The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-16 00:00:00

TIIE LAND QUESTION.

A correspondent of the Star, in discussing the
laws of entail and primogeniture, finds matter for
serious complaint in the unequal tenure of land
among us. Nearly six years ago Mr. Cobden and
Mr. Bright called attention to the fact that the soil
of the United Kingdom was being steadily
accumulated in the hands of a constantly
diminishing section of the community. Since
then nothing has been done to remove the evil,
although, in Mr. Cobden's words, there is no other
peasantry but that of England which is entirely
divorced from the land. Mr. Laing, in writing on
the same subject, said that in every country of
Europe, under whatever form of government, the
tendency of tlis century has been to the division and
distribution of the land into small estates of a work-
ing peasant proprietary. This has been the real
revolution in Europe ; the only exception is Great
Britain. With us the tendency has been to aggregate
small into large estates, and small tenant occupancies
into large farms. At the taking of the last census, in
1861, the population of England was about twenty
millions, and of these the whole number of landed
proprietors was atout thirty thousand. At the time
of the Conquest the population was about one-and-a-
half millions, and the Domesday Book gives 45,706
I:ndholders. At the Revolution Gregory King
estimated the population at 5,500,000, and he puts
clown the freeholders at 160,000-40,000 of the
better, and 120,000 of the poorer sort. Accepting
these figures as even approximately correct, they
shew us that the land of this country is at the present
time divided among fewer persons by some ten
thousand than it was 800 years ago, when the
population was about a thirteenth of what it is
now, and divided among fewer by 135,000 than it
was two hundred years ago, when the population was
about a fourth of what it now is. It is not easy to
overrate the importance of the fact that the thirty-
eight millions of acres which compose the soil of
England are now owned by less than one five-
hundredth part of its inhabitants. In the old time
the great landholder filled a more patriarchal place,
and numerous lesser holders of land depended on his
estate, paying him fixed services or rents for the privi-
leges they held for life. The present state of the tenure
and occupation of land in these realms is due to the
system of real property law, especially to those parts
of it which regulate the descent of landed estates in
cases of intestacy. A very different opinion prevails
with respect to the disposal of personal property,
although Adam Smith and other enlightened autho-
rities do not recognise any reason for the distinction

THE CONVICT BISGIIOVE.

Some dirsAisfaction has been expressed at the
escape of the convict 13isgrove from capital punish-
ment, and a correspondent of the Times the Rev.
J. E. Hole, of Washford Pyne, Devonshire, declares
that the act is weak, unjust,njnst,
and impolitic. The many
chances which the criminal has of evading detection
and conviction tend to harden him, and the ends of
justice are defeated. In addition to the other avenues
of possible escape, he sees that punishment, even on
proof, is not certain, or it may be only inflicted
in a mitigated degree.
TICE SENIOR ADMIRAL OF TER BRITISH FLEET.

Sir Lucius Curtis, Bart., senior admiral of the
British fleet, was found dead in his bed at Ports-
mouthayrad Master of the county Free-
mnrning
As magistrate of the
county ono Thursday
Hants,
G
Free-
masons, his death will be felt rather in the im-
mediate locality than generally ; but he was a good
sailor. He entered the navy in the famous year '95,
became post captain in 1806, rear-admirallB3B, vice-
admiral 1840, and admiral 1855. By his death
Admiral Sir Thomas John Cochrane, G.C.8., will
become the senior admiral of the fleet ; kdmiral Sir
William Bowles, K.C.B. (vice-admiral of the United
Kingdom), an admiral of the fleet ; Vice-Admiral Sir
R. Smart, K.C.8., N.H., admiral; Rear-Admiral W.
H. A. Morshead, C. 8., vice-admiral ; and Captain
C. F. A. Shadwell, C. 8., rear-admiral. By the latter
promotion the appointment of captain superinten-
dent of the Royal Clarence Victualling Yard and
the Royal Naval Hospital, Ilaslar, will become
vacant ; and it is reported to be the determination of
the Admiralty not to appoint a successor to Rear-
Admiral Shadwell.