CONCLUSION. 241 



its occasional operation by intestacy or disputed 

 right), an exception to the general rule of fair and 

 equitable division ? In the freest of all free countries, 

 where freedom is * the law of the land,' why should 

 not * the land ' itself be free ? Why is it that so few 

 will take the pains to understand the question enough 

 to see that * primogeniture ' is a thing which families 

 may make for themselves if they please, like heir- 

 looms ; but which the Law has no more to do with 

 than with the descent of my Lady's Jewels to the 

 next ' my Lady,' though under the Statute of Distri- 

 bution of the effects of Intestates they would be 

 treated as personalty, and divided accordingly. 



Again and again be it understood, that it is 

 not the compulsory division of land that is ad- 

 vocated ; but simply the application to it of our 

 own existing law applicable to every other form of 

 capital, favouring neither its aggregation nor parti- 

 tion, but leaving it to assume its natural proportions 

 and relation to the wants and habits of society, like 

 any other article in which Industry invests its savings. 

 Wrap yourself in the triple armour of Custom, Pre- 

 judice, or Feudalism, immoveable admirer of primo- 

 geniture-by-Law ; but know that every great and 

 accredited writer on national economics, from Adam 



R 



