Agriculture and the Land Laws (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 Excerpt: ...Howard, a Liberal, and Mr. Read, who was originally elected to Parliament as a Tenant-Farmer independent of politics, brought in their Landlord and Tenant Bill. This Bill, which was for compulsory compensation, met with determined opposition from the Conservatives. Lord Elcho, a Conservative, led the attack upon it with the resolution that ' this House is not prepared to prohibit freedom of contract in England between Landlord and Tenant," as if that were a free contract which one of the parties enters upon with a multitude of legal presumptions in his favour. In the course of the debate, .Sir Wilfrid Lawson, a Liberal, significantly remarked that 'he thought it was proper that the country should learn the opinions of the great Conservative party upon the question of Tenant Eight." Viscount Royston admitted that "he had heard of no opinions on his" (viz., the Conservative) "side of the House ia favour of the Bill, as it stood" (i.e., with the compulsory clauses). On the other side, Mr. Wren Hoskyns, "thought the-withdrawal of the Bill was one of the greatest calamities of tho Session. A discussion upon it would have shewn who were the true friends of the Farmers in that House." 1 Bee Bear's "Eelatbns of Landlord and Tenant, "pp. 37-39. Tiie Debate on the Agricultural Holdings Act. 15 The Agricultural Holdings Act, 1875, at length made this-disclosure unmistakably. It was an ingenious contrivance for pacifying the Farmers, and at the same time retaining thoso unjust privileges cherished by the Conservative majority of the landowners. It is not necessary to enter upon a detailed criticism of an Act which, though it remains upon the Statute Book, was from the first, as it was intended to be, a dead letter. In an...