The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-19 00:00:00

THE LAND AGITATION IN SCOTLAND.

Lord Colin Campbell, M.P. speaking at Dunoon,
on Saturday, expressed regret at one aspect of the
land agitation in Scotland. For many years the
agricultural population had been flourishing under a
system of free contract and long leases, which had
given to the farmers something like adequate security
for the investment of capital and durability of tenure.
In many cases, however, owing to a succession of bad
harvests, the rents could no longer be considered fair,
but he thought the landlords and tenants should be
left to settle this question amicably between them-
selves. With regard to permanent improvements, he
thought that where there was no stipulation in the
lease to the contrary, the presumption of the law
should be in favour of the tenant. He further de-
clared himself to be decidedly opposed to the dis-
establishment of the Church of Scotland.
• In reply to a question, he said he would not only
not vote for Mr. Dick Peddie's resolution in favour
of disestablishment, but he would move a counter-
resolution.

The Earl of Kintore, addressing a meeting of
farmers at Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, on Saturday,
referred to the Scotch Land agitation. He thought
it was not favourable to the dispassionate and quiet
consideration of the important question it raised. No
doubt there was depression, largely due to bad seasons,
and a change of Government had not produced a
change of seasons. The arguments now being used
simply amounted. to .asking the Legislature to abro-
gate existing contracts and !educe the rents. He
was certain that zno Legistature would sanction
the existing leases and contracts entered into
between landlord and tenant, and he held that
the only satisfactory way to deal with the diffi-
culty would be for landlord and tenant to meet and
consider calmly: dispassionately, and in a friendly
I spirit their individual circumstances and arrive at a
satisfactory result. But when they came to asking a
reduction of rent all round that was out of the ques-
tion, and they had a Court of session decision that
the incidence of such reduction manifestly could not
be fair to all parties. During the past five years
more than £20,000 had been expended on the Kintore
estates without any expectation, as regaaded the
greater portion of that sum, of receiving any interest,
and considerably more would be spent by him within
the next five years in improving the tenants' holdings,
and in making them more comfortable.

A large meeting of tenant farmers of Roxburghshire
and Berwickshire was held at Kelso on Friday after-
noon in last week to consider the present depressed
state of the agricultural interest and to suggest reme-
dies. Some of the speakers deprecated legislative inter-
ference hr matters between landlord and tenant ; but the
resolutions, 41,s proposed, were carried without opposi-
tion. The meeting resolved that an immediate re-adj net
ment of rents and conditions was the only remedy cAl-
culated to meet the altered circumstances of the times;
that no land bill would be accepted which did not
secure to the tenant a right to bequeath or assign his
lea4e under special circumstances, as well as compen-
E,ate for improvements and unexhausted manures that
may have added to the value of the holding ; that the
landlord have equal right to compensation for dilapi-
dation ; that free trade in land should be promoted by
the abolition of entail and primogeniture; and that
no remedy is to be found for agricultural depression in
any return to protective duties on foreign produce.

The Scottish Chamber of Agriculture, at its annual
meeting on Tuesday, discussed the land question.
The law of entail was condemned, and free trade in
land was advocated. It was mentioned that three
fourths of the land in Scotland was entailed, the pro-
prietors of it being simply annuitants. A resolution
to the effect that legislation such as was contem-
plated. by the Lands Holding and Lands Tenancy
Bills should be pressed for was adopted. In the
course of the discussion the chairman repudiated the
charge that the action of the fanners was a movement
against the landowners.