THE ACT OF 1883 183 



in the session a Select Committee was appointed by the House 

 of Commons " to consider the whole subject of the law of 

 distress, especially as regards agricultural landlords and 

 tenants." This Committee reported in favour of amend- 

 ments in the law similar to those suggested by the Council 

 last year, as well as recommending other improvements in 

 procedure. A report from the Parliamentary Committee, 

 on the Select Committee's report, was received by the Council 

 in November without comment. 



Four Bills on Agricultural Tenants' Compensation were 

 introduced into the House of Commons by Mr. Chaplin, Sir 

 Thomas Acland, Mr. Howard, and Mr. Staveley-Hill. The 

 two former were read a second time on 5th July and referred 

 to a Select Committee ; but it was too late in the session for 

 the Committee to fully consider them. They did, however, 

 decide that Mr. Chaplin's Bill formed the best basis for legis- 

 lation. 



1888. 



In February the Council requested that legislation should 

 be proceeded with on the subject of compensation to tenants. 

 This was complied with, and the Queen's Speech announced 

 a proposal to this effect. The Agricultural Holdings (England) 

 Bill was introduced by the Government, but not until the 

 session was half over. To enable the Council to properly 

 discuss this measure they devoted the 5th June to it and then 

 adjourned it to a special meeting on 19th June. Four other 

 Bills dealing with -the same question had been introduced 

 earlier in the session by members of the Central Chamber, 

 viz., Mr. Chaplin, Mr. Heneage, Mr. Staveley-Hill, and Lord 

 Vernon. 



A general approval was accorded to the Government's 

 Bill as a whole, but in taking the measure clause by clause 

 very considerable diversity of opinion was expressed, and a 

 number of amendments were ultimately suggested. As the 

 Act reached the statute book it was considered a great improve- 

 ment on the Act of 1875, as there could be no contracting out 

 of the new measure. The schedules which defined the improve- 



