The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-29

sCnssn3s Magazine
Land law In Engianti--.ssetszfe IN the
House of Commons on ffss Law OF
EnfnfI...Position Of Mr.. Disrfseb and
Hr: Gladstone.
From the Regular Correspondent Of the Tribune
LONDON, April Ia minority of eighty-onc
votes in the House of Comfnous in favor OF
cranre in the law of entail aid the settle
1nent of land is surprising fact. 10 the
Englishman nothing is SO sacred as lanef- up-
less it be the law which creates monopoly
in il. I think it was about year ago that a
meeting was held in London to propose not
merely an alteration in the law OF transfer,
but fundamental change i'll The very pro-
eertv in land. Mr. Mill lent the sanction OF
his name 20 the idea that nobody has an alb
solute right to land, bt.t only to the enjoy
mcnt and l,shfruct Of it; arguing that as the
quantity of land Is limited and cannot be in
creased; while the use Of it is absolutely ne
cessary to the existence of society, society
alone. or in other words the State, has right
OF ownership in it. In other days such a
meeting might have taken twenty years TO
find an echo in Parliament. In these days
we are getting OH sery fast, and the debate
and vote of Tuesday night have very
direct relation to ideas and movements far
more radical than Mr.. Fowler or his support
ers would be ready to accept.
Mr. Fowler'S resolution does not go very
far, First attempts generally do not. 1t
was to the effect that the present state OF the
law as to the entail and strict settlement OF
land discourage the Investment of capital III
the development Of agriculture. and increase
the complication of titles and the expense
and delay incident TO the transfer of real cs-
tate This, rs you see, hardly docs more
than propose to facilitate the tlapstcr of land.
1t is not in any sense n movement to abolish
the title in land, Bit fl multiply titles, and
cut into the existing mcrfopolies of land, and
put land now nearly on a level with personal
PROPERTY. But the effect of any such motion
Is to open the whole question, and when
once it is open it is hard to say how fe will be
closed. The approved Conservative tactics
in silth cases are to Stife debate by "count
out" They were tried on Tuesday, but I'M
successfully. 81 honorable member called
the Sneakers atteIttien to the fact that less
than forty members we're present, but the
Speaker, after the proper AEteryal, contrived
to discover the needed forty and the debate
went OIL.
1t was by no means great debate, but it
was Il very interesting and SigDlficaH one.
Mr.. Fowler did not hesitate to say thas the
two evils he sought to remedy were-f1rst,
the defective production of the soil; and
secondly, the defect in the social condition OF
the people. The English tenant seems hardly
less in need OF relief than the Irish tenant
was before the Irish land bill brought him
certain measure of relief. The laborer sut-
hrs in COMMON with his immediate employer.
On that point need not enlarge. Mr.. Hol-
yoake, whose knowledge Of the condition of
the agricultural population does not date
from last weeks strike, his given you such
details of the Warwickshire struggle as
might seem incredible were his testimony
less trustworthy. 1t was a fortunate CO.
Incidence by which Mr.. Fowler's 1iie'-
ton in the House of Commons came On
ut the time when public attention had
been turned to Il kindred topic. A strike
amid all its disadvantages having this one
great advantage that 1t does compel atten-
ton. The newspapers here have given fairly
good accounts ct the Warwickshire move
ment: An account which excited still keener
interest was that published by the Daily
Ne,oS of the laborers on Mr.. DisraelPS estate
and others in Buckinghanshire; very
cleverly done as it was, and still more eleVerly
because following close upon Mr.. Disricli's
speech in which this class of topics had been
prominently discussed. MIR. Fowler nmde
point By quoting fragment OF the aescrlp-
ton. Mt. Uisraeli was almost the sole occu'
Int of the floht opposition bench through:
out the debate, sud he naturally felt called
upon to defend his neishbors and friends:
But the thing to be lfsesea Is tnat Mr
Disrael himself was Obligee 10 ADMIT tla'
the general questionis one Wen deserving the
attention of Parliament. BIZ. taheStone con-
Cured heartily, and said even more emphall'
hat ttxa ant Of ~
entail settlement, and limited ownership, de-
n,ands early ard serious consideration. But
Mr.. Gladstone was, as ministers always are,
opposed to abstract resoiasions, and wanted
Mr.. Fowler to withdraw the one he had
brought forward, so that the Government
might be at liberty for q free, Impoverished,
and impartial discussion by and by. Sttsh q
request, implying a sort of pledge that the
Ministry would take the subject up, is gene
rally acceded to, but Mr.. Fowler declined,
and wisely declined. He wished, he said, 10
obtain the opinion of the House, and II
any right honorable gentleman felt II
impossible to give an opinioii, ne had
only to walk out Of the House. 1t il
seldom that munster gets so plain an an
swer US that. The division list shows that
Mr.. Gladstone thereupon Went into the lobby
with the noes, taking most of his colleagues
with him but neither Mr.. Forster nor Mr.
Stansfeld voted. 1t is the old story of the
Government-though this was not Gov
eminent Question-fnding its chief support
among its opponents. OF the 103 noes only
81 were Liberals, and II out Of the 30 were
members Of the Administration. Among
Mr.. Fowler's supporters were Mr.. Bouverie
Lord +. G. Cayendish, Mr.. Fawcett, Mr.
Vernon Harcourt, and Mr.. Yillicrs. Tn
greatest value Of the Parliamentary discus
sion is that it promotes discussion in tn
newspapers and elsewhere. Even the Conser
vatiyes, under Mr.. Disraeli and Lord Derby
are ready to take the lead, not, in
deed, in upsetting the land tenure
but in social questions of differ
ent kind. They are going in for sanitar.
legislation as probably the least harmful form
of social improvement. If Mr.. DiSraeli hat
been little more frank, the other day, aboll
his programme, be would have declared him
self ready to accept as much Of the Libera
programme as he must. He only wants II
be allowed to choose his measures. He hai
an ally in Mr.. Odger. who announced al
Norwich on Wednesday that he would, if he
had the power, turn out Mr.. Gladstone and
bis colleagues, in the hope of repeating the
tactics Of 1857, and In the belief, which many
Liberals share, that more can be got out OF
the Tories than out of half Wing Ministry.
MIR. Bright's return to London marks an
undoubted improvement in his health, but
cannot be taken to mean that he is going to
work In his old fashion In Parliament. From
all | hear, should say that his mental vigor
IL equal 70 occasional, but not to sustained
efforts. The letters from him that have from
time to time been published prove that be
has lost nothing OF his rare power Of con.
densed and energetic statement. He looks