380 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



all the realty, and in no other is the exclusive preference of the 

 first-born, thus consecrated by law, carried to such extreme 

 lengths in family government. It remains to consider whether 

 this unique institution, viewed as a whole, deserves to be still 

 upheld by English statesmen, either by virtue of its intrinsic 

 merits, or by reason of its having become incorporated into our 

 national character ; and, if not, in what manner it may be, proper 

 to modify it by legislative enactment. 



IV 



In approaching this part of the subject we must resolutely 

 put aside two lines of reasoning which have done much to 

 obscure it. The first of these is that which starts from the 

 idea that younger sons have certain natural rights, of which 

 they are deprived by the law and custom of primogeniture. 

 Now, it is impossible to form any definite conception of rights 

 in this sense, except as arising from the personal exertions of 

 those who claim them ; or, at least, from expectations fostered 

 by the law, or the parent, as the case may be. If the Code 

 Napoleon had been introduced into England, and if the existing 

 rule of descent by primogeniture were afterwards substituted 

 for it, the generation of younger sons affected by the change 

 would have good cause for complaint, unless their interests 

 were expressly reserved. Again, if a father had led his children 

 to count upon an equal division of his property, and were then 

 to accumulate all upon the eldest son, a palpable wrong would 

 be done to all the rest. But the supposed grievance of existing 

 younger sons who receive the small fortunes to which they were 

 born and have always looked forward will not bear a moment's 

 investigation. It is in no respect more real than the grievance 

 of those who are born to no fortune at all and look wistfully 

 at the inherited wealth of the richer classes. Indeed, the 

 cadets of territorial families who are disposed to regard them- 

 selves as the victims of injustice may well reflect that, but for 

 the institution of primogeniture, those families might perhaps 

 have little or no territory in their possession, but might long 



