The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-05-17
Land OwnerrshiD in Europe:

The land agitation in Ireland, which
has resulted, in recent years, in so much
turmoil and disaster, directs attention to
the manner in which land is held in the
European countries generally.
The irish troubles have brought into
bold relief the fact, that in that unhappy
country; the broad acfes are mostly
owned by a few great gtcpfietofs, while
they are TILED by the vast body of the
population as tenants only. The land
has hitherto been SO tied up, and hedged
about by unjust laws, that it could not
freely come into the market to be bought
and sold. The result of this UBIQUITOUS
land:system l'as been 1feland's present
poverty and misery.
How is it with the other European
countries?
1t may be s,id. generally, that nearly
all the landed property Of central and
western Europe was, centuries ago, held
under what is known as the "teudal
| system"
A great lord or baron owned the do
| main. lie lived part in stately castle.
At its feet clustered little village. This
was inhabited by his "vassals." The
vassals titled the; ground, and gave GER
tain proportion CT its crops to the lord.
They also owed him service in the field,
in time of war; and were bound to de.
fend him from his enemies;
Of all the European countries, Eng
! land is the last to which the remnants of
the fsudal system, as TO land, still cling.
In, England, as in ireland, the domain
is held, in large part, Ivy, wealthy and Of
ten titled possessors. II is protected ny
the laws Of pflhio eflitrre and entail. by
in the great families, and caHhet be sold
and divided up by spendti,rift hefrs:
The great mass Of the farming popula-
ton in England are only tenants under
these landlords. They till the land OF
onG'si f in Tie n so sl;s 'f IeW has
| in many ways shielded this System of
large estates. One of the chief obsta.
cles to the dividing up of the land, 80
that the tenants might become owners
by purchase, Is the expensiveness OF
| transferring land, It costs great deal
to have titles examined, deeds lnade ont
and fol- ether legal fees TO lie paid.
In France the land is absolutely free.
It was taken from the great mobiles and
landlords, who used to own it in this
samg wsy as land is now owned in Eng:
| land; at the titt1e Of the French reyolu-
tipn- The. result ,is that to day, the land
! Of Francs IS tisidkd tip into little faiths,
each owned and titled by q s:1an farmer,
There are no laws tending to. Keep and
increase estates in few hands.
The feudal system still fingers to some
degree in Germany; but it may b. said
that, in most of the German states, the
| 1df3H 10 Il ~ Eponao hv tho
farmers who cultivate it, and that the
great estates which once existed there
have been Extensively divided nip among
small proprietof5. - ;
The land system of Russia IS curious
and exceptional. There the land is gem
orally owned, not by large proprietors
| i'll vast. estates, nor by small farmers in
little patches, but by the villages, or
t,'comm unes:" A village parcels out its
land to its in abitaHts, and they till 1t,
return its profits To The 3lliags treasury,
and ere allowed certain a,noti1it for
thoir personal support. There are, of
conrse,. still many large estates in Rus
sia;, but the effect of the emancipation
Sf tll4 lseffs twenty yearss $40 has been
to divide 81 the Iahd;; and transfer It to
the ownership Of fi5 local cohmunit:es.
Thus in most of the Europsa!i coIh-
| CFCeS tIS Olu StAlc VI GilluS,o uINACI CAC
feudal system has been gradually pass
Ing away. The fruitful farms end pro-
dnctive fields have come into the hands
Of the chltv4tJrs; and the laws which
sustained aristocratic privilege and bar
Utiial power have been. to large de-
gree, swept 6t!t of existence.
1t need hardly be said that iii Tie
United States the land is free and unfet-
tered: 1t cannot he bound up in single
a esf f; and J. IS sasy
There can be no doubt that England,
also modify her land Laws And open the
acres now bound up to the competition,
and purchase of the farming populat; IN.