CORN LAWS LEASES. 333 



of his property, in the management of his tenant, and in the 

 welfare of every being residing on the soil. A worthless 

 character, or bad farmer, would be got rid of, and the farm of 

 a tyrannical or illiberal landlord soon abandoned. In short 

 it would be in the option of the parties to separate at short 

 periods, which would prevent jarring, and a community of 

 interests would ensure the progressive productiveness of the 

 farm. The idea of a copartnership of every individual 

 engaged in cultivating the soil, would, in some measure, be 

 realized, and good feeling maintained amongst them. In 

 some parts of England where annual leases prevail, I have 

 witnessed as good farming as I ever saw in Scotland, and 

 perfect harmony existed between landlords and tenants, and 

 the latter seemed to enjoy more of the comforts and luxuries 

 of life than Scottish farmers. However advantageous leases 

 may have proved in former times, when the tenantry were 

 bowed down by oppression and poverty, their effects, of late 

 years, when competition for renting land has been so great, 

 and the value of farm produce retrograding, have been injuri 

 ous to the tenantry and the advancement of agriculture. 

 The terms of lease seem only calculated for progressive prices 

 of farm produce, and have proved ruinous during declining 

 ones. It would be easy to remedy the defects of the present 

 lease, but, under existing circumstances, visionary to expect 

 their removal. 



On the termination of a lease the farm is generally adver 

 tised to be let by receiving written offers on a mentioned day. 

 The landlord and his agent knowing little about its value, a 

 tenant is accepted after every attempt has been made to obtain 

 rent above the written offers, by operating on the feelings and 

 local attachments of the former tenant, which seldom fail to 

 ripen during a lease. From all parts of the country candi 

 dates of different descriptions appear. Men of sanguine 

 temperament, without calculation, unacquainted with the 

 peculiarities of the district, and looking forward to the prices 

 of produce returning to what they were upwards of twenty 

 years ago. Adventurers, trusting to get a reduction of rent 

 after obtaining possession, and reckless of the consequence 

 of the step they have taken, having perhaps little capital to 



