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in common, or in run-ridge; and the farmers had no induce- 'ment to cultivate the soil in any correct manner. Two actsof the Scottish Parliament, in the reign of William and Mary ,empowered the Court of Session to divide commons, and allthe lands that lay in run-ridge, with the exception of thosebelonging to royal boroughs. By these legislative enact-ments, great facility was given to the division of lands, andto the holding them in severalty; and great encouragementwas held out to the improved cultivation of the soil, by thevaluation of the teinds, (which prevents the tithes from everincreasing), and by rendering the stipends of the clergy,though a debt upon the land, no longer a burden upon thefanner or occupier.
Leases had several centuries ago been introduced into Scot-land , but had not become general till after the Union of thekingdoms in 1707. (Wadsets, those ancient enemies of animproved cultivation, were too prevalent till that period).And as lease-holders, by the Scottish laws, have no right tovote at the elections of a Member of Parliament, the landedproprietors had no inducement to withhold leases, in orderto secure their political influence; but were, from many mo-tives, led to grant leases, to promote the improved cultivation°f their lands.
These three concurring causes,—exemption from tithes,—Possessing the land in severalty,—and holding their farms bythe security of leases,—were all very favourable to the agri-culture of Scotland ; and the union of the two kingdoms in*707, occasioned the improvements in cultivation, (whichwere then practised in England), to be more generally knownthan they formerly were in Scotland , and to be imitated insome of- the southern counties.—But it was not till after theaccession of his present Majesty, that, from the division of la-bour, from the increase of our commerce, manufactures, andpopulation, and, consequently, from the great demand for theproduce of the soil, that the agriculture of Scotland receivedthe greatest improvements, from a few public-spirited landed
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