The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-15 00:00:00

TENANT FARMERS. ON THE TENURE

OF LAND.

At the recently held lAngton Root Chow speeches wen
made by two of the largest tenant farmers In East Bones.
Mr. W. Mannbigton (chairman) said : We are
ivcustomed at certain season' of the year to have long
homilies read to us by the landowners who tell us that
the capabilities of the soil are not developed as they
ought to be, and they seem to entertain little doubt
that the tenant is to blame. But there are two side.
to every question, and I am not prepared to say that
the responeibility of the producing power of the land
not being proporly developed rests with the tenant.
(Hear) I think quits se much responsibility at-
taches t) the owner as ti the cultivator of the moil.
(gipplauee.) Landowners may be divided into dif•
lent classes, all of whom have a separate system
of letting land. One claw entert dns a dislike to
granting leases to the tenants, they desire—and are
quite at liberty to do so if they choose—to maintain
their rights over the land, and to have the power of
taking it into Utak own bands spin stan sanV period.

They depend on the good feeling existing between them-
selves and their tenants, and of course it is only right
that good feeling should be cultivated. (Cheers.)
My opinion goes to this, that estates thus managed
must be periodically surveyed, and the consequence is
that the tenant who hag dons the beet gets the worst
of it. (Hear.) The valuer is sent round, and the
first farm he takes is that held by Mr. A; now in
this instance the tenant has expended a good deal of
capital, and has vastly improved the land. The valuer
says to him, "You have • very cheap holding, and
must pay more rent." He then goes on to the other
farms, say there are 26 on the estate, and at last he
comes to the holding of Z ; that tenant, so far from
making any improvements, hair so impoverished the
farm that the valuer cannot raise the rent! Now, I
will oak, is that a system calculated to develop the
capahilitles of the find? (No, no.) Then, again, we
have lekleui-n an gent). men vs.., grant loamy., to
some extent with liberal clauses, but too of ten with
arbitrary restrictions; the tenant is not allowed to use
his own sudgment, • certain system ialaid down for him,
and he,, not allowed to depart therefrom. Another
class of landlords are those who tmdeitake to stock
your lands for you (much laughter) ; but I must say
that! have a great dislike to seeother people's stock on
my land ; I think it is injurious to one's credit. (Re-
newed applause.) Ido not think that either of these
systems tend to develop the producing capabilities .4
the soil. (Loud cheers ) The fourth clam of land-
lords are those who, having accumulated a large amount
of money in commercial pursuits, come down and buy
land, because they find it Is the only way of acquiring
status in the country. These gentlemen have been
accustomed to high per center* on commercial trans-
actions, and they think the land must pay as much.
Perhaps they are reminded that the holding is not
worth the rent they ask for it, and the answer is, "Oh,
I can get • tenant that will give it." "But he will
ruin your land." "Oh no, he wont, I shall have •
lease drawn rip." He forgets that the most stringent
lame in the world will not turn a bad farmer into •
good one, and the estate consequently goes to ruin,
simply because the rent demanded was too high to in-
duce good tenants to take the holdings (hear, hear). I
think that a man who hires land and 'minds his
money upon improving it should be able to recover the
value of all unexhausted improvements, and that until
that principle is adopted agriculture will not occupy
the position it should do (loud cheers). Events of
every day occurrence lead WI to no other conclusion
(renewed applause).
Later in the proceedings, and in response to • toast,
Mr. Charles Ellis, of Beddingham, Raid—l was very
glad to hear the remarks of aux friend Mr. Manning-
ton. I only wish that on such occasions as this, when
owners of land and farmers assembled tos•tber, sob-
(acts connected with the land were more generally
talked about. (Hear, hear.) I know it is just possible
that a tenant farmer may propound sentiments that
are not exactly palatable (laughter), and that he may
be black-balled by a certain class in consequence; but
it should be remembered that the tenant farmer
has a duty to perform towards himself as well as
towards the landlord who owns broad acres. (Loud
applause.) I hope the time will come when, while
the rights of property are fully regarded, the occupier
of the land will be in • position to do his best to
increase the produce of the soil, but unless he has a
vested interest In the land he cannot do it (hear, hear).
We know perfectly well that when the period arrives
for revaluing the farms that the man who has done
most to improve the land by a large outlay of capital is
certain to have his rent raised (cheers). I do not wish to
make any pointed remarks, but we cannot shut
our eyes to the fag that, owing to high rents and
had farming, landlords cannot find tenants for
their farms, and are obliged to use the land them-
selves. But when the land Is let at an equitable rate
farmers will always be found to come forward to devote
their talents and capital energetically to its cultivation,
and thereby benefit the country at large (applause).
It is a common thing to hear that so and-en farms
badly, but not always with reason, because the land is
sometimes let with all sorts of impracticable conditions,
and the farmer is so hampered that he can do nothing
to improve either his own position or the laud he cul
tivetes. But if land be let fairly and equitably we
should see what it can be made to produce (applause).
I am proud to acknowledge the Speaker as my land-
lord. His agreements are sufficiently protective of the
Interests of the landlord, but are not embarrassing to
the tenant. I think they are models of what an agree-
ment between landlord and tenant should be (applause).
I believe that the right Lon. gentleman desires to see
his tenants thrive upon the Land, and when his example
I. followed by other proprietors of land I think a state
of things will be brought about upon which weApay
congratulate both ourselves and the country frond
applause).
GREAT TREASURE TROVE.

A came of long standing has just been decided by the
Tribunal of the Seine. In 1801, as some repairs were
going on at the Lycete Henri IV., behind the Pantheon,
woikman discovered a largo number of Roman coins
In a sewer. The law awards, in such cases, one half of
the value to the limier, and the other half to the pro-
prietor Of the ground, in this instance the city. The
c intractor, in whose employ the workman wad', stepped
In claiming his share; but he has now been non-snited,
and the Municipality have paid the finder the sum of
18,292 frarcv for his half ot the treasure. which is
now deposited at the 111u4a Caruavalet. This eet -b-
-lishment, founded tiy the city in the old hotel of
Madame de Sevigne, has thus come into possession of
a ready.maile collection .if upwards of fOO :;old medals.
all of the size which numismatic antiquaries call the
aureus, answering to our 20-franc piece, but of a value
one-third higher. They form a series pertaining to
the history of Imtetia from the reign cf Claudius to
that of Septimins Severna; with a very few, interrup-
tions it comprises all the emperors and empressee of
that period—viz., within the years 41 and 193 of
our era. They Sr. all in perfect preservation; those
nearest the woe SO Wllich be ConouLlou we. Imtied
look as if they had just come from the mint, such
as those of Commode., Pertinax, and especially Sep-
timins Severr.s. The most brilliant period of the mono-
tary art, that of the Antonines, is amply represented ;
the two Faustinas are frequently repeated. There are
more than 50 Vespasians ; of 'l'itus there are fewer,
but there is one, with the exergue Dimes Titus on the
obverse, and the eella cnrulis on the reverse with the
thunderbolt, which is extremely valuable. There is a
Julia Demos, mother of Caracalla, an ,Elins Caesar,
two or three Flotilla., which are extremely rare, all
sureas of Antonintui Pius, with the exergue : Cole.
cordice senernif on the reverse, kc. 'Ms treasure
mast have been hid about the year 193; there evi-
dently were at that time collectors of old medals as
there are now.