Dear Sir

I am favored with your note of the 29^th. Ins^t in reply to my letter of the 27^th. Ins^t, and I trouble you with a few lines to enquire what your views & wishes are as regards “a more permanent arrangement with M^r. Hardy”?¹ If you mean a Lease, I fear it will not tend to your advantage, as it will preclude you from the benefit of any rise in prices, which might possibly take place under a settled Government, backed by a large influx of Gold! which we are likely to have;—² Also Corn Rents³ would afford no better prospect of higher prices permanently, but like Leases would neither be sought after, nor objected to by the Tenants!— I am in receipt of about Thirty Thousand a year of Rents in Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire, and have no case either of a Lease or a Corn Rent to deal with; and part of these Estates which were before high rented have been reduced 15 per cent and others including M^r. Christopher’s (being old family Estates)⁴ have been reduced 10 per cent only— M^r. Erasmus Darwin’s Rents are 10 p^r C^t. only, because the old Rent had been of very long standing;⁵ and yours & Miss Darwin’s were recent purchases—⁶ Last year, I valued for Rental, upwards of 20’000 acres for The Duke of Newcastle,⁷ and the result was a uniform reduction of 15 P^r. C^t, and in some cases 18 and 20 per cent, on the Clay Farms— You may rely on my attending diligently to your Interests, but I cannot repair the fatal and disastrous effects of bad legislation—but should any improvement in our present course suggest itself to your mind, it shall receive my attentive consideration.

I remain Dear Sir | Your faithful servant | (signed) John Higgins

C. R. Darwin Esq^re