if they would endeavour to make a proper use of them; that it should be at their own option to accept the offer that would be made them, or not; but they were advised to make an effort to extricate themselves from that depth of extreme poverty into which they were sunk. It was then proposed that each Cottager, on his application for the same, should become tenant of a small quantity of arable land, under proper restrictions, and at a fair rent, but that no person should be allowed to occupy more than the family of such person could cultivate, without improperly interfering with his usual labour, nor more than he could procure manure to keep in a state of high fertility; that the largest families should not, therefore, occupy more than one acre and a half, the smaller families, less in proportion as their numbers were fewer, and not likely to increase.

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That the rent of the land should be at the rate of 1l. 12s. per acre*.

* It was never known before to bear more than

That one-fourth part of the land in each person's occupation, should annually be well manured in rotation, and planted with potatoes; that the remainder should be managed as the tenant should think proper, except that no person should have two exhausting crops of corn (viz. wheat, barley, oats, rye) successively.

1

That the land should be forfeited to the landlord, if not cultivated and manured `as above mentioned; or if the tenant should be lawfully convicted of felony, or any other offence against the law, for which he would be liable to a fine, or imprisonment.

That it should also be forfeited, if the tenant should receive any relief from the poor-rates, except medical assistance, and except such relief as the family of any tenant should receive, under the authority of any law relating to the militia, or any

20 bushels of wheat to an acre, under the best cultivation, and would let to a farmer at about 20s. per acre

now.

other Act of Parliament that might afterwards pass, of a similar description, for the defence of the country.

That the land should be granted, if required, for a term of 14 years; but the lease, or agreement, should be void, by, either party giving the other three years notice of such avoidance.

This was the offer made to them. They entered warmly into the idea; promised every possible exertion on their part to give it success; and all accepted the offer, except two widows with numerous families of young children, and four very old infirm persons without families, who had not then courage to make the experiment.

The high price of provisions at that time, notwithstanding they all had a very liberal allowance from the poor-rate, had ran them so much in debt for the common necessaries of life (chiefly for bread), that it being deemed essential to their success that they

should be freed from these incumbrances, money was advanced on loan amongst them, in proportion to their wants, amounting to the sum of 441.

At Lady-day, 1801, each person entered on the first part, or one-third, of the land allotted to him; at Lady-day, 1802, they entered on one-third more; and at Ladyday, 1803, on the remainder.

The great effect this easy mode of sup plying their wants has already produced in their habits, morals, manners, and condition, will be best proved by a statement of a few facts that have resulted from it.

The only persons who have received any relief from the poor-rate of this parish, since Michaelmas, 1801, are the four old infirm persons before-mentioned (two of whom are since dead), and the two widows with large families. The two widows, rather than go with their families to a workhouse, have since requested to be put on a footing with

their neighbours; and they also have received no relief since Michaelmas, 180g, when their first crop came into use: one of them has six, the other eight, small children, the eldest not 12 years of age. No person has forfeited his land; but three single men have asked leave to resign theirs, being able to subsist very well by their labour. Except these, they have all strictly and cheerfully adhered to every part of the agreement by which the land is held. There is one circumstance particularly gratifying, observable in the operation of this plan, which is, that those poor persons who have the largest families, and were the heaviest charge to the parish, are those who seem to set the highest value upon their land, and cultivate it with the greatest assiduity, and therefore the most anxious to avoid in future doing any act by which it would be forfeited. This may arise from the pleasure the parents feel in seeing their numerous children well provided with every comfort requisite to health and subsistence, independent of every one but themselves, and a source of happiness, instead of