WASTED OPPOMTNITIKS OF V R TIT- (i ROWING. 



967 



small holder gave his labour in return for the use of the fanner's team of 

 horses — and that state of things would prevail also in this country under 

 an extension of the system of small holdings. What he urged was not 

 new legislation. People cried out for new legislation and grumbled about 

 insanitary houses and other things ; but let them put the Acts they had 

 got in force, and they would be found ample to meet such defects. It was 

 not Parliament which was at fault in this matter at least. The Govern- 

 ment could not go beyond the present legislation ; at all events, he did not 

 know what they could do except a few little amendments. It remained 

 only for the county councils to put the Acts in force. That was what they 

 had to apply themselves to. He believed that there was ample room for 

 at least a million families employed, as he had stated, on the land, with 

 honour to the country and for the good of themselves. That meant about 

 5,000,000 persons. He was no alarmist ; he saw a nation rich, luxurious, 

 temporarily prosperous by trade and commerce ; but there was no 

 guarantee for permanency in these things. If he read history, ancient 

 or modern, aright, he did not think a nation could be found whose fighting 

 and resisting power remained unless it was based upon a numerous and 

 contented rural population. 



