252 Chap. XVI. Appendix , No. 1.

The fighting men, in the ordinary proportion to the actual re-turn in 1801, Mr Chalmers states at 376,760.

The rate of returned population to one square mile, is at therate of—

In the 18 northern counties, - - - 40.17

In the 15 southern ones, ----- 92.49

Average of the whole, - - - - 54.27

The highest rate of population, as might be expected, is inthe county containing the capital, and in that abounding mostwith manufactures, viz.

Shire of Edinburgh , or Mid-Lothian, - - 34-6.71

Renfrewshire, ------ 331.5

Sutherland county is the least populous, - - 12,55

It is to be regretted that the Legislature has not enacted re-gulations, by which not only the existing population, at givenperiods, mny be enumerated, but the annual marriages, births,and deaths, be also exactly ascertained. The development ofthe principles of population by Malthus , has communicated aninterest to this class of facts, much deeper than what will ever,now, be taken in the parade of manufactures, or of the Custom-house returns of exports and imports.

Section VII.

On the various Modes of holding Possession of Propertyin Land as affecting Agriculture.

It is a possible supposition, that all the various entangled, andmutually interfering rights to land, imposed by imperious cir-cumstances, or adopted through ignorance, which have growninto common law, through consuetude, might be disentangled,and rendered unobstructive, by private agreement among theparties concerned. Experience hath shown, that, however pos-sible such agreement may be, it hath rarely been found practica-ble. It belongs to the Legislature therefore, to enforce such ageneral disentanglement, by general statute ; as also to redresssuch obstructions as may have ensued from any of its own enact-ments, either from change of circumstances, or from the origi-nal design of the enactment having been found erroneous.

The best constitution of property in land, to excite and encou-rage agricultural improvements, would infer that sole commandand control over it, that excludes all obstruction to managementarising from contrariety of counsel and opinion, as also that ab-solute power of disposal, which would secure to the industriousimprover the full possession and enjoyment of the fruits of his