370 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



but it was not listened to, because, under a form more or 

 less disguised, it virtually involved a change in property. 

 It was sometimes called tenant's right, sometimes fixity of 

 tenure, and appeared to relate only to matters which con- 

 cerned the landlord and tenant. 



Tenant-right especially might have passed as quite 

 harmless in its effects. It was already practised, not only 

 in Ireland, in the province of Ulster, but in several 

 counties of England; and some agriculturists have con- 

 sidered it as a very equitable and proper concession. The 

 understanding was this, that the outgoing tenant should 

 have a right to compensation from the new tenant for 

 unexhausted improvements, such as manurings, marlings, 

 limings, extra dressings, &c. So far all was correct, at 

 least in appearance ; but the difficulty consisted in agree- 

 ing about the compensation. Nothing is more difficult 

 to estimate than unexhausted improvements ; in Ireland 

 especially, where nobody does improve, whether farmer or 

 proprietor. The real meaning of the term was the right 

 of the outgoing farmer to demand an indemnity for the 

 simple fact of his being turned out, which might be called 

 the right to the lease. The effects of such a principle may 

 be easily conceived. 



Even in a farming point of view, leaving the question 

 of property alone, it is at all events doubtful if the cus- 

 tom of tenant-right would be advantageous. The agri- 

 cultural prosperity of Lincolnshire has been attributed 

 to tenant-right ; but it has been justly remarked, that 

 it exists also in the Weald of Sussex, the most backward 

 part of England, and that this may be considered as 

 one of the causes of its rural poverty. In Scotland, 

 where everything is so well arranged for the interests 

 of farming, the question of tenant-right has been nega- 

 tived. It opens a door to fraud and trickery, and 



