OTHER SCHEMES OF LAND REFORM 279 



tions, assurance societies, etc. — are so vast that to deal 

 with the question in any way except by purchase 

 would cause widespread disaster among almost every 

 class of society. 



There remains the scheme under consideration, that 

 contained in the Purchase of Land Bill, and which is 

 free from all the foregoing objections. There are 

 strong reasons why landlords themselves (unless they 

 are convinced that the present system can be main- 

 tained) should give favourable consideration to pro- 

 posals based on purchase at a fair price. They are 

 an extremely small number compared with the voting 

 population of the kingdom. The owners of the great 

 bulk of the land of Great Britain could be comfort- 

 ably seated in the Albert Hall. In the case of any 

 hostile agrarian movement arising from war, continued 

 depression in trade, or some other calamity, they are, 

 as an institution, too few to be safe. They were in 

 this position during the Corn Law agitation, 1838 to 

 1846. By their policy they had succeeded in getting 

 rid of their natural allies in the form of yeomen, 

 peasant owners, and others with personal interests in 

 the soil. They stood alone and were defeated. 



In reading Cobden's speeches made to agriculturists, 

 it will be noticed that the arguments which he specially 

 used for showing the great benefits "free imports" 

 would confer on agriculture, were nearly all of them 

 based on predictions confidently, and no doubt 

 sincerely, made, but which have never been realized. 

 He spoke, however, so continually in favour of general 

 land reforms in such directions as "entails," "primo- 

 geniture," "game-preserving," "granting leases," etc., 

 that these reforms became associated in the minds of 

 the farmers as part and parcel of the great Free Trade 



