Thelordtreasurerreceivedhisrents。Thelordstewardandlordchamberlainlookedaftertheexpenseofhisfamily。Thecareofhisstableswascommittedtothelordconstableandthelordmarshal。Hishouseswereallbuiltintheformofcastles，andseemtohavebeentheprincipalfortresseswhichhepossessed。Thekeepersofthosehousesorcastlesmightbeconsideredasasortofmilitarygovernors。Theyseemtohavebeentheonlymilitaryofficerswhomitwasnecessarytomaintainintimeofpeace。Inthesecircumstancestherentofagreatlandedestatemight，uponordinaryoccasions，verywelldefrayallthenecessaryexpensesofgovernment。
InthepresentstateofthegreaterpartofthecivilisedmonarchiesofEurope，therentofallthelandsinthecountry，managedastheyprobablywouldbeiftheyallbelongedtooneproprietor，wouldscarceperhapsamounttotheordinaryrevenuewhichtheylevyuponthepeopleeveninpeaceabletimes。TheordinaryrevenueofGreatBritain，forexample，includingnotonlywhatisnecessaryfordefrayingthecurrentexpenseoftheyear，butforpayingtheinterestofthepublicdebts，andforsinkingapartofthecapitalofthosedebts，amountstoupwardsoftenmillionsayear。Buttheland—tax，atfourshillingsinthepound，fallsshortoftwomillionsayear。Thisland—tax，asitiscalled，however，issupposedtobeone—fifth，notonlyoftherentofalltheland，butofthatofallthehouses，andoftheinterestofallthecapitalstockofGreatBritain，thatpartofitonlyexceptedwhichiseitherlettothepublic，oremployedasfarmingstockinthecultivationofland。Averyconsiderablepartoftheproduceofthistaxarisesfromtherentofhouses，andtheinterestofcapitalstock。Theland—taxofthecityofLondon，forexample，atfourshillingsinthepound，amountstoL123，3996s。7d。ThatofthecityofWestminster，toL63，0921s。5d。ThatofthepalacesofWhitehallandSt。James’s，toL30，7546s。3d。Acertainproportionoftheland—taxisinthesamemannerassesseduponalltheothercitiesandtownscorporateinthekingdom，andarisesalmostaltogether，eitherfromtherentofhouses，orfromwhatissupposedtobetheinterestoftradingandcapitalstock。Accordingtotheestimation，therefore，bywhichGreatBritainisratedtotheland—tax，thewholemassofrevenuearisingfromtherentofallthelands，fromthatofallthehouses，andfromtheinterestofallthecapitalstock，thatpartofitonlyexceptedwhichiseitherlenttothepublic，oremployedinthecultivationofland，doesnotexceedtenmillionssterlingayear，theordinaryrevenuewhichgovernmentleviesuponthepeopleeveninpeaceabletimes。TheestimationbywhichGreatBritainisratedtotheland—taxis，nodoubt，takingthewholekingdomatanaverage，verymuchbelowtherealvalue;thoughinseveralparticularcountiesanddistrictsitissaidtobenearlyequaltothatvalue。Therentofthelandsalone，exclusivelyofthatofhouses，andoftheinterestofstock，hasbymanypeoplebeenestimatedattwentymillions，anestimationmadeinagreatmeasureatrandom，andwhich，Iapprehend，isaslikelytobeaboveasbelowthetruth。ButifthelandsofGreatBritain，inthepresentstateoftheircultivation，donotaffordarentofmorethantwentymillionsayear，theycouldnotwellaffordthehalf，mostprobablynotthefourthpartofthatrent，iftheyallbelongedtoasingleproprietor，andwereputunderthenegligent，expensive，andoppressivemanagementofhisfactorsandagents。ThecrownlandsofGreatBritaindonotatpresentaffordthefourthpartoftherentwhichcouldprobablybedrawnfromthemiftheywerethepropertyofprivatepersons。Ifthecrownlandsweremoreextensive，itisprobabletheywouldbestillworsemanaged。
Therevenuewhichthegreatbodyofthepeoplederivesfromlandisinproportion，nottotherent，buttotheproduceoftheland。Thewholeannualproduceofthelandofeverycountry，ifweexceptwhatisreservedforseed，iseitherannuallyconsumedbythegreatbodyofthepeople，orexchangedforsomethingelsethatisconsumedbythem。Whateverkeepsdowntheproduceofthelandbelowwhatitwouldotherwiserisetokeepsdowntherevenueofthegreatbodyofthepeoplestillmorethanitdoesthatoftheproprietorsofland。Therentofland，thatportionoftheproducewhichbelongstotheproprietors，isscarceanywhereinGreatBritainsupposedtobemorethanathirdpartofthewholeproduce。Ifthelandwhichinonestateofcultivationaffordsarentoftenmillionssterlingayearwouldinanotheraffordarentoftwentymillions，therentbeing，inbothcases，supposedathirdpartoftheproduce，therevenueoftheproprietorswouldbelessthanitotherwisemightbebytenmillionsayearonly;
buttherevenueofthegreatbodyofthepeoplewouldbelessthanitotherwisemightbebythirtymillionsayear，deductingonlywhatwouldbenecessaryforseed。Thepopulationofthecountrywouldbelessbythenumberofpeoplewhichthirtymillionsayear，deductingalwaystheseed，couldmaintainaccordingtotheparticularmodeoflivingandexpensewhichmighttakeplaceinthedifferentranksofmenamongwhomtheremainderwasdistributed。
Thoughthereisnotatpresent，inEurope，anycivilisedstateofanykindwhichderivesthegreaterpartofitspublicrevenuefromtherentoflandswhicharethepropertyofthestate，yetinallthegreatmonarchiesofEuropetherearestillmanylargetractsoflandwhichbelongtothecrown。Theyaregenerallyforest;andsometimesforestwhere，aftertravellingseveralmiles，youwillscarcefindasingletree;amerewasteandlossofcountryinrespectbothofproduceandpopulation。IneverygreatmonarchyofEuropethesaleofthecrownlandswouldproduceaverylargesumofmoney，which，ifappliedtothepaymentofthepublicdebts，woulddeliverfrommortgageamuchgreaterrevenuethananywhichthoselandshaveeveraffordedtothecrown。Incountrieswherelands，improvedandcultivatedveryhighly，andyieldingatthetimeofsaleasgreatarentascaneasilybegotfromthem，commonlysellatthirtyyears’purchase，theunimproved，uncultivated，andlow—rentedcrownlandsmightwellbeexpectedtosellatforty，fifty，orsixtyyears’