lord or proprietor absolutely does nothing but sit
down at his ease, and Teceive his rent. * Of the
mines of Banca, in their present state of fertility, I
have attempted to estimate the rent at one-half of
their gtfoás produce. This rent is the proper subject
of taxation, and were the amount permanent
and equal, or could be precisely ascertained, might,
without infringement of private rights, or detriment
to public industry, be all assumed as the
public revenue of the state. No perpetual arrangement,
however, could be made with respect to
mines, as proposed with respect to lands j for the
productive powers of the soil are permanent, and
the rent of a given portion of land increases rather
than diminishes in the progress of society, whereas
the produce of mines is liable to diminish, or to be
altogether exhausted. A périodical, and not a permanent
organization, therefore, would be the most
* f The dues/’ says Mr Taylor, “ are delivered to the lord
or to his agent on the mine, free of all expence, or are commuted
for a proportionate part of the money arising‘frbm the
sale of the whole. Hence it will be seen that the laiid-dwn-
er risks nothing but a little ihjury to the surface of his
fields. It seems reasonable that the land-owners should contribute
something in favour of that texertion which so often
leads to their great advantage. As it now stands, thé landowner
often derives'a great revende from a mine, which is
swallowing up the money of thé adventurers.’ ——Transactions
o f the Geological Society o f London, Vol. II. p. 312, 313.
suitably. I conceive that the granting of a lease
of from ten to twenty years, according to the
nature of the mines, with their disposal by the
competition of a public sale, would be the surest
and most equitable means, of determining and securing
the amount of the revenue of the state, and
of reconciling public and private interests. Subordinate
regulations will readily occur, and need
not be detailed. Mining adventure, by the plan
proposed, would have ample scope; and the abolition
of the exclusive trade would soon give the excitement
to individual enterprise, which insures
prosperity and wealth. From the abundance of
the lands of Banca, and the injurious system pursued,
of supplying the miners at exorbitant rates
with food and necessaries, from abroad, they are at
present excluding those which contain tin ores, of
little or no. value. When the activity of mining
industry is set at liberty by being freed from the
shackles which now fetter it, the lands will acquire
value from the demands of the mines ; and, as in
other situations of much less promise, we shall see
agricultural industry thrive, and towns and villages
rise in the midst of the mining districts. The
lands should be gradually sold for a quit rent, on
the principles laid down in another part of this
work, to facilitate the progress of so desirable an
event. When it is considered that, 70 years ago,
under an unfavourable system, and when there was