THE ACT OF 1900 191 



1894 on the conditions of tenancies be embodied in a Bill and 

 passed into law forthwith. 



Mr. George Lambert (M.P. for South Molton) introduced 

 a Land Tenure Bill. It was very crudely drafted, but on 

 28th May the Council approved the Bill in so far as it encour- 

 aged good farming. The Bill got a second reading, but pro- 

 ceeded no further. 



1897. 



The report of the second Royal Commission on Agriculture 

 presented its final report in June of this year, and a statement 

 was issued to local Chambers showing in parallel columns the 

 various resolutions passed by the Council and the correspond- 

 ing recommendations made by the Royal Commission. More 

 than half this statement dealt with amendments to the 

 Agricultural Holdings Act. In March, 1898, however, although 

 so many of the Chamber's proposals were endorsed by the 

 Royal Commission, the Council unanimously adopted a resolu- 

 tion stating that they preferred to adhere to their own pro- 

 posals (of 1894) as the minimum which they would be pre- 

 pared to accept. 



Waxing impatient at the delay, the Council passed a resolu - 

 tion in December, 1898, urging the Government to announce 

 in the next Queen's Speech their intention of amending the 

 Act of 1883. It was mentioned at the opening of the session 

 of 1899, and the Council re-appointed its Committee to con- 

 sider the provisions of the Bill when introduced. As it was 

 not brought in, a deputation from the Council waited upon the 

 President of the Board of Agriculture (Mr. Walter Long) 

 on 30th June, who said that he hoped to introduce a Bill 

 next year. 



1900. 



The Government measure was introduced on 12th March, 

 and on 3rd April the Council expressed their approval of 

 several of its provisions, recognising a fair attempt to give 

 -effect to some of the principal recommendations put forward 

 by the Chambers. On the other hand, they pointed out where 

 it failed to satisfy their requirements. On 18th May a special 



