APPENDIX III. 



AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS BILL. 



Introduced by Mr Channing, Mr Robert Price, Mr 

 Lambert, Mr Luttrell, and Mr Stevenson. 



Memorandum. 



The object of this Bill is to consolidate the laws relating 

 to agricultural holdings in England ; to equitably extend 

 the principles of compensation for improvements adopted 

 in the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1883, in the Allotments 

 and Cottage Gardens Compensation for Crops Act, 1887, 

 and in the Market Gardeners Compensation Act, 1895 ; to 

 remove the defects shown to exist in the Agricultural 

 Holdings Act, 1883, by cases in the courts ; to prevent loss 

 to tenants by capricious eviction ; to abolish the right to 

 distrain for rent ; to simplify and cheapen the present 

 procedure by the appointment of agricultural arbitrators 

 with local jurisdiction to decide all matters in dispute 

 between landlord and tenant, including rent ; and to place 

 landlord and tenant on the same footing as regards making 

 claims. 



The Bill makes compensation payable for all improvements, 

 checks the renting of tenants on their own improvements, 

 provides that the improving tenant shall be fully compensated 

 for the value added to his holding by continuous good 

 farming, and by giving greater freedom both to make 

 improvements and as to cropping and the sale of produce, 

 is intended to give increased inducements to the application 

 of capital and labour to the soil. 



The Agricultural Holdings Act, 1883, the Tenants' 

 Compensation Act, 1890, and the Market Gardeners' Com- 

 pensation Act, 1895, are repealed, and such parts of those 

 Acts as are to be retained, and which have not been modi- 

 fied by subsequent legislation, are re-enacted with amend- 

 ments and additional provisions, the whole constituting a 

 complete code determining the rights of landlords and tenants 

 of agricultural holdings of all sizes at the present time. 



The chief alterations made in the Agricultural Holdings 

 Act 1883, are as follows : — 



