1753. OPINIONS in Relation to the PEERAGE. 461

put his image and fuperfcription on any one piece that was not of ftandard-value; and confequently needed nothing but the royal ftamp, to authorife its own currency? Is there any man fo ridiculous as to prefer an old, thin, half-worn guinea of Charles II to one of George II. fresh out of the Mint, with fo many additions of A German arms, and German titles upon them? And as to the old coins of the Tudors and Plantagenets, do they not exactly resemble the old nobility of thofe times? Are not they in a manner worn out? Are their names any otherwife recollected or confidered than as fo many helps to hiftory? Are they to be found in any of the great offices of ftate which were held with fo much luftre by their ancestors? And have not, on the contrary, the new men, like the new guineas, got the start of them in all things?

And now having premifed thus much in favour of the prefent fyftem, I fhall fill up the rest of my paper, with the opini ons of past times on fome fuch topicks as C thefe, begging pardon at the fame time, for having called them authorities, in my introduction: For fome of them having been already exploded by the wisdom of the nation; and all of them laid afide with other obfoletes, it is plain, they are of no authority at all.

In the first place, then, Mr. Selden D takes the liberty to fay, "the making of new lords leffens all the reft :" And by a familiar reference of the ftory of a country fellow, who never could be brought to pray to a St. Nicholas, which he knew had been made out of his own plum-tree, infinuates, how hard it is to honour the name, when we cannot help defpifing the materials.

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That martyr to patrotism, Mr. Sydney, alío, expreffes himself on the fubject of nobility, in the following brave words. "I forbear to mention the fordid ways of attaining to titles in our days: But whoever will take the pains to examine them, fhall find, that they rather defile than ennoble the poffeffors: And, whereas men are truly ennobled only by virtue, and refpect is due to fuch as are defcended from those who have bravely ferv'd their country, because it is prefumed, (till they fhew the contrary) that they will resemble their ancestors, thefe modern courtiers, by their names and titles, frequently oblige us to call to mind fuch things as are not to be mentioned without blushing. Whatever G the antient noblemen of England were, we are fure they were not fuch as thefe. And, tho' it should be confeffed, that no others but dukes, marqueffes, earls, vifounts and barons had their places in the

councils mentioned by Cæfar and Tacitus, or in the great affemblies of the Saxons, it could be of no advantage to fuch as áre now called by thofe names. They were the titles of offices conterr'd upon those who did and could best conduct the people in time of war, give council to the king, adminifter juftice, and perform other publick duties, but were never made hereditary, except by abufe: Much lefs were they fold for money, or given as recompences of the vileft fervices. If the antient order be totally inverted, and the ends of its inftitution perverted, they, who from thence pretend to be diftinguifhed from other men, muft build their claim upon fomething very different from antiquity."

Thirdly, Mr. Locke defines the prerogative, to be a power in the fupreme magiftrate, of acting at difcretion, or without a rule, for the publick good, in caufes where the laws are filent: And, having fufficiently enlarged upon the ufe, proceeds in thefe words upon the reftrictions occafioned by the abufe, to wit. "But when mistake or flattery prevailed with weak princes to make ufe of this powe for private ends of their own, and no for the publick good, the people wer fain, by exprefs laws, to get the preroga tive determined in thofe points wherei they found difadvantage from it."

And, laftly, our annals furnish us wi one remarkable inftance, of a minifter scheme avowed in parliament by an e prefs meffage from the throne, to cust the prerogative in one inftance, by lim ing the number of peers; which at death of QElizabeth was but 57, bishops excepted; and at that time increafed to 178; difference 121.

I touch upon this as rere matte hiftorial curiofity; for the opportu being once loft, repentance comes late: And, if I add any part of the troverfy, not commonly to be four the collections relating to it, it m alfo fuppofed, I do it for fear that f be loft likewife.

The reafon of the bill affigned faid meffage was, "to fecure the fr and conftitution of parliaments toture agees," and the arguments er ed against it were drawn from the r arifing to the fame conftitution, fin over-weight thereby given to the pl: But this notion of an over-weightat kind was not admitted by the frof the bill; for, at the fame that fid admit every fingle peerage woul of more value to the holder than it efore, they denied, the whole nu as determined by the bill, would b fo

511

confiderable, as a greater number would neceffarily become, on a fuppofition, they were to go on encreafing as they had hitherto done: For it was faid, the greater the number of peers was, the more land and money would be poffeffed by the whole body of peers taken together; the more numerous would be their relations, friends, acquaintance and dependants; as alfo the stronger their influence in first electing, and then ruling a house of commons; in confequence of which, the houfe of commons might be little more than the houfe of peers over again, forming thofe money-bills which the latter were only to pafs; full of their creatures; not the reprefentatives of the commons of Great Britain, but of the lords; not even the representatives of property, any otherwife than by reprefenting the peers, who, in fuch cafe, would have moft of the property in their hands: Nor, in any respect, operating as a balance against the lords, but, on the contrary, operated upon and fubfervient to their influence only; which fubfervience would give them in effect a monopoly of all parlia.mentary power, and thereby render them mafters of the conftitution.

A

crown fuch a jewel as the power of bribery, when such a conjun&ture may poffibly happen in which there may be occafion for it?" And that, in short, unlefs the bill was fuffered to pass, the conftitution would not only be fhocked as often as a number of peers was made, whether for a good or bad purpose; but, by the ordinary courfe of progreffion, would, so often, be brought fo much nearer both to contempt and ruin.

Then, as to the objections offered to that part of the bill, which fubftituted 25 hereditary peers in lieu of the 15 elected by the peers of Scotland according to the articles of union, it was faid,, B the bare ftate of their cafe was enough to fhew, that the alteration propofed, was for the credit of both parties: They being at prefent, but a fort of infect lords, generated by court fun-shine in a corrupt foil, having but a tranfitory exiftence, and no hope, but from their good. behaviour, of a parliamentary regene Cration, when their parliamentary being was brought to a period.

And, whereas it was alfo urged against the bill, that the remedy it contained was not fuited to the evil; but that, in case of any fuch abufe of the prerogative, as feemed to be indicated by it, the advifer of fuch abuse, ought to be made answerable for it; to this it was anfwer

Ded, that fuch an alteration had the times

undergone, that minifters could only be punished by minifters: That he, who obtained the office, by what means fo ever, thought it his perquifite to abfolve his predeceffor, how obnoxious or guilty foever: That this was manifeft both from reafon and experience: And that E confequently the clamours of the house of commons for inquiries, impeachments, &c. would from thence forward resemble thofe gales which shook the foreft with their noife, without rooting up a fingle tree; tho' many were ready to drop with their own rottennefs.

It was alfo urged, ridiculously enough, by fuch of the whigs as had complained fo bitterly in the preceding reign of the very thing they now contended for; that, in depriving the crown of the power of forming a majority, by as many new creations as would ferve any prefent purpofe, the lords would be rendered too mighty for the crown: To which it was anfwered, that the crown had much less to apprehend on one hand, than both the rown and the people too had on the ther: And that in all difficult caufes the east evil was to be chofen: As alfo, that the particular thus objected to, which as the rendering the lords indepenent, lay the very virtue of the bill: hat if those who pretended to be lovers liberty thought it eligible for the crown have it in its power to lay fuch a force the lords, for a force it certainly was, y ought, for the fame confiderations, infift on the expediency of bribery too. thus, if a propofal was made to lay ax to the root of bribery, would it appear very odd in an advocate for rty to reply in fuch terms as thefe ? ndeed bribery is not in itfelf a good g. It has been already ufed almoft he ruin of the whole it may be G more effectually for that purpofe in to come. But then, in cafe of a reory difpofition in the lords, how will poffible to foften them And how will it be to take away from the 5

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Laftly, it was faid, that the commons, (where all the material oppofition lay) at least the bulk of them, were as much out of the question as those who were without their doors: And that if all the afpirers among them were to be gratified with peerages, their hate of the mifchief refulting from it, would, in the end, be much the fame with that of their fellow-fubjects. That when one part of the conftitution, or a mixture of the feveral parts, fhould, like Aaron's ferpent, be in a capacity to fwallow up the reft, all would then look back to this great crifis with regret. That in foch cafe, either with or without a conteft, the

caufe

1753.

Improving LAND. Preferving FRUIT.

cause of the community would pro-
bably be desperate; or rather there would
be no community at all-And that al-
ready, for want of a due balance, every
thing was to be apprehended from a
combination of grandees, attached to
profligate minifters, and devoted to the
will of a refolute prince.

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON
MAGAZINE.

SIR,

A

Thus it

463

Land, however rich and fertile in itfelf, is of no value, if it lies at a distance from any inhabited country. The more populous any place is, the greater is the value of land in it. If in England there are feven or eight millions of people, and if the land throughout the nation is now worth seven or eight fhillings an acre; A then it is probable, that every addition of a million to our people would encrease our rents one fhilling an acre, and that -the lofs of a million would decrease them as much.

N account was published not long ago of the Norfolk husbandry; by which any one, who is curious in fuch enquiries, may be in fome measure informed, how a tract of land, formerly B efteemed poor and barren, is now be come one of the moft fruitful countries in the world, and annually exports more than half as much corn, as all the reft of the kingdom. The chief art, by which this wonderful change has been effected, is that of varying frequently the produce. The fame inclofure is never fown with C corn for feveral years together; but after one or two harvests, it bears grafs or turnips; and the cattle which feed on thefe, manure the ground, and prepare it for another crop of corn. is contrived, that the land is never unprofitable. The turnips pay the charge of tillage; and when it is neceffary that it fhould reft from bearing corn, it is then covered plentifully with fown grass. Now it would be impoffible for the farmers to purfue this method of husbandry, if they had not a market for their mutton, beef, and butter. These they fend in great quantities to London; and it is the fale of them which has enabled the Norfolk husbandmen to bear the expence of opening clay pits, and by the help of this manure to improve their foil. And if the demands for thefe things were much encreased, almost all the wafte grounds in the kingdom would be broken up, and turned to advantage.

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These points being not to be controverted; it is plainly abfurd, to attempt to raise, or fupport, the value of land, by any expedient, which will leffen the number of our people. But the number of our people must be leffened by every thing, which is prejudicial to our trade, and every thing is prejudicial to our trade, which enhances the prices of our manufactures we export. And these prices must be enhanced by every thing, which makes the neceffaries of life dear at home. Now the bounty on exported corn plainly contributes to make it dear at home. It therefore encreases the prices of our manufactures, is prejudicial to our trade, leffens the number of our people, diminishes the growth of corn, and is oppofite to the intereft of our farmers and land-owners.

A METHOD of preferving FRUIT.

ITCH upon the best and most perfect

of the fruit you would preferve whilft hanging upon the tree, which is not in the leaft bruifed, nor the skin any where fcratched or broken. Do not touch nor gather it with your hands, but tie a strong thread about the stalk, and, holding the thread tight in your hand, cut the stalk above the thread with a pair of seiffars: The fruit being thus detached from the tree without touching the branches or any thing elfe, clofe the cut end of the ftalk with Spanish wax to prevent the air acting upon it. Then roll up a sheet of F paper in the form of a cone, with a little opening at the top; through this aperture pafs the thread tied to the talk of the fruit, fo that it may be fufpended in the cone, then close the aperture with foft green wax, and fold in the paper at the bottom, and clofe and fecure it with wax in like manner, fo that the air may be effectually excluded, for if the air had access to the fruit, it would foon spoil and corrupt. The little cone inclosing the fruit may then be hung by the thread upon a nail in a dry temperate place, neither hot nor cold, fo as it may not

My defign in making these remarks is only to fhew, by one inftance, out of many which might be offered, how much the intereft of the farmer and land-owner depends on the number of our people. Some have foolishly imagined, that the exportation of corn may support the price of it. But it should be firft confidered, whether it can preferve the growth of it. If the confumption of cattle, and other products of our land, declines; the G growth of corn, and confequently the exportation of it must decline alfo. It is therefore apparent, that the more people we have to eat our meat at home, the more corn we fhall have to spare for foreigner

touch

touch any thing; and by thefe means fruit may be preferved quite found and perfect for two or three years. Apples, pears, plumbs, cherries, and all fuch like fruits, may be well preferved in this

manner.

A DESCRIPTION of RICHMOND in YORKSHIRE, with a VIEW of the fame.

ICHMOND is fituate in the North

RRiding of this county, and is ca

The

ftockings is carried on, which is indeeš a very confiderable one, and of late great ly increased, as also that of knit caps.

EPPLANATION of the VIEW. The caftle.-2 River Swale.-3 Trinity church-4 St. Mary's churchA Friers fleeple. 6 Free fchool.-7 The vicarage.8 Cling wood, where this drawing was taken.

A Summary of the most important Affair is the laft Seffion of PARLIAMENT. Cer tinued from p. 424.

TAVING now given an account of the most remarkable bills that were

H laft feffion paffed into laws, we shall next give an account of the most important bills which were brought in but had not the good fortune to be paffed into laws, the first of which was a bill to render the militia, in that part of Great Britain called England, more ufeful; which bill was moved for by Mr. Thornton, Feb. 2. and Cleave being accordingly given, Mr. Sydenham, lieut. gen. Oglethorpe, Mr. Townshend, and he, were ordered to prepare and bring in the fame. Accord ingly the bill was prefented to the houst by Mr. Thornton, Feb. 27, when it was read a first and ordered to be read a fecond time. March 8, it was read a fecond time, and a motion made for its D being committed, but upon the question's being put it paffed in the negative, with out either debate or divifion; and we may prophesy that no fuch bill can ever be contrived, unless our nobility, gentry, freeholders. citizens, and burgefies, would fubmit to fuch regulations as thould oblige them to lift themfelves of the militia, and to arm and train themselves fo as to be fit for the purpose; for whilst they are allowed to employ fervants and low fellows to ferve for them, no militia can he fafe, or any other way ufeful than to ferve for breeding recruits for our ftanding army.

pital of a district, which from it has the name of Richmondshire, and is in the diocese of Chefter. It is called Richmond from its fituation upon a hill or mount, having a rich and fertile foil about it, B tho' the country round it is rocky and barren. In the reign of Richard II. this town was annexed to the dutchy of Lancafter, and fo it ftill continues. Earl Edwin built a caftle here, the tower of which is ftill ftanding; as is also the fteeple of the old priory. It has two churches, a very spacious market-place, and a stone bridge over the river Swale, which runs under the castle wall. town is large, well-built, moftly of stone, and fome houfes of freeftone. It is fortified with a wall, in which are three gates, leading to three different fuburbs. It is inhabited by many gentry as well as tradesmen, and has a good market on Saturdays. It is a borough governed by a mayor, recorder, 12 aldermen, &c. and fends two members to parliament, who at prefent are, J. York, Efq; and the earl of Ancram. King Charles II. in 1675, created his natural fon, Charles Lenox, by the dutchefs of Portsmouth, duke of Richmond, in which honour he was in 1723, fucceeded by his only fon Charles, on whofe death in 1750, the prefent duke fucceeded to the title. The ftreets of the town are neat and handfome, and it holds pleas in all kinds of actions. It is faid, that in the year 1732, Mr. Wharton of Newcastle, agent to his grace the late duke of Richmond, by ordering feveral places here to be dug very deep, difcovered the draw-bridge and moat belonging to Richmond castle, which were of very curious workmanship.

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Here thrives a kind of manufactory of knit yarn stockings for fervants and ordinary people. Every family is employed that way, both great and small; and here you may buy the imalleft-fized ftock-G

ings for children for Is. and 6d. the dozen pair, fometimes lefs. This trade extends itfelf into Weftmoreland, or rather from Westmoreland, hither; for, at Kendal, Kirkby Stephen, and fuch other places in that county as border upon Yorkshire, the chief manufacture of yarn

Feb. 14, Sir William Yonge moved for leave to bring in a bill for regulating pawn brokers and brokers, within the bills of mortality and places adjacent, and for more effectually preventing the receiving of ftolen goods; and the motion being agreed to, Mr. Bathurst, Sir Richard Lloyd, and he, were ordered to prepare and bring in the fame. The bill was accordingly brought in, passed by the house of commons and fent to the lords March 30, but their lordships did not think it a proper bill to be passed into a law.

Feb. 19. An addrefs was ordered to be presented to his majesty, that he would

be