The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-05-25 00:00:00

BRI•XONSHIRE ELECTION.

The polling took place on Thursday, hut the result was
not made known until ?tidy afternoon. The tote,' were
a. 4 follow :
Maitland (Liberal) 1.710
Howell Gwyn (Conservative) . 1,017

Majority

_
ilreeonshire k a constituency which has returned Con-
servatii e members to the House of Commons 'luring more
than forty years without interruption. At the general
election which anceeelled the paasing of the !krona Act
of ltiLl. ruionel Thema* Wood, a follower of Sir Robert
Peel. WWI *elected as its representative. fie was returned
itnoppoaed in PCI.I, and in Pri7 the seat was contested by
Major Holton' in the Liberal interest, but he polled only
votea, as compared' with L2t2 recorded for Colonel
Wood. From that time until the general election of last
year, fireconabire sent Tories to Parliament on,hallenged.
At the 'li...solution in January, P 174, Mr. Fuller Maitland,
the socrnisful can. iiilate upon the present occasion, entered
the li•ts against the lion. Godfrey Morgan, the eldest son
of Lord rredegar, and who hail sat for the county lootsthan n years. Slr. Maitland then, however, polled only
LiCki totes, ma against 1,504 mustered by Mr. Morgan.
Mr. Maitland'. %importers, therefore, now number nearly
7111 worn than they did less than al ateen months ago,
*lido the Conservative strength in the county has
diminished.

•
the South Wales Daily News, in commenting upon the
Intend victory in Breconshire, states that it is the moat
significant election which has occumal for many months.
Breconshire has now accepted a Liberal rettresientstave.
Election after election has invariably resulted in the
return of a Conservative. The pneent contest has been
carried on most vigorously on both sides, hut all the
elements victory were apparently in favour id the
Conservative*, who engaged almost every lawyer in the
county, and went to prodigious expense. The result,
however, mainly turned upon the ferment' vote, and the
latter being largely permeated by Nonconforming and
Liberal opinions, have voted true to their principles. The
Burials Bill, the unsatisfactory condition t.f land tenure
and game preserving, and Church disestablishinent, have
weighed greatly upon the minds of the farmers, and the
inet,+tnt attempts of the Conservative journals to prove
that the ballot was not secret, also created a feeling of
resentment which the &nal& Wales Daily Srora declares,
vhown itself in tenants voting largely against their
landlords. to the declaration of the poll the l'onservas
Lives went sanguine of sues.

MANCHESTER UNITY OF ODDFICELOWS.
About rs delegates, representing different districts
throughout the kingdom, attended the annual Movable •
Committee of the Manchester Unity of I Mdfellows, which
assembled at Newport on Monday morning. The Grand
Master in the rourse of his introductory whir/els con-
gratulated the Unity on its present position mid future
prospects, both financially and numerically. The Unity
now numbered afscit half a million of members ; 34,505
were initiated last year, and the net gain of capital during
the marshal been the funded capitsl to
.E3,706,3M. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was present
on Tuesday night at the banquet. lit responding to the
toast of Her Majesty's Government, he said the work the
Manchester Unity had done and we-e doing WWI of national
importance. Their iorating this year was even of greater
importance than usual. With regent to tho Friendly
Societies Bill now before the House, lie hoped it would
speedily pass into law. and so Fettle the matter. Sir
Statfonl laid great stress on the value of the prinziple of
periodical valuations, and lie acknowledge.' the assistance
which had been rendered by the Manchester Unity in the
work of preparing the BilL He hoped he shouM be able
to carry out the work he had undertaken. The Government
would consider every argument and endeavour to bring
the Bill into a shape that would he fairly satisfactory. Sir
leorge Young in his report divided friendly societies into
three classes—those which had been originated by working
men themselves, those originated by patrons, and those
originated by speculators. Ile admitted each of the former
had its advantages, and that even the latter was being in-
fluenced by the force of public opinion, and reached the
masses, who would otherwise not be got at. Ile urged the self-
governing societies not to be too proud to take a suggestion
from the Government, and to accept assistance it might
be able to offer by the publication of statistics, and
counselled the patronised societies not to be above taking
wirier because of the difficulty of attempts to manage a
society of fifty on the data founded on the experience of
large numbers. Ile contended that Parliament could not
throw off the responsibility f looking after these friendly
societies. because it had called them into existance by
legislation to take the position they oecupied, and there-
fore Parliament will bound to render them such assistance
as they could to manage their affairs satisfactorily. Ile
believed these societies were doing a great work by
encouraging the people to counteract the n]ischiesmu
I effects of the Poor-law system if imionmerly administered.
I He believed they were cultivating a spirit of independence
and providence of the greatest value to Englishmen, and
whilst he was prepared on behalf of his colleagues, and
ventured to say on behalf of Parlhunent., they would do
all they could to forward, without impeding the action of
friendly societies, yet they put their main trust in the
good sense and good heart of the people of England—
(cheers).

TIPPERARY ELECIION PETITION.
Mr. Justice Keogh gave judgtnent on Friday in the
llpperary election petition. Ilia opinion wax that Mitchel
was di.qualitied both as an alien and • felon, and that the
re.olution of the House, though it did not create a dis-
ability, was evidence that the existing disability had been
fully made known. Ile would reserve the whole of
Mitchel's Ilirolualifleation and ito results for the considera-
tion of the Court of Common Pleas, the question of costs
I being also reserved.

THE AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS BILL
[The following letter from appeared in

Wednesdays Times.]
This Bill has passed through the House of Lords with-
out a divisim. hut not without warning and ,riticism on
certain points front members on both sides well qualified
to judge. As it stands, it may he taken to be the measure
of concession wlich the great landlords are willing to
make to the demands of the friers. It acknowledges
their claims, but accompanies that admission with con-
ditions which, if not modified, may defeat the reasonable
expectationo f both parties. As the question is about to
enter upon a second stage of discussion in the House of
Commons. I venture to offer some points for consideration
with a sincere desire to improve the Bill.
It proposes to give compensation to tenants for three
classes of improvement— permanent, lasting, and tem-
porary. These are very different in principle. The first
adds to the capital value of the land as effectively as an
addition to its extent. The second and third are merely
stimulants to its productive power, more or less lasting in
their effects. In England this distinction has hitherto
been clearly recognised and acted on by the landlord
providing his farm suitably equipped with buildings and
other permanent improvement+, and the tenant concen-
trating his capital on its cultivation. Any law that con-
found* these duties will tend towards the same relation
between the parties as has led to the claim for fixity of
tenure in Ireland.

Let no glance at the position of the two parties. The
landlord is the capitalist who has the disposal of the land,
and the sole interest in its capital value. That may be
hampered by family arrangements or legal disabilities,
but these do not brut the principle. Whatever is an
addition to the capital value is a gain to him. Buildings,
roods, and drainage which are requir.l, and are milldam.
Ball>. executed, have this effect, and the landlord spends
his own money upon them, or berrows it. as may be most
convenient for him. It matters not from whom he borrows
it, repayment ought to be made secure. The tenant in 110
cases out of 190 has no capital to spare from the full cnlti-
vation lif his farm. Where he has a surplus he will keep
it in convertible investments for the outfit of younger
children, as the eldest son inherits the lease, or succeeds
to his father's undivided interest in the farm. The main
pn•visions of the Bill are thus really framed to meet the
few rases which may here awl there occur of a tenant
able and willing to lend capital to his landlord, and so
framed as xl t to preclude these exceptional cases from
arising by prescribing a security which few sensible men
would accept, lßs loan to his landlord is to repaid in
such prmerten., or not at all, Os certain valuers in some
future year may &cm its then capital value, and that is
to he 'Wedeln.' by a condition entirely outside of his
control- the increase of the "letting value " of the land.
In principle this test would be unjust in the first, clans of
improvements, and for that reason would in practice prove
nearly inoperative.
For the second and third dass of improvement specified
the test of "letting value" is Isdh unnecessary and in.
applicable. The claims arising minter these are for acts of
go.' cultivation awl management, the full benefits of
which may not be recouped to the tenant under a specified
number of years. The Bill pro's.es to recognise the
tenant's claim for so much of this outlay, as, on the scale
mentioned may remain unexhaustsal at the end of his
tenancy. the question of increased "letting value," on
the ground that benefit is thus left in the laud, is no more
affected than it would be if the out-going tenant retained
without payment, some of his predecessor's horses or
implements. It is part of the working capital if the farm
spent to maintain the full prettied% epees of the land to
Use close of the tenancy—a plan which the Legislature
has thought it expedient on public groonds to encourage,
and of whirls the incoming tenant reaps the full benefit,
and pays for accordingly. The ascertainment of this is a
comparatively simple matter. its objects and periods are
limited and defined by the Bill, and are fiuniliar to valuers
in all parts of the country ; but this is quite different from
the delicate question of " letting value" which demands
knowledge of a rare kind, and involves questions of
infinitely larger moment.
. .

If. then, in the first class of improvements the test of
" letting value" would prove inopenitive and in the second
and third classes it is clearly inapplicable, why persist in
introducing no disturbing an element /—for it could not
fail to carry disosnl upon every estate where it cause into
operation. The outgoing tenant, to prove his claim, would
be compelled by the law to show increased letting value,
the landlord naturally could not object to an increase of
his rental, and thus a system of what might truly be called
" rack rents" would be sulistituted for the comparatively
moderate terms on which yearly tenancies are generally
held in England. The Scotch system of letting by tender,
an much depreciated by both landlords nod tenants in
England, would he outdone by this self-acting process, in
which the most active and best informed interests would
Is combined to raise the future rent. Nor would the
process wait in all cases for change of tenancy: for the
fear of this principle of the Bill is already working in an
unexpected fashion that way give it a wide awl early
effect. Landlords who have been hitherto very chary of
putting up their old rents begin to argue thus If the
present moderate rate is to be held as the starting point
Irons which an increase in the letting value is to he
reckoned, let us net our house in order in time by having
our farms at once re-valued and the rents placed at their
full marketable rate, 60 that no unfair WM may in future
be made against ourselves of the easy terms on which we
have hitherto been satisfied to deal with our tenants."
Strange and unexpected would indeed he the result, that
the honest efforts of the Conservative party in favour of
their f riends the fan nem shoe il he inaugurated by • general
revaluation of their farms ! Fortunately, the matter
admits of a simple remedy by striking out the words
"letting value " wherever they occur in the Bill, and
leaving the question to its merits, with no reference to this
test.

n diocuosing the clauses of this Bill the Lord Chancellor
made mme observations on the relation between the
limited owner and the remainder man. Ile claimed as
one of its chief merits that it introduced a. new and sound
principle by which limited owners might create a charge
upon the inheritance fer substantial improvements with-
out the :went ;;f the remainder man being required. This
to at present, incised, very rarely refused. But, putting
aside the questinn whether increased facility for the multi-
. plication of eharges on land is really desirable, it is
important to consider the quality of the charges proposed
by the Bill. It is intended that, like those under the
Improvement of Land Acts, they are to have priority over
all other charges anti encumbrances, the consent of the
.rtgagee will als.• he necessary. It is this character of
priority that renders such chanzes easily inarketablee ;
but charges which have not this advantage, and which
must %tinier the entelitions of this Bill be generally small
in amount and uncertain iii their term, will be found a
greatly less negotiable security. Moreover, it is only for
improvements of the first class, which add to the capital
value of the inheritance, that such charges should be per.
mitt.Nl to arise. The payment; under the second and
third classes, which are simply is rei iii , urxeinent of tenants'
wrking capital, ought in no cam to be allowed as a charge
on the inheritance, lint sl hi. in the usual course of
busintuw, be made Icy the incoming to the outgoing tenant,
the landlord's flan.: being only interposed for the security
of the latter.

luril Portman points out one valuable result r this Bill
-that it will encourage the niore general utloption of
written contracta bemeen landlord awl tenant. That will
probably he so ; but Ktill it i deatirable that the law on the
subject shoulil l.eina,kaa helpful au,laa little injurious as
pooteihle. for the people of this country, when satisfied that
the law is just and wise, are prone to be content to trust
1.. it. I hope that these observations :nay he found
coiclucive to this eti.I.—JANES CAIRO. May lti.

LANDUSIDS AND TENANTS IN WALES.
Th following cornngiondenne relating to the Brecon-
ehire election is published by the &oak Welts Deily

.
"anon.': Park, Crickhowcll. April =,
" !icor Mr. Parry, —I do not venture to ask you to sup-
port the ron,ervativc candidate. knowing that your views
and mine do not accord in political matters. I trust,
however, you a ill not think I am exceeding what I
ought to do, if I express a hope that we may persuade
you not to otter any opposition to Mr. H. Gwyn. lam
chairman of hie committee, mu. therefore, very
anxious to becure his return.—Helievo rue to be, very truly
yours.

"J. IL BAILEY."