties, with the exception of two small districts in Scotland (Clackmannan and Kinross,) a part of each of which is already printed, have been completed. The corrected reports of Lancashire, Norfolk, Kent, Staffordshire, and Mid Lothian, are published; and those of several other counties are almost ready for the press. A valuable addition has been made to the printed piper on manures. The sketch of a report on a point which has of late been much discussed, namely, the size of farms, has also been printed, and throws much light upon that subject. A valuable communication from Lord Winchilsea, on the advantage of cottagers renting land, was ordered to be printed, with thè un, animous approbation of those who had the sanction of being present when that paper was read to the

Board.

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Intituled An Act for allowing the Importation of Arrow Root from the British Plantations, and also of Lineced Cakes and Rape Cakes from any foreign country, in British built ships, owned, navigated, and registered according to law, with out paying of duty."

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