294 STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL chap. 



a productive and practically inexhaustible source of 

 national income, and to bring all these changes about in a 

 gradual and almost imperceptible manner, by the action of 

 a few simple principles embodied in law, so that society 

 may have ample time to adapt itself to the new condi- 

 tions ; while, during the process of adaptation, successive 

 generations may grow up to whom they will bear the 

 aspect of being as natural, as orderly, and as beneficial, as 

 private ownership does to most of the present generation.^ 

 All these essential conditions of a true system of land- 

 reform are embodied in the scheme now briefly explained. 

 Although not really injurious to existing landowners, it is 

 not expected that it will meet with any support from 

 them, since it has not been framed in their exclusive 

 interest, but with a view to the well-being of the entire 

 population. It will, no doubt, be said that the title of 

 this chapter is misleading, since the arguments I have used 

 are equally applicable to England as to Ireland. This is 



^ Although any change of the nature here proposed will no doubt be 

 fiercely opposed by most landowners, and will perhaps not be admitted 

 to discussion in Parliament for many years, yet changes more directly 

 affecting vested interest in land have been made in the present century. 

 Mr. Nassau Senior tells us in the work already referred to [Ireland, p. 8), 

 that — "Until January, 18.34, no person could inherit the freehold 

 property of his lineal descendants. On the death of a person possessed 

 of such property, intestate and without issue, leaving a father or 

 mother, or more remote lineal ancestor, it went over to his collateral 

 relatives. In 1833 this law was totally altered. In such cases the 

 property now goes to the father or mother, or remoter lineal ancestor, 

 in preference to the collaterals. The brothers, uncles, nephews, and 

 cousins, of lunatics, or of minors in such state of health as to be very 

 unlikely to reach the age at which they could make a will had, until 

 the 3rd and 4th Will. IV. cap. 106, was passed, prospects of succession 

 so definite, that in many cases they would have sold for considerable 

 prices. All these interests, though lawful and capable of valuation, 

 have been swept away without compensation. And it was necessary 

 that this should be done ; the old law was obviously inconvenient, 

 and to have attempted to compensate all those who, if the principle 

 of compensation had been admitted, must have been entitled to it, 

 would have involved such an expense as to have rendered the alteration 

 of the law impracticable." This precedent is very valuable, because no 

 such calculable vested interests occur in the present case, while the 

 political and social importance of the change, and its beneficial effects 

 on the bulk of the community, are vastly greater. The discussion, 

 therefore, becomes limited to the question whether the proposed 

 change would be a beneficial one. 



