Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-03-06
ER0NoURLoNDoNcoR CORRESPONDENT


LONDON, FEBRUARY IL, 1852
| That there are two sides to every argument
and two views to be taken of every question is an
observation which is far from having the attribute
OF novelty to recommend it However trite il may
be, It has been brought forcibly to our mind by the
opinions which political and social writers are ex
pressing upon the present condition of neighbor
France, and the causes which have led to that con-
dition. We well remember reading Mr.. LAINd's
very interesting Residence IN Noraoay" and the
conclusions which he arrived at respecting the very
happy and enviabe condition of that country which
he deduced, and very philosophicay and conclusive
y we thought, and still think from the effects of the
absence of the law of primogeniture and the equal
division of property among all the children of fami
~. 1t Is not our intention to introduce even the
brietest summary of Mr.. Laing's arguments in this
place; we merely mention his conclusions, in order
to contrast them with the opinions now expressed
by leading English journalists that the present con-
diton of France-to call it happy one would be a
prostitution of anguage-has arisen from exactly the
same causes to which Mr. Lang ascribes the very oppo
site position Of Norway viz the abolition of the law Of
pmogeniture and the division Of property among all the
children Of family. Thus argue English writer's
The compulsory division of estates in France has pro-
uucea the insolvency and pauperism OF the agricultural
In abolishing the law of primogenture and the old
feuda SYSTEM the founders of French bertthat word
and thing SO grossly misunderstood
tyranny They compelled the subdivision of the soil
man with large or small farm the might be,
forced by the law to divide his lands equally among
all his children. The result NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and
subdivision until farms became small for profitable
cultyaton, and until pasturage became in many
impossible There in France at the time the inquiry
instituted by Louis Philippe less than 10 034 794
landed holding for the most part little plots Of
ground which they cultivated with the spade or this
number only 1881 derived income Of more than G4OO
per from their lands while there were 3696O8
estates of the annual value of only E12 1877 of the
value Of e. 873997 of the value of "a and 600 600
Of annual value not exceeding e. The great bulk
these proprietors stated in the official reports alluded
t, strangers to meat diet and stood alone as
e inspectors forciby remarked lin unassised misery
i'll humor with every thing and especially with all that
tere higher or happier than themselves The breeding
cattle diminished in every part of France and in 1910
act passed. the remonsrance of the butchers of
&e capital legazing the public sale of horsefesh
/ 4hcle Of diet"
THE current number of the Westminster Repiep has an
ale article embodying much information 50 far as sta
titles CO. upon this subject. This is principally derived
fSm report made to the French Legislative Assembly in
Ar last, by committee appointed to inquire into the
ject This report stated that the landed propretors
France nearly all in state of hopeless bank
fptcy.
he nett annual revenue of France, derived from real
III estates estimated at. ........ e76, 800, 600
Jpn the lst of July, 1920 the mortgages'on
\ the property producing this annual reve-
nue. of G76, 10000 amounted to- ..... 354 800 900
I'm 1882 they amounted to............ 49, 800, 900
I'm 1910 /" g .................... sol, 100000
ff they have increased in the same ratio they
would in 1852 amount to...:......... $50, 4OO, 900
The rates of interest paid these mortgages vary from
pix per cent to twelve, fifteen and twenty but, taking
at six per cent the annual amount paid by the land
owners to their mortgages would be G34S24,00O The
Reviewer, however, makes the following calculation:
kett revenue g7e, 800, 900
Deduct direct land tax ......... .e6, 400 900
| ADDITIONAL 8, 200,0 900
Interest on mortgages .............. 40, 62S, 900
| : ~ 50,22s, 900