106 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



I admit that primogeniture has something to do with the 

 superiority in wealth of English proprietors, inasmuch as 

 it prevents the forced division of lands ; but the law of 

 entail, which is also put forward as favourable to cultiva- 

 tion, has only bad effects, because it places an obstacle in 

 the way of free disposal of land. It is no doubt hard 

 when a property goes out of the hands of one who has 

 inherited it ; and in France the mobility of property, 

 particularly with the fiscal laws, which press hard upon 

 it at every change, is one of its greatest drawbacks ; 

 but what is grievous is the cause which obliges the pro- 

 prietor to sell, not the sale itself. When a proprietor 

 gets into debt and becomes poor, it is desirable for the 

 common good that his property should pass as soon as 

 possible into other hands ; it will never otherwise do 

 any good. In this case, the French law, which places few 

 obstacles in the way of sale, is preferable to the English. 



As to successions, it is different. The compulsory 

 division of landed property is a real evil, and the time is 

 coming, I hope, when an economical spirit will correct 

 the abuse of the system. The English, on their part, will 

 probably be induced, as rural wealth increases, to do 

 away with entails ; practically they have already greatly 

 mitigated their bad effects ; and it is noways impossible 

 for them to get free of them altogether, if they really desire 

 it.* Such as they are, the advantages and defects of the 

 two legislations are pretty equally balanced ; the source 

 of the superiority of the English system, however real, is 

 not very obvious. The chief cause of agricultural pro- 

 gress does not lie here. 



This question was worthy of being put in its true light ; 



* The English law allows an entail only for the benefit of one or more persons 

 living, and one unborn ; when the latter attains majority, the entail ceases, unless 

 it be renewed. 



