The herald., 1895-07-06

carts 10 pass eacn Otner on s.oH
speak from personal experiences. having
had the iron band knocked from the
right hub of the heavy dog cart ui which
/ was the Jehu, and / sue ceeded in doing
equal execution upon the cart steereo ny
a native who met and strove to make
room for me to pass. | might, perchance,
have made it with safety had l not at
first thought of turning to the right and
then. with perturbation, recalled that
must awlays keep to the left in England.
However. both drivers were amlanle, and
the damages nominal. A very cautious
people are the Jersey folk, rather French
than English in manners and appear
ance.
The ladies know what to wear and how
to put on their clothes. and that cannot
be said, with truth, of the women across
the channel. And st. Heliers has smart
look and a prosperous, busy air, despite
its tortuous and narrow streets, each of
which experiences change of name
every two or three blocks thus enabling
the stranger to lose his way as effectually
as if he walked the mazy labyrinth at
Crete.
Worse things may happen to you. how
ever, than to lose your way in tho Jersey
capital You are sure to look into fas-
cinating show windows where everything
is entcingly cheap; French materials
and fashions. French gloves. millinery,
bon bons periumery and jewelry in aliur-
ing profusion. For, look you. Jersey, un-
like England has absolute free trade.
free from English customs duty, are sold
below English prices. One shilling will
buy five cigars quite equal to those sold
in Los Angeles at two for quarter; aid
pint of Bass ale is 4 pence. or by the
dozen bottles pence. A further econ
pound. averdupois. equals seventeen and a
quarter English ounces. House rent is
very moderate and corporation taxes are
so light rs to be almost nominal. And
thus it has come to pass that free trade
Jersey, fairsst of the Channel islands,
has prosperous well-to do, population
and is cut up into small holdings, Royal
Manor of sixty acres being the largest
estate on the island. The small farmer
in Jersey is quite able to demonstrate
"ten acres enough" for a comfortable liv-
ing and putting money by for rainy
day.
There is much to interest the stranger
in the peculiar laws. constitution and
agricultural condition of Jersey. The
Channel islands are self-governing. Their
parliament. or states, consists OF twelve
iurats (who act as magistrates in tn
royal courts). the twelve rectors (who,
like the jurats. sit for life), the twelve
ties. They are assisted and guided, but not
controlled, by a colonial secretary ap-
pointed by the crown. TneI1 national
debt is all for works of local improvement,
and is about 81. 500, 900. Their annual in
come is about 100000 a year. which
means extremely light taxation. Jersey
and Guernsey export to England. annually
quite SIS, 600, 900 worth of agricultural pro-
duce. Tomatoes. grapes and flowers are
grown for export to the English markets
but the one great industrial development
is the culture of early potatoes, a branch
. t,oN .,aI hxyt thn
comparative absence of night frosts dur
ing the early spring months. Up to data
this year the export of potatoes to Eng
land from Jersey has reached the neigh
borhood OF 81, 900, 900 worth.
Land here, under the true old feudai
system. by which it was made inalienable
from the people, is held in small guam
titles. is cultivated to the greatest pos
sible exent and is handed down in the
same families with great tenacity and
regularity, as rule. The land laws are
old. very singular and very difficult II
understand. Few lawyers in Jersey.
even, thoroughly understand them. In
consequence of form of mortgage called
'rentes' real estate may. in many cases,
be purchased for comparatively small
cash payment. Nearly all lands have
running with them, these rentes, which
date back to the time when wheat was a
medium of exchange. When a man pur-
CHdscQ IL liiII It Cculu pay bhi Cdsl. ohN
the residue of the purchase prince be-
came an annual charge OF tithes of wheat
against the land. These rentes, or tthes,
came afterwards to be measured in money
as a nor stable value, and reutes are now
considered desirable form of invest
ment; they change hands freely by means
of a contract of sale passed before the
court.
The transfer of real estate is embodied
in a contract of sale passed in like man
ner. which. together with a notification
of its registration attached, forms the
only title deed. Any British So ject may
purchase realty in Jersey. 1t is held in
and his heirs in perpetuity.
Before dropping feature of my letter
which may have SOME. e.interest for lawyers
only. perhaps, | must mention ore Of
the ancient institutions of this island. 1t
is called the Glamour de Naro. Any Jer-
by any act of his neighpor. from the
building of house to the most trivial
matter, may fall on his knees and ex-
claim. "Haro Haro! l'aide mon Prince
On me fait tort.' (Ha! Rollo Ha Rol y
to the rescue. my Prince! l am being
the aggressor is bound to desist till the
case has been tried. II the clamor is justly
raised a fine is levied on the defendant; /;
if rot the plaintiff is the one to suffer.
The Glamour de Haro is now seldom
raised. but it certainly has points of
merit as temporary restraining order.
One of the most interesting features of
Jersey is the dual aspect it possesses; in
the town of st. Heliers is active nineteenth
century development, but passing the
suburbs aud wandering into the interior
of the island. then the observer is to all
intents in another century. Here, en-
h need by delightful slimpses of sea and
landscapes, are relics OF a by-gone age. a
quaint and separate people. conversing
still in tongue containing many words
current in England eight centur es ago
and first heard in that land when william
the Norman addressed his conquering
hosts after the battle of Hastings. Hither
| will take my reauers with me in another
letter and show them Mount Oteuie castle
where it sits $50 feet above the waves
with calm contempt for the passage of
time since early IN the tenth century. and
| shall have somewhat to tel! them OF an
cient manor houses and old churches.
But | cannot hope 10 convey to them an
adequate impression of the wonderful
green lanes, the profusion and variety OF
the wild flowers adorning the valleys
the ferns that overhang the brooklet; the
bracken. waist high. graceful and golden.
Only Wordsworth could do that.