THE LA W OF SETTLEMENT OF LAND. 279 



made. To make such evidence worth anything, the 

 cases need to be carried much farther. There are too 

 many other causes in operation besides the fact of the 

 land being in settlement or not, that might have pro- 

 duced the result — many would say, that did produce 

 the result. For instance, in this matter of building 

 cottages, that so much stress is laid on, with the former 

 system of pauper settlement still felt to operate 

 practically, and the fact that cottages will not pay the 

 interest on their cost, both telling as strongly on the 

 owners of estates in fee as on settled estates, and both 

 very influential, it is disingenuous to lay the blame 

 on some other cause, and say nothing about these. 

 Though the majority of estates may be in strict 

 settlement, there are also a large number of estates 

 held in fee. It is a question of easy inquiry, and 

 quite capable of proof, whether the estates in settle- 

 ment or those held in fee in the kingdom, or in given 

 portions of the kingdom, are in the best condition as 

 to landlords' improvements, cottages, etc. But there 

 is a third class of estates, inquiry into which would 

 be stOl more instructive, and which, I believe, are 

 very numerous, — those, namely, the bullv of which are 

 in settlement, but of which appreciable portions (one- 

 fourth or one-fifth, perhaps), from one cause or other, 

 as purchase, etc., are held in fee by the tenant for 

 life of the rest. My own property being thus circum- 

 stanced, I am the better able to speak of this class. 

 Such estates are very favourable examples : — 1. The 



