British Agriculture. 
319 = 5.3 
If he were enabled to sell 
a residential price of lOOZ. an 
stance, and in the neighbourhood of some of our great centres settled estates 
population, there are large tracts of comparatively infertile woi'<^ I'e ^^ry 
d, let at low rents as farms, and yielding little satisfactory " 
turn to anybody connected with them. Cases may be met with 
here the limited owner, who has inherited such a property from 
succession of men in a similar position of legal incapacity, finds 
iself, in the midst of general progress, constrained to keep 
haps half-a-dozen parishes in a state almost of stagnation, 
e country itself is most likely well-timbered and very pic- 
"sque, with easy railway access to the metropolis or town, and 
ghly suitable for residential occupation. He could sell it readily, 
he had the power, in small properties for that purpose, retain- 
g still an important family estate. It would not be difficult 
point out cases in which this might be done with immense 
vantage to the landowner, the neighbourhood, and the public, 
ke, for example, a limited owner of 10,000 acres of such land, 
elding a gross rent of 10,000/. 
00 acres, which might fetch 
re, or 200,000/., retaining his family seat and 8000 acres : 
1 rental would then be 8000/., plus the interest at 4 per 
t. of 200,000/. = 8000/. These sums together would make an 
come of 16,000/., or 60 per cent, more than he had before, 
would thus at once find himself in funds and in spirits to 
on with the improvement of the remainder of his estate, 
ile the neighbourhood would have the advantage of a circu- 
ion of fresh capital and ideas, to brighten a scene formerly 
dered gloomy by dissatisfied indifference. Landowners who 
precluded by entail or settlement from using this natural 
vantage of their position, are deprived of an incalculable 
efit to themselves and their families. 
To a certain extent this has already been discovered, and there Settlements 
probably no settlements of land now made without consider- ^hould be 
e powers of sale. The principle is recognised, and may with il^es'^j^ teinc 
at benefit be extended and made general. Settlements of 
d to a limited extent, like settlements of any other kind of 
party, are likely to continue. I desire to avoid any dis- 
'sion at present of their advantage, or otherwise, as a question 
olity, but am anxious to see them, at least, limited to lives in 
ng, with large powers of sale, so as not to hamper in the 
llest degree the most beneficial disposition of the land. This, 
;h an improved system of land transfer, long promised and 
ciously hoped for by men of all parties, will render the country 
5 dependent on palliative measures, such as the Land I mpro ve- 
nt Acts. But these have proved, and continue to be found, of 
^ispensable service, as, without them, the improvement of land 
ild still be impossible over a large portion of this kingdom. 
'OL. xrv.— s. S. 2 A 
