The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-24 00:00:00

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE AMEN.

MEET .OF THE LAW.
A general meeting of this society was held on Wed-
nesd►y evening, at 21, Regent-street. Mr. M. 1). Hill, Q.C.,
presided. The minutes of the tat meeting having been read
and confirmed, the consideration (adjourned from the Bth of
March) of the report of the committee on the law of pro-
perty was resumed. The second part of the report, which
wu that brought under consideration, was upon the subject
of " compensation for permanent improvements, commonly
called tenant-right." Atter going through the various
branches of the subject and the questions arising therefrom
the committee concluded by proposing the adoption of the
Billowing principles, in the event of any alteration being
made in the law upon the subject—a course which, however,
they did not recommend at present.
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I. Improvement.; for which eomprn•ation um be allowed should be
carefully specified by means of information obtained from pensons of
agricultural experience. 2. No compensation should be given unless
the tenant has given the landlord the option of doing the work him-
self. 3. The propriety, extent, and coat of the work should be settled
before it is done. 4. Dlsnutes should be settled by arbitration. 5. Com-
pensation should be limited by reference to the annual rent, snot within
these limits its measure should be the prime wet of the work, subject to
a deduction, bearing for each elms of improvements a different but
fixed proportion to the length of subsequent enjoyment by the tenant.
6. It should be subject to deduction, pro tante, in case of incomplete
elocution. 7. A subeequent holding should, for the purpose of oom-
peneation, be considered a continuing holding. IL If the landlord is
the absolute owner, the compensation should be recoverable as •
charge on the land in the nature of a rent charge. They consider,
lastly, that any such alteration should be accompanied by an exten-
sion of the present law concerning bad husbandry, so as to give the
landlord a remedy for all deteriorations in his property caused by the
acts or neglect* of the tenant. Disputes to be settled as in the case of
compensation.
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MT. STUART moved a series of resolutions, of which no-
tice had been given:

That the report be received. That while thin society fully admits
the ditfleultim which attend any direct legislation on the eubjeet of
compensation for rutexhausted improvements of the land by the
tenant which is now called tenant-right, yet that this society consi-
ders that it is both just and expedient to admit, and if it be possible to
enforce, the existence of such right. That although no uniform rule
exists reepecting ouch right, it boo long been acted on and
sanctioned in different parts of England and Wales by the
custom of the country. That the exi-fence of such a right
is highly favourable to the promotion of good agriculture.
That the existence of such a right tends greatly to the benefit
of good tenants and good landlords, while the denial of any
such right would operate chiefly in favour of bad Mentor& and bad
tenants. That this society considers that the existence of such right
should be the basis of all agreements on the subject. That if some
tribunal was appointed on the principle of the admission of the exist-
ence of such right, it would be for that tribunal to regulate and esta-
blish
- - -

Mr. FARRELL, while admitting the justice of many of the
principles laid down in the resolutions, considered that the
question could be better settled by private arrangements be-
tween landlord and tenant than by any legal enactment.
Mr. liosainos spoke in support of the resolutions. He
considered it a great reproach to this country that there
was no means of obtaining with any certainty a statistical
report of the amount of its produce—a fact which was
ascertained as regarded France and America, although under
circumstances of greater difficulty.
' Mr. WEBSTER having seconded the resolutions,
The CHAIRMAN made some remark, upon the general
subject, suggesting what appeared to him the best means of
settling the question, namely, the adoption of a contract
on which every tenant should enter into the possession of
land, with liberty to set such contract aside by means of a
specific contract, but the former always to hold good in the
absence of the latter. He thought such a contract would
contain a sufficient degree of flexibility, inasmuch as, if it
was not suited to the general purpose of the country, the fact
would soon be shown by its being negatived specially in every
case. He concurred in the principles of the resolutions
proposed, and were he not in the chair, would have had
much pleasure in supporting them.
The resolutions were adopted, with the exception of the
last one, which Mr. Stewart withdrew with the consent of
the meeting, which then adjourned.

CANADA COMPANY.—An annual meeting of the
proprietor:llM held yesterday at the Canada-house,e St.
Helen's-place. Mr. Charles Franks took the chair. The
report of the directors stated that the amount of sales of land
effected during the year were as follow: Crown reeerves,
12,276 acres, at an average of 18a. 2d. per acre; Huron
tract, 15,426, at an average of 135., making a total of 27,702
acres, producing 21,172!., to which were added 13 town and
park lots, lots in Guelph, 347 acres ; 35 town lots in the
Huron Tract, 305 acres ; which made the entire amount re-
ceived from the sale of land 21,8241. The lands
leased were as follow: Crown reserves, 16,987 acres,
producing an annual rental of 6231.; Huron Tract,
71,151 acne, producing an annual rental of 2,9001. ;
and making the number of acres leased, 88,138. The aggre-
gate amount of land sold and leased was 115,840 acres. The
amount realised by the leases, including 151 town lots in
the Huron Tract, producing an annual rental of 1741., was
3,6971. The eat of management during the year amounted
to—in London, 2,1861. ; in Canada, 4,7601. The assessment
and road tax, estimated as equal to a payment of Id. per
acre currency, on all the wild lands held by the company in
the year 1847, liable to taxation, was 3,8001., and the income
tax, 5231. The general debtor and creditor statement of the
company's affairs, as they stood on the 31st Dec., 1847, showed
a total of 423,7771. • of which the balance, represented
by the value of 1,346,773 acres of land, which are paid for

and remain unsold, besides the town lots, Guelf, Goderick,
&c., amounted to 138,1711. The amount collected by the
payment of bills receivable in the year 1847, was, for princi-
pal, 16,0431. ; and for intereq, 9,7201. ; making 25,7631. cur-
rency. By the value of 1,346,773 acres of land, which were
paid for, and remain unsold, besides the town lots, Guelf,
Goderick, &c., amounted to 138,1711. The assets would be
subject to the current rate of exchange, if realised, and re-
mitted to this country. The premium of exchange paid for
the remittances made this year had been equal to a sum of
about 2,0001. The condition of the company as regarded
land was as follows: Land originally purchased, 2,484 413
acres, of which 2,399,64,5 acres had been paid for, leaving
84,768 acres not paid for, of which 3,154 acres had been
rejected. The amount of purchase money of the 2,484,413
acres was 348,6:401., of which 11,8901. was unpaid. Of that
sum, 10.1351. being the instalment due in July 1843, for
lands rejected had been remitted and released ; and 1,75.51.
now remained to be expended on improvements. The
amount due to the company in the year 1847, for
rents on ten years' leases, was 7,3001. ; and there
had been received to the 31st Dec , 1847, 4,1001.
The committee announced that all unsettled matters between
the government and the company had been brought to a
conclusion ; and that the company had neeived a general
release and discharge from the crown of all claims under
their original agreement with government. The report was
ordeted to be printed. Mr. J. Mackillop was re-elected as
deputy-governor; Messrs. J. Fu/lart,tn, \V. T. Hibbert,
and J. 11. Mitchell, as directors ; and Mr. W. Gauesen as
auditor. The usual complimentary vote to the chairman
concluded the proceedings.

INTERCOURSE. WITH THE CONTINENT.—The weekly
return of intercourse with the continent 'bows the following
numbers for the week ending March 19: through Bouloghe,
1,845, and through Clllllll., 190. 'she numbers for the CORM
sponding period last year were: through Boulogne, 873;
through Calais, 262. The 1,842 passengers through Boulogne
may be subdivided as follows : from Folkestone, 298 ; from
Dover, 70; from London, 85 • total, 453. For Folkestone,
936; for Dover, 61; and for London, 396 ; total, 1,392.

IRELAND.
DUBLIN, MAacl 22
_ _ .

To-day the city has been in a state of great excite-
ment. At 12 o'clock Messrs. Smith O'Brien, Meagher,
and Mitchell. accompanied by a large circle of friends,
both of the Young and Old Ireland sections, moved
from the Confederation-rooms in D'Olier-street to the

head office at the Royal Exchange, to give bail tor
their appearance, in compliance with Mr. Porter's '
notifications. The shouting all along the line of
route was tremendous, and more especially in front of
the old parliament-house. By accident, a troop of
artillery was passing at the same moment with their
guns, which appedred to quicken the enthusi- '
asm of the procession. I send you a report '
of the proceedings at the police-office, and the
subsequent p:oceedings in the rums of the
Confederation, where the language used was re-
markably violent, far exceeding in vehemence any
previously spoken or written. The course pursued,
according to the 3fad, which speaks Oil authority, is
attributable to the cabinet, and not to the Earl of
Clarendon, who would suffer much more rather than
commit himself to such a struggle.
After the proceedings at the head-office had termi-
nated, the accused returned, and were welcomed in
D'Olier-street by an additional crowd, amounting
altogether to not less than 10,000 persons, who, un-
deterred by the heavy rain, cheered and scouted
most vehemently. The conduct of the O'Connells, in
offering themselves as bail for their adversaries, has
covered them with popularity.
You must not suppose the Yourg Ireland party
cast down by the calamity which has befallen their
leaders. The declaration of one of these orators at
the late Manchester meeting is to be the future policy
of the remaining chieftains. Should Messrs. O'Brien,
Meagher, and Mitchell, undergo the full penalty for
sedition, three others are resolved to take their places
and utter precisely similar sentiments. Should they, too,
he cut off, three others of the fedaree, or devoted, are
ready for the fate of their brethren. And thus will
it go on until the whole party is imprisoned or exiled.
Then exii bon() prosecutioes and proscriptions? Such
is the prospect held out to the government. I have
heard this programme declared by one of themselves.
, At a meeting of the trades last night a " defer
fund" was established, and fifty pounds subscnikd in
p a few minutes. _ _ .

The informations have been forwarded to the
Crown-office by the magistrates ; the traverser' have
applied for copies of those voluminous documents,
which the clerks are now engaged in making out.
The crown solicitor, it is said, has sent retainers, on
the part of the prosecution, to Mr. Jonathan Henn,
Q.C., Mr. Whiteside, Q.C., and Sir Colman O'Loghlen.
These gentlemen, with the attorney and solicitor-
generals, and probably Mr. Sergeant Warren and one
cr two others, will be the counsel for the crown.

MILITARY MOVEMENTS. - Yesterday all the troops
stationed at the Custom-house, Bank, College, Rotunda,
Four Courts, &c., were removed to their respective barrack*
The reinforcement of cavalry brought to Dublin last week
returns to quarters this day. It is considered that the recent
display of military force has produced the desired effect, and
need not be continued.
The Cid Life Infantry, one of the finest corps in the ser-
vice, in to arrive here to-morrow. They will be passed in
divisions by special trains to Templemore.

PROSECUTION OF MESSRS. O'BRIEN, MEAOHER,