THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



319 



AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS AND PEASANT FARMERS, 



It is a notewo/thy fact, that at the present time the agricul- 

 tural labour questiou is exciting attentiou if not anxiety 

 throughout the civilized world. It is earnedtly discussed by 

 employers and by laudowuers living under every form of 

 government. 



The pro-slavery demands, which have broken up into 

 at least two hostile republics the lately " United States," 

 are founded on the labour question. The emancipation 

 of the serfj of Eussia, lately decreed by the Emperor, 

 ill spite of the remonstrances of the territorial aristocracy 

 of that empire, has been finally and suddenly decided 

 upon, because the Government felt that the serfs were rapidly 

 losing their ancient habits of religious obedience to their 

 masters. If we turn from the pure despotism of uegro-culti- 

 Tated America, or serf-cultivated Kussia.to France — where, in 

 everything that concerns lauJ, the most perfect equality reigns, 

 where a forced division of property has made minute farms 

 the rule, hand labour essential for almost every agricultural 

 operation, and the evils attributed to large farms and the full 

 employment of machinery under the care of day-labourers 

 impossible — we find the complaints of the want of labour 

 louder and \ more bitter than even iu Ireland and Scot- 

 land. The cry comes, too, not only or chiefly from the 

 employers who desire to introduce the English system of large 

 farms, cultivated as much as possible by horse power and 

 steam power with hired labour, instead of produce-paying 

 {nil layer) tenants, but from the peasant farmers — the 

 owners of little freeholJs, who complain that their sons 

 will no longer obey them or stay with them, A 

 most extraordinary correspondence on this asserted evil has 

 found a place in the two last numbers of that eminent French 

 periodical, the Journal d' Agriculture Pratique. One corre. 

 spondent goes so far as to suggest that laws should be enacted 

 for keeping full-grown sons at home, and making them obey 

 their father and grandfather. These complaining peasant- 

 proprietors live in their own houses, ou the produce of their 

 own freeholds. No laws of eutail or primogeniture, on 

 "grinding, land-grasping landlord" — none, in fact, of the stock 

 landlord-legislation crimes of the Manchester orator stand 

 between the cultivators and perfect happiness. And these 

 protests against the disobedience and migration of sods from 

 the paternal dwelling or native village are published soon 

 after that singular account of the depopulation of large 

 agricultural districts of France given in a cotemporary 

 agricultural journal, as an answer to explanation of adver- 

 tisements inviting English farmers to lease or purchase vast 

 tracts of unoccupied land in the Empire of Equality f It 

 seems, if we are to believe what we read in French journals, 

 that this depopulation of the agricultural districts, and influx 

 to towns, is going on at so rapid a rate, that the employers of 

 labour are reduced to the delusions of despair. For instance, 

 they write essays for the benefit of ploughboys and ox-drivers, 

 showing the superior health and happiness of a country life — 

 a great waste of ink and paper, according to our experience 

 in England, in Ireland, and in Australia, where eloquent 

 speeches and leadiug articles against emigration, and against 

 departure from shepherding to the gold-fields, were profusely 

 expended, without the slightest effect. We none of us 

 pay much attention to advice which seems chiefly prompted 



by the self-interest of the adviser. Who ever persuaded a 

 school-boy that holidays were baneful, or mince-pies unwhole- 

 some ? 



Iu Ireland it is the attractions of America and Australia* 

 the pressing invitatious accompanied by solid reasons iu the 

 shape of bank post orders, that tempt the peasantry away 

 from rising wages. Iu England and Scotland it is the easy 

 conveyance, and the rapid communication of knowledge more 

 or less useful, that seduces the strongest and clevereat labourers 

 to leave our manufacturing employments ; and nothing but 

 stronger counter-atttactious will retain them. But we feel 

 confident that iu England these attractions will be found. It 

 is nearly ninety years since Arthur Young, so sagacious on 

 most subjects, said without effect all that is to be said against 

 the migration of countrymen resorting to town. It makes us 

 Smile to read that 



" Givin? the power of expeditiously travelling depopulates the 

 kingdom. When a stage-coach was four or tive days creeping a 

 hundred miles, the fare and, expenses ran high ; but now a young 

 fellow jumps on to .1 coach-box, and for eight or ten shillings 

 gets to town by night. The numbers who have seen London arc 

 increased ten-fold : of course ten times the boasts are sounded 

 in the ears of country fools. Formerly the siuall-pox hung in 

 tcrroreiii, and frightened millions at the idea of London. In a 

 year or two there will not be a lout in the country who has not 

 been inoculated, from which moment all bars are removed, and 

 he flies to London." 



And in another place Arthur Young proposes to 



" Finish (he enlargement of the capital, the over-grown s'tzf. of 

 which is pernicious to population; to lay a tax on all servants 

 iiept in London; to retain tax on coals in London, and repeal it 

 elsewhere, as well as the taxes on salt, candles, soap, leather, 

 beer, and tea, and replacin;.; the last bi/ an excise on the houses 

 where it is drnnk." " This excise tax," he says, "should be 

 aimed at the poor ; for unless tea-drinking is put an end to, no 

 great plenty of necessaries can arise." 



The taxes Arthur Young condemned have all been repealed 

 except that on tea, which yields in duties and trade more 

 money and trade profits than all the rest. In other most im- 

 portant iastances the advice of this great and wise man has 

 been followed. Ireland has been " united to England." 

 " New poor laws" have been passed. Tithes have been 

 " commuted," and with the best effects. But although com- 

 pulsory vaccination has replaced optional inoculation, and the 

 swift, easy, cheap travelling of railroads has swept away 

 the coaches he condemned, London has not only increased 

 fourfold in extent, but become the market where most kinds 

 of food and clothing may be purchased more cheaply. It is 

 not the competition of London that our employers of agri- 

 cultural labour fear, but of those steam-driven manufacturing 

 districts, the best customers for agricultural produce, which 

 have started into importance, since Arthur l^oang advised 

 and prophesied. 



One of the panaceas from time to time propounded, for re- 

 straining agricultural labourers from migration is the crea- 

 tion of small farms, whereon young labourers are to be bred. 

 The proposition assumes various shapes, according to the 

 views and education of the speaker. In England, since the 

 ruin of the occupiers of Feargus O'Connor's " Freehold Land" 

 farms, it is seldom heard of, except in one of Mr. Bright'a 

 speeches, when he desires to make a town audience believe 

 that the laws of primogeniture and entail debar mechanics and 

 factory hands from advantageous investments and pleasant 



