12 



who above all living men has a right to be regarded as the greatest 

 benefactor to all classes connected with agriculture ? By this 

 Act the presumption of law with regard to improvements in land 

 was changed in favour of the tenant-farmer. I am aware that 

 it has been denounced by our political opponents as " a sham," 

 because of the clause in the Act which enables the landlord or 

 tenant to make an agreement with special conditions which they 

 may consider likely to suit their respective circumstances better 

 than the more general conditions contained in the Act. Let me 

 ask you what great and successful measure of legislation was ever 

 carried in the first instance in a compulsory form, and let me 

 further ask my friend Sir Wilfrid Lawson and his followers wherein 

 is the great difference between local option in liquor and local 

 option in agriculture ? From my own personal knowledge, 

 however, I can assure you that this Act— inoperative as our 

 opponents would lead us to believe it to be — has done an immense 

 deal of good to the farming interest of this country, by suggest- 

 ing to the minds of intelligent and right-minded landlords and land 

 agents the justice and desirability of incorporating conditions in 

 their agreements giving security to their tenants in terms more or 

 less in accordance with those of the Act. It is quite possible that the 

 day may arrive when it will be advisable to make this Act compulsory, 

 and I, for one, should be the last to object to such a course. It should, 

 however, continually be borne in mind that a Conservative Govern- 

 ment were the progenitors of the scheme, and that though at the 

 time the Act was passed (mainly by the instrumentality of the 

 Duke of Kichmond), it would have been highly impolitic, nay, 

 utterly impracticable, to make such a measure compulsory on either 

 landlord or tenant ; yet I think I may say that the minds of both 

 these classes have been educated to see the advantages conferred 

 by the Act. In some cases, perhaps, the Act will be unnecessary, 

 on account of the liberal agreements already in force ; but in others — 

 I speak of those in which the tenants are not so favourably situated 

 — it will be highly acceptable and beneficial. One more subject 

 permit me to allude to, as an undoubted benefit conferred upon the 

 agricultural interest by the Conservative Government, and that is 

 the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act of 1878, better known as 



THE CATTLE BILL. 



It would, indeed, be a case of gross omission if I neglected referring 

 to this matter in this particular district, for, important though it be, 

 it was not carried without the greatest difficulty, and with the most 

 appalling sacrifice — a sacrifice to you, a sacrifice to me, and a sacrifice 

 to the nation at large, and that is the sacrifice of the valued life of 

 our dear friend Mr. Tom Booth. Gentlemen, if any memorial were de- 

 sired to his memory, none of a more permanent character could be 

 ^erected than the successful issue of this important piece of legisla- 



