198 LAND TENURE 



In saying this I do not forget that there are many among that 

 Party who have agricultural interests, and many others who view 

 the industry with every feeling of sympathy and friendship ; 

 but neither do I forget that we have recently heard many state- 

 ments as to what the Government are going to do to resuscitate 

 agriculture. Some of these statements have been ill -considered 

 and, I trust, unauthorised. We have been told, for instance, 

 that the Diseases of Animals Act of 1896 will be repealed,* that 

 great and only safeguard to our flocks and herds against disease, 

 and in this connection I cannot too highly commend the states- 

 manlike effort made by the President of the Board of Agriculture, 

 in his recent reply to a deputation, to prevent such a serious 

 question being turned to base Party use. 



We have also been treated to numerous dissertations upon the 

 necessity of a great reform in the laws of land tenure. I have 

 already said that certain amendments of existing Acts are wanted, 

 but they are nothing more than nine -tenths of the landowners are 

 ready to agree to. But if the Government think they will earn 

 the lasting gratitude of tenant farmers by any radical alterations 

 of our present system, they will be grievously disappointed. 



I will venture to offer one word of warning to agriculturists in 

 connection with this question. It occurs to me that some of 

 those who are trying to make so much of the antipathy of the 

 interests of landlords and tenants may have a much deeper object 

 in view than a mere attempt to benefit the latter at the expense 

 of the former, and that is to create a distinct political cleavage 

 between these two classes in order that they may the more easily 

 effect their ulterior aim. I would therefore urge both classes to 

 rather look for those matters in which their interests are identical 

 and to keep their eyes fixed on them. Do not let us weaken our 

 ranks, which are already scattered and weak enough, but refuse 

 to be led aside by questions which will only land us on the rocks 

 of Party indifference and class hatred. 



Among the men successful in the ballot for private members' 

 Bills Avas Mr. T. C. Agar-Robartes (M.P. for St. Austell), and 

 he was prevailed upon to introduce a Land Tenure Bill, which 

 was framed much on the lines of Mr. Lambert's Bill of 1895. 

 This measure got a second reading on 9th March, by 334 to 

 81 votes. On 3rd April the Council devoted the greater part 

 of a meeting to the Bill and suggested numerous amendments. 

 Most of these were embodied while the Bill was in Committee. 

 On 29th May the Council again gave some hours to the Bill 

 as it emerged from Committee, approving it generally, but 

 suggesting further amendments. The Bill, after being con- 



* See page 52. 



