LECTURE VI 

 THE ENGLISH TENANCY SYSTEM 



The present lecture is devoted to a description of the 

 tenancy law of England by way of introduction to a con- 

 sideration of the principles on which the tenancy laws of 

 the United Provinces might be re-modelled. The English 

 system is particularly worthy of attention, because the land- 

 lord and tenant system has been in operation there for a 

 very long period under an improved system of agriculture, 

 and the present law and practice is the result of an 

 accumulation of very lengthy experience, both in estate 

 management and in legislation for the protection of: tenants. 

 A long series of Acts for securing compensation to tenants 

 for improvements and regulating ejectment were consolidated 

 and amended in the Agricultural Holdings Act of 1908. 

 Before this can be fully understood, however, it is necessary 

 to be acquainted with the usual terms of the tenancy agree- 

 ments. The interesting points about these are : 



(1) That the landlord lets a farm for cultivation only 

 in accordance with an approved system of cultivation, and 

 rights over all timber and to dig for clay or sand or stone 

 are reserved to the landlord, with power of entry for 

 removal, but to pay compensation for damage done to 

 tenants* cultivation. 



(2) The tenancy is for one year certain commencing 

 25th March and continuing from year to year until deter- 

 mined by one year's notice to quit which must expire on the 

 25th of March. 



