Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-10-12

LONDON. Eng, September q, 1881


The farmers of England want a land
bill as well as their brothers in ireland.
Some decided steps have already been
taken. and there is little doubt that a seri-
Gus proposal will be made to Mr.. Glad
stone before the opening Of the next ses'
sion with a view to ameliorsting the
condition Of the British farmer. For many
a year past John Bull has been represented
with jolly red face. well dressed, and in
good condition, bat in chronic state OF
grumbling at his position; but now there
really does appear to be some reason in
his complaints. When farms have to go
begging because tenants won't take them
at any price, and others are let at much
lower terms than of old, it is certain there
must be something wrong. Some people
imagine that because there are not many
farmers in the bankrupt list, things can
not be so bad, but they forget that farmers
cannot start in the world lie some mush-
room traders do, upon borrowed capital or
upon none at all. They must expend
money in advance and then await to see
what nature will DO for them. Nature,
during several seasons has been unkind to
them. They have not had a thoroughly
good harvest for several years. and COM
petition has injured them to far greater
extent than the manufacturers and shop
keepers. The Farmers Alliance is the
title of the new association of British far
mers, and they have had meeting and
made statements which appear reasonable.
They maintain that until the arrange
ments between landlord and tenant are
modified there can be no hope for the
British farmer, and we quite believe them
One fact must not be forgotten. There are
numbers of gentlemen who from the mere
love of being landowners cultivate farms
with every appearance of prosperity. But
il must be remembered these are men who
do not live by the land alone; they have
ample means, and if the farm only ena les
them to live rent free they are satisfied,
hut the case is different with the small
tenant farmers who embark their capital
on the land in the hope of making it re-
munerative occupation. Such men are
greatly to be plied, and none need be sur
prised if they claim the aid of the govern
ment to redress their grievances. People
wing away from the great agricultural
| districts have little idea how some of these
honest, worthy and hardworking men are
ground down. But they are silent, be-
cause hitherto, if Smith showed the least
dissatisfaction, his landlord made overtures
TO Brown. Jones and Robinson. who had
been perhaps waiting for years to get hold
If the farm. Matters are altered now
There was a time when good farm was q
certain fortune if well managed. At pres.
ent, what with bad seasons and heavy
burdens on the land. farming 5 less desir-
able, and the owners of land must be con.
tent with smaller incomes when their
property lies away from the great towns.
Fhe agitation for an English land bill will,
[ am sure, become general during the
present winter.
The murder 90 the Brighton railway
has not been much discussed of late, as
,eople are awaiting the trial of LEROY,
hut on Monday discovery was made by
gauger of platelayers three quarters of a
nile south of the Bllcombe tunnel, which
may be of some importance The work
men picked up small pocket book with
he name of LEROY on the dv-leaf, and two
pages in the centre of the book appear to
have been stained with blood. Superin.
endent Berry has con pared the writing
in the pocket-book with that Of LEROY. and
inds they correspond exactly. Of course
this will be used as additional evidence
when this sensational trial comes on. 1t
- expected that the idea of transferring
he trial to the London criminal court will
ne abandoned.
notwithstanding the efforts of Sir Will
fred Lawson and the coffee houses British
beer continues to flourish. OF all the
houses in England and Wales one-fortieth
IRE given over to the sale of one kind or
another of spirituous liquors. One hnnd-
red and thirteen houses is the actual num-
her, and that affords a large percentage.
One hundred and tfty-six millions OF
pounds represent the consumptio ion of liquor
in these countries for the last ten years
which, in the ten preceding years w.s
covered nv modest ninety millions. In
| quarter of a cen ury the consumption OF
brewing sugar in England multiplied more
han hundred fold. OF late there Ia,
oeen a slight depression, but this has been
,ttributed to the general depression of the
INES.
AUGUST.