The sun., 1881-11-20
The English Land Question.

The English Land Question.
The demand for reform In the condition OF
land tenures has passed. rs was to be ex-
pected, from Ireland to England, and some
members OF the Cabinet are promoting the
agitation as an ofYsot to tho fair trade
movement. The land problem in the south
crn hnlf Of Great Britain I'VE pnss over the
situation In Scotland for the presenD is
more complicated than that presented in
the sister island, and eomo OF tho solutions
suggested in influential quarters are moro
radical aud trenchant than any Mr.. PAR
NELL has proposed.
II the sole rcaso.s for the Land act OF
1881 were those put forth by Mr.. GLADSTONE
In advocating that measure. it might be
plnusibiy algued that there Is no such thing
as a land question in England. The Pro-
mier based his bill on two main eonsi,!cra-
tions: first, tha. tho actual condition
OF the Irish cultiyator ia ono OF
status rather than OF contract, because In
tho greater part of the country there
are no Industries but agriculture "a which
lie can have recourse. and he Is thus virtu-
ally deprived OF tho freedom essential To q
covenant. His second argument was that
the Irish tenant had n moral right, and
therefore deserved q legal title. to O certain
interest in his holding. because all the i'm
piovements on IL had. as rule. been made
by his own labor and capital. Neither OF
those two reasons, at oil events, can to nS-
signed for State interference with the pres
ent land laws Of England. The position OF
the farmer there Is unQuestionably one OF
contract, FOR England is great trading and
manufacturing country. and offers abun-
dant opportunities for the Investment of Ia
Dor and capital aside from the cultivation
Of land. Again. it is undisputed thnt III
England. as rule. improvements are made
by tho landlord, and thus when rent is in
creased On that account, the tenant cannot
claim that his interest has been confiscated
The differences iuthe land problems exhibit
e1 In the two countries must. accordingly, be
admitted to be broad and striking, and the
grievances which now call for remedy in
England must be OF another kind than those
OF which We hear So much In connection
with Ireland.
About the gravity OF ths crisis through
which the English agricultural interest ts
passing there is no doubt whatever. For
several years the farmers have found 1t I'm
possible to meet the rents stipulated in
their leases, and the landowners have
everywhere been compelled TO make largo
voluntary reductions. il they would avoid
the alternative Of driving tenants into bank
ruptcy and leaving their lands untilled.
Even these sacrifices on the part OF land
lords have failed In most cases to afford tho
farmers adequate relief. aud tho latter. in
their turn. have becn constrained TO cut
II al l3tpIprS
thus cntailing severe distress upoa that ele-
Licnt Of the population. Here, then. arc
widespread financial embarrassment and
acute suffering, evils which unluesticnably
call for recognition and relress. AZ mat
ter Of fact, thy are recognized. ami such
Liberals 5 Mr. GtADsroSE aEd Sir. BRIGHr
are faror.ng curative measures who's, prac
teal effect would ba to place the arabic soil
OF England In precisely the same condition
occupied by that ~ the United States.
They would sweep away the customs Of
settlement aud entail; they would prevent
the tying up of lands by tcstamcntary pro-
visions; they would compel the sale OF ali
cIcumborAd properties; rnd they would
greatly tGcilitGt" hG transfer oi real estate
b. slirpll. ying ani chaaIerliuG the business,
Of conyeyancinlg In a word, they would
alIn 10 bring about what thoy term free
trade In land, : state 0i things which eX
i5ts in most of the Unitei States, except So
far rs the delays and costs Incident u the
passing of ;iti. may h. saiI to operate As
check on perfect frceinn % transfer.
Such Is the remedy which orthodox politi-
cni economists would approve, ruI il is
probably the only one which Tor ths pres
eat, has much chance of being cplbuiied In
legislation. i ia significant. however. that
grave doubts have alrcIdy tt>cn expressed
whether, In q dcnsely populated country
like England. ut least oIe-half of whnse in
habitants live by Gn-agricultuIal Indus
tries, ires trade In land would do more than
postpone for brief period the evil day. 1t
Is nvcrrci that tho outcome oi the NV facil-
itics for the purch5 - of land would simply
be transfer OF the arabic soil from an aris-
tocracy to a rlutOcracy, ar az best To a
peasant proprietary. and that although the
| application OF more capital and energy
might lead for time 10 greater produc-
| tiveness aud a consequent fall in the price
| OF food staples, yet this improvement would
not keep pace with tie Increase of the in
| dustrinl population. Every child, il is ar
| Sued, born t. an artisan does. by creatin,, a
new cu-touer fur agricultural FriGc'-.
] add soWettW.: tn o." value nf l1ffl p" =
! tbs aided yliu, tie uItreg-l. "a. l.r