From Archibald McLachlan   Sunday night

Sunday night

The following is a correct copy – (for I copied it myself) – It is a copy of Instructions to the Boundary Surveyors, or those who perambulated the Boundaries in the North – Note, the perambulators¹ are all RSM² – I copied it at Preston in 1842 – it was used in 1841 & 1842 and may still be used for anything I know to the contrary. The thing is too good to pass over in silence and if well used might touch John Bull’s³ Bumps of Respectability⁴ – The Perambulators are to pay those who show the Boundaries, or those whom we call the Meresmen⁵ – Those persons who are best qualified to show the Boundaries of Parishes Townships &c are pitched upon by the Magistrates & the parties are Bound to show the Boundaries when called upon by the Ordnance Surveyor – The Magistrates do not know how much the parties receive for the work they perform, the remuneration therefore of Meresmen is left to the Honourable B.O.⁶ i.e. Acid⁷ – and he drew up the following scale. I copied it from his own handwriting!!!!!!

1st	Common Labourers –	2/. per diem
2d	Farmers appearing a little more respectable than a labourer –	2/6 – ”
3d	Farmers that work on their own farms – Assistant overseers of Townships, & Game Keepers –	3/. – ”
4th	Farmers who work on their own farms but employ labourers, Bailiffs of farms &c –	3/6 – ”
5th	Yeomen Farmers – Stewards of estates – wheelwrights and millers &c &c –	4/. – ”
6th	Those who farm but do not follow it as a business; Attornies &c. who live more by mental than manual labour –	5/. – ”

There! – The highest rate allowed to an Attorney at Law, for trudging over hedge & ditch from 8 A.M to 5 ½ P.M is only 5/. & he must do it if nobody else can be found.

In Article 2^d you will see that a Farmer appearing a little more respectable than a laborer is to gain six pence per diem by his respectable appearance, and who is to be judge of this English Farmer’s Respectability? Why, none other than a private in Her Majesty’s Corps of Royal Sappers & Miners⁸ – Should a farmer rich in this world’s good come before this Royal Warrior with old trousers & an old hat, a dress fit for the nature of his day’s occupation, he must be scanned from top to heel, & should he not appear Respectable he loses Sixpence!! Again observe the nice shades & gradations of character and pursuit, and each increase of Respectability has its increase of sixpence!! – Oh: this table of wages could be made the subject of cutting sarcasm

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I think you should insist on the unfairness of 200.000£ being spent in surveying & perhaps 500,000 more spent in England and not one English Surveyor got a farthing of it however bad the times may be, as they were in 1842 – Touch John Bulls pocket & you make him growl. Show the impropriety & in fact the injustice of a Great National Survey being carried on in England & yet no English Surveyor being employed on it; that would touch John Bulls Pride

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I believe that it is determined on that Carbon⁹ is to leave the O.S.¹⁰ and a Colonel Hall¹¹ is appointed in his place, the change is to take place February or March –

I forgot to say yesterday that if the R.E.¹² depended in any degree on the progress of the work, if their Salary was in proportion to work done, they would find it their interest to prosecute the work vigorously – and would exercise forethought and not Survey a Town 3 times – & encourage the men who have the practical duties to perform –

Your Sinly¹³ | B.¹⁴

RI MS JT/1/TYP/11/3818-3819

RI MS JT/8/1/4a