IL] DISTRIBUTION OF LAND IN ENGLAND. 85 



II. 



PROPOSED SYSTEM OF REGISTRATION. 



THERE is another improvement in our land system 

 which is much more urgently required than the 

 amendment of the Law of Primogeniture. I refer 

 to the establishment of Registers of deeds and wills 

 relating to land. 



The efforts of the legislature in this direction have 

 been singularly unsuccessful more unsuccessful, per- 

 haps, than its other attempts to improve the laws 

 relating to land. 



Registers were established in the earlier part of 

 the last century for Yorkshire and Middlesex, and 

 two Acts for introducing a General Register have been 

 passed in the present reign. The earlier attempts 

 produced but slight advantage through doing too 

 little, the later still slighter through endeavouring to 

 do too much. 



It is essential to a good system of registration that 

 an intending purchaser or mortgagee should be able 



