The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-06 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1870.

THE Reformed Parliament has had to deal with
questions of exceptional magnitude. Until the last
two years the Legislature was engaged chiefly iso
adapting well-established ideas to the various wants
of the community; but so soon as it became certain
that the working classes would be called upon
to a share of political power: a new set
of problems arose, requiring legislation of a
much more comprehensive character. National
Education, the Disestablishment of a State Church,
and the establishment of a peasant landed proprie-
tary are problems whose solutions have been forced
upon the present Ministry and Parliament, with an
urgency that admits of no delay. In solving the first
of these the Legislature had the advantage of a mass
of information collected in that facile princeps of blue
books, the Report of the Royal Commission on En-
dowed Schools. This Commission was fortunately
appointed some time ago in anticipation of the Edu-
cation Bill, the result was a report—the most exhaus-
tive and the most masterly ever presented to any legis-
lative assembly. Unfortunately there has been no such
interval of preparation with regard to the land
problem. In this, as in the question of education,
the Government has sought to obtain information
from foreign countries. But the persons charged to
supply it have not been selected for that purpose,
and it must be confessed that they do not always
appear competent to give it. Morover, the blue
book of MO pages, now before us, and which contains
the first instalment of information, bears every mark
of extreme haste. It was not until the end
of August that Lord Clarendon issued his
circular asking her Majesty's diplomatic represen-
tatives abroad to reply to his queries with
respect to the land tenure of the countries to which
they were accredited, and the earliest of the replies
is dated only two months later. Of course the
authors of the reports are not responsible for the
numerous printers' blunders which disfigure the
bulky volume. As a specimen of typography it is
utterly discreditable. Of editing there is none, and
the only clue given to guide the reader
through this wilderness of information is
contained in about twenty lines. In fact,
with one notable exception, Mr. Haulm-
Gastrell's report on the land-tenure of Prussia,
written within two months of the receipt of Lord
Clarendon's circular, yet containing a complete social
history of Prussia—a veritable marvel of industry
and research—this blue-book will not compare for a
minute with the report of the Endowed Schoh
Dommissiol. Unfortunately. thouall the Laed.
Tenure tic:port exhibits signs of haste in every
page, it comes too late to be of much
service in the settlement of the Irish Land
Bill. The broad features of that measure have
been settled, and M.P.'s can hardly, in these days of
morning and evening sittings, be expected to digest
so very tough a morsel as this Blue-book. The
public must look to their newspapers rather than to
their representatives for an analysis.
The reports are thirty-six in number; but as
s3veral.refer to the same country—there are thirteen
sent from different parts of the United States, for
instance—the number of countries reported on is
much smaller. The following are included in
the first volume :—Belgium, Denmark, France,
Greece; Hansa Towns, Italy, Netherlands,
Portugal, Prussia and the Sorth German
Confederation, Saxe-Coburg Gotha, United
States, and Wiirtemberg. These countries repre-
sent different conditions of society. There is Greece,
for instance, where agriculture is despised, and where
as a consequence, it is in the lowest possible condi-
tion. There is Belgium, where the land is infi-
nitely subdivided, and the extreme limit of
the petite culture has been reached. There are the
United States, where there is a boundless extent of
land and where the small farm system would be a
waste of labour. And there is Prussia, which has gone
through a social revolution within the present cen-
tury, completely transforming. the relations which
used to. exist between the soil and those who culti-
vated it. With such a variety of conditions, it
would be manifestly absurd to lay down any rule
with respect to the division of the land which would
be applicable to every case. 'Where the fee-simple
is not more than the annual rental in other countries,
the small culture system would be out of place. Man
is not made for the land, but the land for mail.
and the only consideration which need influence him
Is that of raising the greatest amount of produce with-
out impoverishing the soil. In America, with an
illimitable tract of virgin land before him, he will
break up fresh ground every year. In Belgium,
where land is sold by the yard, he must resort to
very possible means of restoring each year that
which he takes out of the soil. Of course, these
different conditions produce very different social
:exults. In France, where the petite culture is in full
.orce, it is a moot question if subdivision has not
oeen carried too far. In that district of Belgium
(mown as the Pays de Waes, the most densely
peopled in Europe, there is no doubt that
this is the case, but there the land . is not
she property of the cultivators, and g_i9 landlords

ARO aavantage ox tne Keen competition sor 'arms to
un up the rents to an extortionate figure, to refuse
all leases, and to evict without due cause. The con-
,equence is that in this district, though far before
Ireland in its agriculture, there is nearly as much
distress. In other parts of Flanders the tenant
farmers are far more happily circumstanced. They
possess a fair amount of capital, and cultivate
the land in an intelligent manner. Although
they have no leases and no agreement
for compensation for improvements, they usually
receive some allowance. In another district of
Belgium, the Pays de Herve, near Liege, the land
hunger is so strong that the small purchaser will
ouy at a price that will give him no chance of
making more than 2 per cent. on his capital. A
nectare (21 acres) of land sold in small allotments
will fetch 15,000 francs (p 000), whereas a piece of
land 10 hectares (25 acres) in extent, will, if sold in
Jne lot, not fetch more than 10,000 francs (4.00).
En that country there exists a custom called
mauvais gre. Formerly, the landlords on
tetting a farm exacted a sum of money
from the incoming tenant before allowing him to
take possession, but would not refund the money on
the tenant leaving the farm. The outgoing tenant,
feeling himself aggrieved, caused outrages to be per-
petrated upon his successor on the farm, unless the
successor would repay the amount. This custom led
to such serious crimes, including frequent assassina-
tions, that it became necessary to legislate against
it repeatedly.
Remembering the emphatic manner in which the
present Liberal Government has repudiated fixity
of tenure, it is worthy of note that this mode
of holding is by no means unknown on the Con-
tinent. It is found, for instance, in countries-
as far apart as the lonian Islands, where it
is called emphytensis, and Portugal, where it is
known as emphytentas. So far as the latter country
is concerned, the tenure seems to be of very respect-
able antiquity. It originated in the arrangement
made by ancient Rome, under which settlers in a con-
quered country were allowed to farm lands without any
fear of eviction so long as they paid the vectigal, or
State rent. There are other customs more universal
than this. No where, we believe, is any difference
made between the succession to land and the succes-
sion to personal property. The English law of
primogeniture is found nowhere but in Britain.
On the death of an intestate his land is divided
equally among his children in nearly every
country of Europe. In most countries
the power of bequest is more or less restricted, and
in none would a testator be permitted to
leave all his land to one child. Another point on
which Europe is united, is simplicity of transfer.
There is none of the countries mentioned in this
report where there does not exist a register for
the recording of all transfers and mortgages, which
register is the only legal proof of ownership required.
It remains to be seen how much longer
we will consent to being behind such
countries as Greece and Portugal in these matters.
There is but one other point which we can mention
on the present occasion. An attempt on the part of
a State to purchase land in order to become
the landlord signally failed. The experiment was
tried in Belgium; leases were given for thirty years,
and though every inducement was offered to tenants
on condition that they would carry out the works of
irrigation, and though tenants in numbers offered
themselves, who considered themselves as pensioners
of the State, they refused to do their allotted work,
misappropriated the State subsidy, and at last the
Government was glad to sell by auction for £l,OOO
an estate which had cost £10,405. The purchaser
evicted the idle tenants, and now finds his invest-
ment remunerative, as lie well may, considering the
price he paid. The experiment will scarcely inane()
the British Parligment to adopt ➢ir. Belght's scheni.

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, April 5.

The Queen, accompanied by her Royal High-
ness Princess Beatrice, walked and drove in the
grounds this morning.
The other members of the Royal Family also went
out.

The Princess of Wales drove out yesterday.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)
SPAIN.-

MADRID, April 5 (Evening).

The insurgents at Barcelona having cut the tele-
graph wires, no news has been received from that
city.

It is only known that barricades ha►'e been erected
at Garcia, a suburb of Barcelona.

PORTUGAL.

LISBON, April 5.

The public adjudication of concession for the con-
struction of telegraphic lines between England and
Portugal and Gibraltar took place yesterday. The
Minister of Public Works announced that the con-
cession has been definitively granted to M. Jules
Despecher, the representative of the Falmouth, Gib-
raltar, and Malta Telegraph Company.

BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS, April 6.

The Etale Belge of to-day says that it appears
that Holland has forwarded a note to the Belgian
Cabinet, commenting upon the bill now before the
Belgian Parliament, increasing the duty on alcohol,
as an attack upon the strict execution of the treaty
of commerce concluded between the two countries.
The paper asserts that the Belgian Government in
reply has declared that the trea'y cannot prevent
Belgium from modifying her customs duties.

FRANCE.
BOURSE, April s.—Three o'clock—The market
closed as follows

Bank Shares 2815 :__:
Ital4an Fives 55 90
Austrian Fives
Ottoman Loan
Do. Debt 47 20
Spanish Threes
Home Debt —
Deferred —
Cash
Orleans
Western
Northern
Strasburg
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern..... 6-221
Sardinian
Austrian BOO

per Cent.
3 per Cents 73 85
End of month 73 65
clredit Mobilier 270
Transatlantic 192 50
Credit Foncier _1260
Paris Gas 1780
Suez Canal 265

Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa
Roman

467 k

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, April 5.

The report of the Anglo-Austrian Bank for the
year 1869 shows a net profit of 7,192,625 florins,
equivalea to 54 per cent. on the capital of the com-
pany.

At the general meeting propositions will be made
for the appropriation of the profits, and the increase
of the capital by the.issue of new shares.

AMERICA.
(Per French Atlantic Cable.)
NEW YORK, April 5.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CLOSING PRICES.

Goad closed at 1111 ; the highot,t quotation during the day
was 1121 ; the lowest, 1111.
Sterling Exchange on London
5-20 U. S. Bonds, ISB2
1885 • lOOl
1867
10-40 „
1901 Illinois
Erie

Cotton—Mid. upland
Petroleum—Standard White
Flour—Extra State, $1 50e. to $5 10e. Corn—Old
mixei, $1 9c.

According to Messrs. Moffatt, Davidis, and Co.'s
report the receipts of cotton at all ports, for the last
four days, have been 24,000 bales. Shipments to
England, 9,000 bales ; to France, 8,000 bales ; and
to the Continent, 7,000 bales. Middling Upland,
10 7-id., cost and freight per steamer.