The workingman's advocate., 1871-06-24
LAND TENURE REFORM I'M Ene-
LAND.

cally sign OF the times. 1t represent
the second stage in the progress Of move
ment of which the beginning attracted lit
tie notice, but Of which the consequences
may be most important The enthusiasm
which Mr.. Mills speech excited proves
that the Association has not miscalculated
u bringing It's programme and principles
to the test Of open discussion. Reform az
itations IN this country generally commence
In very quiet way. A few earnest men
first unite together with view to common
action for q common object. After a time
public interest is excited Then the move
ment naturally passes into the public meet
ing stage, finally eliminating IN Parlamen-
tary debates and in Parliamentary legisla>
ton.
Several weeks ago the programme Of this
Association was published, with explanato-
ry remarks BY Mr.. J. 8. MIL Like other
productions OF that illustrious writer, this
pamphlet has been the subject Of very gen
eral discussion, and Of not little misaD-
Prehension. To the ordinary English mind
there Is nothing 50 sacred az land. A pro
Posal to leglslate for the Improvement Of the
Land laws is commonly regarded a. akin to
sacrllege. That rich men should become
landowners, and that old families should
possess large estates, is accounted the most
natural thing in the world. What Michelet
called the essence Of udalsm il that the
" Systenae teodGL est comme une religion de
Ia teTTe. ]" This religion Is cIassed By emf
nent economists among the superstitions
which help to render progress impossible.
Mr.. Mills pamphlet, and bis impressive
speech last night at the Freemasons' Hall,
are vigorous attacks upon this false and il
furious faith. They constitute effective on
slaughts upon the Eestiges OF feudalism
which have survived the reforming efforts
Of our torefathers. Ia some quarters the
aim Of MIR. Mill and his coadjutors will Be
sneel ed at as Utopian, and Their labors de-
nounced as revolutionary. Those who are
unable to deny the justice Of the claims au-
vanced will doubtless attempt to disparage
them as speculations which it is i'm possibe
to carry into effect without unsettling socie-
". and annlhilating all proprietary rights
Ihls Is tie most usual way in which the
advocates Of existing abuses strive to turn
the naOk ofthe advancing army Of Reform
Jeremy BeGtham pointedly exposed the
hollowness OF the cry against changes which
were stlgmatized as speculative, when be
characterized speculation as ian epithet ID
use among official persons for the condem-
nation Of whatsoever proposition il too ad
verse to private interest not to be hstel, and
az the same time too msnfestly true u u
denied"
What Mr.. Mil demands on behalf Of The
AssocIa ion over which be presides il, in one
respect, identical with what Golden said
shortly before his death, ought to form the
basL5 Of the next great agitation il Eng-
land 1t was Cobden's opinion that Be
who success led in establishing Free Trade
20 Land woElf prove a greater benefactor
70 bis counIymeI than any one Of those
who brought about Free Trade in the nee
essaries Of life. Indeed, frem Mr.. Mills
point Of view, land is a. truly necessar,
Ot life as bread itself. 70 remove ali hsca,
and legal lmpediments from the transfer d
land IL regarded By him and by the LauI
Tenure Reform Association az q prelimna-
ry 70 the thorough enjoyment Of the untax
cd loaf. The opponents OF facilitating u
transfer q landed property are wont tO say
bat u The cost Of purchase we're lessened
the process Of forming large estates would
20 on more rapidly. Yet, as the same Der
sous approve Of the existing arrangements
through which the land remains ID the Dos
session od Q few families, they cannot have
much falth in the operation Of freedom Of
transfer acting in the manner indicated. H.
principle, the eaange which Mr.. Mills ad
vocates has received the approval Of Par
lament One Of Lord w estbury's legis-
latlve measures vas directed to simplify the
'r-nslerence Of and, by abolishpg all doubts
as to title. An Office exists where ever,
landowner can obtain Parliamentary title.
and thus become able to sell Bis land al
most a. easily as a fundholder can sell bis
stock. This piece Of legislation has failed
to fulnl the anticipations Of its promoters, Of
70 exeuplfy the sinister predictions of il,
opponents, because it was permissive mere
ly, and not compulsory. 1t il noteworthy
that one Of the first to avail himself Of tie
privileges Of the Act was the Late Lord
Campbell. He was shrevd enough to Der
ceive the gain which would accure from the
registration Of bis estate and If landowners
10 general were like him, the Act would not
remain dead letter.
To bring about Free Trade in land i
but one Of Mr.. Mills designs. a. b.
told the meeting last night the Land Laws
must be transformed in view Of the actua
position which land occupies in the econ
Omy Of things. Like air and sunlight, il
Can neither be created nor dispensed With
Ii is impossible to either add to or diminish |
from the area Of the soil upon which men
live and By which they subsist. Morasse-
may be drained, lakes may be dried Up, The
sea may damned back, and thousands oi
acres may be brought under
cultivation and made to yield food but thit |
Is reclamation and not manufacture. See
ing, then, that tie area Of land on The
earth's surface is a fixed quantity, and tha
land itself is gift Of Mature, and not IT,
product Of human ingenuity or toll, It il
pertinently asked By Mr. Mill, "Can tbt
personal possessl OF this peculiar articl,
De justified on any other ground than tba
the proprietor holds it IN trust for BIZ
and deals with il for their bene
it = much as for bis own? "A question
thus framed can receive but one answer
Yet the English public j. not ret onciled 4
hearing ths question put The point
view i entirely new The postulate
public il asked to grant i one which i =
utterly opposed to tradition, that hesitatior
3 making the required concession is no.
surprising Nevertheless, the proposition
/ startling in form rather than substance
The idea which underies il il a common
place of English law The public u ac
ustomed 10 regard the landowner, who's,
egal title i perfect, az q monarch Of all b,
.nlova and w heIieye that no one can dis