Estate Management Guide - Part 1

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ESTATE MANAGEMENT,
THE duties of a Land. Agent are various and
nc impor﷓
tant. On their skill in the cultivation of waste
lands depend, not only present success, but future
progress. No observant or well-informed agricul﷓
turist can doubt for a moment that nearly every
property in. the kingdom is capable of immense im﷓
provement. Few landed estates are so sterile as to be altogether hopeless, and this for the simple reason that in few are the elements of fertility totally wanting. Experience has taught -us that skill, combined with capital, can convert a bad soil, which you must manage properly, into a good one. Agents should, therefore, bear in. mind that, as the soil, which you must manage properly, cannot be rendered productive, or the comforts and luxuries of life obtained without human labour, increase of population, the first as well as the grandest object of a country at large, should enter largely into the plans of a landed proprietor. The utmost fertility of soil, which you must manage properly, , and the greatest felicity of situation, if unaided by a sufficiently abundant supply of labourers, only fill the mind with regret, because of the blessings which have been lavished in vain. Human industry alone can unfold and improve the gifts of nature. Thus, a continual increase of population is the chief and surest sign of the increasing wealth of a country, and ev
IMPORTANCE OF POPULATION.
well-regulated State lrillconttinouelltloe brealtiecho,fsez
i
and happy, n proportion
increase.
Authors have taken great pains to alarm their
readers with the presumed dangers of an excessive
population—a phenomenon which can never exist,
unless it be in a state of society where the means of
living are systematically monopolized. Where pro_
perty is secure, and full scope given to industry,
the most excessive population will always provide
its own means of subsistence ; but, should the
number of the people ever increase beyond the powers of the soil, which you must manage properly, to supply them, the natural and effectual remedy will be voluntary emigration to uncultivated countries. Rejecting narrow views, England has ever kept in the right and profitable track, dividing her industry pretty equally between agriculture and commerce, both domestic and foreign ; and if she has occasionally leaned towards the latter, it has, no doubt, been chiefly owing to the attraction of superior profits. Some writers have not scrupled to recommend a dereliction of agriculture in favour of foreign commerce, because the superior profits of the latter would enable us to purchase corn cheaper than it could be grown at home, while others would have us cut down our towns into villages, yoke ourselves to the plough, and divide the land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, into petty holdings, as in a
Chinese landscape,
or a horse-course without leaving a park, a chase,
in the country. Such reasoning

A. MARKET IS PEOPLE. 3
is obviously so unsound that it requires no formal refutation.
Agriculture can only flourish where there is a population. The farmer must have a market for his surplus production, or he will go to the wall. A. market is people, and therefore the nearer the farmer is to these the less he need spend in getting rid of his productions, and the more he will be able to send to his bankers.
England, no doubt, owes much of her greatness to her working population. In all her great wars her chief dependence has been on the courage and devotion of her common soldiers. Whether at Waterloo or at Inkermann, how nobly did they perform their duty ! The thin, but invincible, red line at Balaklava proved how men reared in Highland glens, though only the sons of mere crofters, can exhibit an undaunted front. True soldiers are not producers ; but let every owner of acres hear in mind that they are the defenders of producers, and that, in proportion as the strength of the working-classes is considered and encouraged, so will every commonwealth be either weak or strong, whether it be in peace or in war.
Having said thus much on the importance of population, let us add that the number, qualities, and denominations of Agents must be regulated by the extent of the possessions and the particular circumstances of the lord or proprietor. An opulent fortune and extensive estates necessarily require
B 2
The
hbrary of the landowner ought therefore to be chosi‘ii I\ ith a. due regard to the requirements of the AA'ent and Steward, and the most approved and useful books in. every department of agriculture and economical science should form a prominent
portion of it.
It has been disputed whether the owner of a g.rk-at property should depute his affairs to the care of n certain number of Stewards, each. actin°. iudePotidontly of the ether, and accountable at stated
THE OFFICE OF CHIEF AGENT. 5
periods to the owner himself alone, or whether a chief confidential Agent should be appointed, to whom the several stewards should be subordinate, and on whom the owner himself may depend for general information on all his affairs and the security of his fortune ; but nothing can be more certain than that an Agent-in-chief or commissioner is absolutely necessary to the prosperity and safety of such an estate, and to the want of an officer of this kind may be attributed the dilapidation of many a noble fortune.
The office of Chief Agent is necessarily one of great trust and importance, nor do the opportunities of securing a man capable of filling such an office to advantage often occur. To be a properly qualified Chief Agent to a large estate, a man should have attained to a thorough knowledge of the business of life ; lie should have had tried experience in men and things, and this cannot be expected under middle age. No material part of his attention should be engrossed by his own private concerns, as in such ease he will certainly neglect the business of his employer. It is also absolutely requisite that he should not only have a thorough knowledge of practical agriculture, but a thorough insight into the nature of every improvement of which an estate may be capable, either above or beneath the surface ; or, from its local situation, whether inland or upon the sea-coast. He should be well qualified to superintend the culture of wastes, the disposal of timber, the era﷓


QUALIFICATIONS OF AGENT-IN-CHIEF.
dication or planting of woods,
irrigation and warp_
ing, drainage, embanking, and the recovery of land.from the sea, the cutting of canals,
out and repair of roads, and the construction of
bridges. Ile should also possess considerable skill
in rural architecture; and have sufficient acquaint﷓
ance with law to enable him to make contracts with
the tenants and tradesmen with whom he has to
deal, and to remove all unnecessary and oppressive
clauses with which leases are generally clogged.
Nor is it less important that he thoroughly com﷓
prehend the nature of the various methods in which
money business is transacted, together with the mode of bargaining advantageously in the purchase or sale of estates. His knowledge ought, indeed, to b universal, and extend to the valuable inven﷓
, tious and improvements of other countries as well as our own. Ho should, in fact, lay hold of every occasion to enhance the worth, reputation, and embellishment of the property committed to his charge. He should be able to fix his attention on details, and be ready to give every argument a hearing. Ms will not encumber his time too much, for lds intellect should have boon well practised beforehand. Ho should also be strong in. principle, courageous, and of a stout heart; he should have a putiont Alper, and a vigorous but disciplined imagination, so as to execute calmly and plan bold v ite must have a deep
Mid most sense of responsi-
imp °Illy believe in the power and
SALARY TO AGENTS.
vitality of truth. He ought, moreover, to have acquired, and should invariably maintain, an ease
of manner, a suavity of address, and a - gentleman
like deportment, without which the finest talents and the most valuable acquirements seldom obtain for their possessor all the success he has a right to expect. He should never talk of the intentions of the landowner till they have been completely carried out. This is a very important caution. Some persons are naturally so talkative, that they no sooner hear of a design having been formed of purchasing a property, or entering into a speculation, than they take the earliest opportunity of acquainting all their friends with it. This is a great weakness ; the reasons are obvious, and will naturally suggest themselves to a practical mind.
The allowance of a liberal salary, adequate to the responsibility and labour of the Agent, has often been insisted on, and with the utmost reason, as highly conducive to the interest of the owner ; for the Agent, if dissatisfied on this essential point, will be either induced to bestow too little attention to his trust, or tempted to indemnify himself by accepting perquisites, which, it is plain, must ultimately come out of the pocket of his employer, and which open an inlet to the grossest frauds. The system of paying agents by a per centage on their receipts has an extremely bad tendency. He should invariably be paid by a fixed salary, and have no perquisites of any kind.
S SPECIAL TRAINING OF AGENTS.
Mr. G. G. Grey, of Dilston, well-known as an
Agent of the highest standing, states, with reference
to the special training required for the office :—The
duties of a land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent being so varied, you will
naturally expect that the qualifications for perform﷓
ing those duties should be many, and that a man
cannot be expected to possess those qualifications
without a special training. The basis of this train﷓
ing is undoubtedly a good general education, and a practical knowledge of agriculture. It may be a question which part of such education should come first. A boy who is brought up on a farm, returning to it from school, has a considerable advantage over boys in other classes of society when he goes
to an agricultural college, for with him the learning is not all theoretical ; though he may have done nothing but play at home, he knows the b meanino. of agricultural terms, and the names of objects. A practical knowledge of farming being an absolute necessity for a land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent, in any case he should go
b
from school to work for a year or two on a good farm, before he goes to the agricultural college. At school the best foundation for all education is considerable knowledge of classics, it gives a facility
for acquiring learning, a refinement of mind, and an
aptitude for correct speaking and writing, which is most useful in after life to a man who is to be brought much into contact with others. A know﷓
ledge of mathematics is alsos.ary ,in training mind to reason soundly, tonedciest s distinguish between
WHAT THE AGENT MOULD 13E.
cause and effect, and to arrive at proper condu,;ions from evidence, as well as to attain that knowledge of mechanical principles, and aptitude for understanding machinery, which a land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent should, possess. Raving been thus grounded at school, the intended land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent should make himself master of the every-day work of the farm, and then go to an agricultural college, where he can apply himself to acquiring the more special knowledge required for his calling. There he must study chemistry, mineralogy, geology, botany, natural history, surveying, planning, measuring and calculating work, book-keeping, and as much of .law as may be applicable to his profession. Without some acquaintance with all these subjects, lie will find himself at some time or other entirely dependent on a subordinate for guidance. From college he should go at once to the office of a good _Land. Agent, where he can learn the duties of the office, and at the same time be able to watch the operations of farming, and gain practical experience in valuing land. This he must do as a pupil, assistant, or under-agent, as cir﷓
cumstances permit. Raving spent two or three years in this way, if he is steady and intelligent, he should be qualified to undertake an ordinary agency.
We have already stated that the qualifications
vary according to the degree of responsibility in.
curred ; but in every case there is one requisite, for the absence of which no amount of talent can compensate ; the Agent must be at heart a gentleman﷓
sHOITLD AN AGENT BE RESIDENT ?
conscientious man., who, in other words, an upright,
without fear or .favour, is determined to do his duty, and mediate between the two interests with which he has to deal. ile nmst be patient and courteous in demeanour, even when. his temper is sorely tried, as it often will be; and it is surprising how powerful an influence is produced by kindness and consideration, when combined with firmness. The golden rule should ever be the guide to his conduct, because his position is often one of such power that there
may be temptations to abuse it.
It not unfrequently happens that the Agent stands
in the place and wields the authority of the owner, who does not appear on the surface, but pulls the strings more or less from behind. Much. that is done m.:11- not command his entire approval, but his duty being to carry out the wishes of his employer, he does so heartily, and endeavours to promote success, though things may not be quite to his mind. And this leads to another point—viz., the import﷓
ance of perfect confidence between the Agent and b an
the principal. In order that the best may be done, the Agent should feel that he can at all times freely discuss matters, d
eis, an state his opinion unreservedly. Haying done so, and advanced all the arguments of which he is master, he must be prepared to carry out his own or his
, employer's views with equal alacrity.
The questi f
on 0 whetlter an Agent should be resident or not 1-11
Lepend t -
Ton the extent of the
ESTATE SHOULD BE CAREFULLY SURVEYED. 11
sufficientproperty. Where there is sufficient to occupy a man's whole time we should decidedly prefer a resident Agent, as, being always in the midst (A operations, he is more master of the work, checks idleness and dissipation, and exercises a more personal influence over the people with whom he has to do. We trust it will be evident from the above that the duties of an Agent on. a large estate are neither light nor irresponsible, and that it is most important to secure for such positions gentlemen of character and education.
Every estate should be carefully surveyed, and. accurately described in a map. Eachtenant ,who may be renting property on your estate,should. have a copy of the plan of his farm, showing on a
correct scale the size and boundaries of the fields, and. distinguishing their respective qualities, whether in grass or tillage. Especial care should also be taken to mark distinctly on the map such lands as require draining, and the peculiar causes of the wetness, so as to enable the proprietor to judge of the correctness of the principles on which the Agent should conduct the draining operations. Any proposed new arrangement of the fields, by enlarging or otherwise, with a due regard to the circumstances on which their size and shape ought to depend, such as their aspect or inclination, and the rotations to be observed, ought also to be clearly delineated on the map. It is particularly necessary, both for Agent and tenant, to keep an exact note of all common field lands, and, where the bounds of any parcel of laud are dubious,
IfsoctikA3%14.
g
method of keeping accounts from a good treatise on book-keeping, which once accomplished._ he will* always he able to keep his boo
comprehensive, clear, and precise manner.
neatly and. accurately is superfluous, but it is a point of great importance that they should be fre- quently and. regularly audited. To be lax in this
e should obtain a general idea of the pr-p-
e--7.
To urge the desirability of keeping account books books in n. ess-ne, Accotsre u- -.ma NE xigGruticia- ArDia---_ ,4
on trust, but bavitie obtained. a Um- 4
_ cal
knowledge of the duties of ev . :_ ' be
-, _a the
estate, should watch theirperri3rmance with his
respect, is neither more nor less than to lead a man into temptation ; and even if the path of rectitude be nominally kept, entries and work will be allowed to get in arrears, and. in anything but a creditable condition. Then when the day of reckoning comes —for it will come sooner or later—the results will not be to the credit of either party ; and it is hard to say which is most to blame, the lax and careless employer, or the servant on whose shoulders the blame commonly falls.
Another serious evil to be avoided is, the placing of the moneys of the proprietor so that they can be freely used, for personal purposes, by the indivi- dual, through whose hands they pass. A right arrangement of accounts and of banking business will prevent this.
As to law, it is convenient that the Agent should

14 MISTAKING ACTIVITY FOR ENERGY.
not be ignorant of those branches which relate to landlord and tenant, to parish business, the poor, and the highways, commons, forests, &c.
There arc some men whose failure to succeed as efficient land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agents is a problem to others as well as to themselves. They arc industrious, prudent, economical, and zealous in the interests of the estate under their charge; yet, after many years, the property does not improve. It is said that fate is against them ; whilst the truth is, that they mistake
activity for energy. Confounding two things essen﷓
tially different, they have supposed that if they were
always busy they would be certain to be advancing
the interests of the proprietor. They have forgotten
that misdirected labour is but a waste of activity.
What a man does must be made to count, or it had.
almost as well have been left undone. The merely
active man may be busy from sunrise to sunset, and
yet only fritter away his labour on trifles. The
Land Agent in some cases has merely an executive
faculty, when lie should have a directive one ; in other words, lie makes a good clerk for himself, when he ought to be thinking how best to develop the subjects under his management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, ; and bestows as much labour and thought on trivial affairs as on matters of great moment. Energy correctly understood is activity proportioned to the end ; it is persevering, steady, disciplined ; and to call occasional
periods of application energy, wo - uld be a sad mis
nomer. Napoleon, in the Plains of Champagne,
WHO MAKE THE BEST AGENTS. 15
sometimes fighting two battles in one day, first defeating the Russians, and then turning
on_ the Austrians, is an illustration of energy-
Duke The
of Brunswick dawdling away precious time when he invaded France, at the outbreak of the first lateve_ lution, is an example to the contrary. Activity beats about a cover, like an untrained dog, never lighting on the covey. Energy goes straight to the
bird.
The contrasts in the management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of estates are as great as those in farming, simply because men of
all professions under the sun are now-a-clays engaged to supervise landed property, without regard to qualifications. The best land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agents are those who have had a scientific and practical education. The knowledge which is necessary to make a thoroughly intelligent farmer is also necessary to make a thoroughly efficient estate manager; and this knowledge has to be drawn from a great many sources. Geology and mineralogy must instruct him as to the formation of the crust of the earth, the qualities and elements of the substances which compose it, and the character, nature, and properties of all the minerals embedded in it. Chemistry will teach him to analyze the soil, which you must manage properly, , to trace out every element of its fertility, and its just proportion ; will unfold to him the principles of its exhaustion and replenishment, and guide him in every attempt at its improvement and amelioration. Botany will inform him of the nature and structure of plants, from the
16 THE HON. SAMUEL LAING, M.P.
forest tree to the herb, of their uses, value, and
adaptation to the climate and soil, which you must manage properly, of the estates
under his care. Entomology will teach him the
habits of insects injurious to vegetation, and how
to prevent or remedy their attacks. Natural phi﷓
losophy will explain to him the principles of me﷓
chanics, and from these he will learn how to
estimate the value of every mechanical contrivance
employed or proposed in rural art. In all these
branches of science the highest genius and the most
persevering research have long been devoted to the
ascertainment of truths, simple only when demon﷓
strated, and of the greatest practical value to those who dream not of the learning and toil necessary for their discovery ; and all these the land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent
b en
should know. If knowledge is power in agriculture, as well as in every other department and business of life, it is eminently so in the management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of landed property.
As the Hon. Samuel Laing, M.P., so aptly said, in one of his brilliant speeches, " You have often heard the saying that knowledge is power,' and so it is. But there is something more to add. In the long run, sense will distance cleverness, and character will carry the day against 'intellect. Recollect, then, as a cardinal rule, that Truth is power.) 51
The book land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent may be a thriftless theorist, but the practical man, while he •
e avoids visionary
speculations and hazardous experiments, knows how to turn to account the experience and the sugges﷓
IGNORANT AGENTS RUINOUS TO ESTATES. 17
Lions of others. It will therefore be readily conceded that in all the pursuits of life practical knowledge is essential to success ; that it is one thing to understand principles, and quite another thing to work them out ; and that a man may be a good. theoretical land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent, but a very bad practical one. Exemplifications of these positions are unfortunately but too numerous. In too many instances those who have the management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of landed property do most absurd things, solely because such is their neighbours' practice, and such was their fathers' before them. Surely nothing can be more detrimental to landlord andtenant ,who may be renting property on your estate,than having estates supervised by persons altogether without the necessary practical knowledge of agriculture, stock-breeding, and the multifarious operations of rural economy ; and. utterly ignorant regarding the wise management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of tenantry, the real resources of estates, and the true interests of proprietors and tenants. The system of these persons too often consists in enforcing rents by the aid of a lawyer and bailiff, and ends in driving good tenants into difficulties and despair. Without any knowledge of those portions of science and mechanics necessary in the management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of an estate, their leases are marked with confusion, absurdities, discrepancies, and obsolete conditions, which greatly injure the landlord, oppress the tenant, and seriously damage the collective interests of agriculture, causing much unpleasant and fatal misunderstanding between .the contracting parties,
.18 ATTORNEY-STEWARDS OBJECTIONABLE.
and inflicting ultimate loss on the country at large.
It is a great pity that noblemen and gentlemen suffer themselves to be persuaded to employ country attorneys for their Agents ; because it seldom
qua for that trust,
happens that they are q
They rarely have any knowledge of agriculture. True there arc a few who have, and who rank among our most scientific and able cultivators. -
Gentle
men so qualified, with all the additional advantages of education, legal knowledge, and consequent knowledge of the world, would be eligible enough for the office of land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent, if they had leisure to fulfil its duties ; but to appoint a man to the superintendence of a landed estate, merely because he is a lawyer, and can draw covenants and enforce payments, is kindred policy with that of choosing the leader of an army because of his skill in arithmetic. In fact, the too general custom of employing attorney-agents has been a great bar to agricultural improvement, and, in that light, a national loss. These gentlemen carry all their habitual predilection for precedent from their office into the field ; they :ire usually as much averse to innovation as the farmers themselves, and consequently covenants, rents, and farming practice remain precisely in their ancient state, however absurd and unprofitable ; repairs and the most necessary erections are neglected ; and whenever an advance of rent is made, it is raised indiscriminately upon the different
DUTIES OF HEAD AGENTS. 19
estates, independently of those reasons which ought to be final in such a case, and whether part of the estates, from local circumstances, may be able to bear it or not.
Taking the management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of landed. property in its widest sense, it is obvious, that in order to develop its capabilities on the most profitable principles, the Agents and bailiffs entrusted with the execution of the works, must be educated for the offices they fill. The sooner the opinion, that the main duty of a head-agent is to collect rents and prepare leases, is relinquished by lord-owners, the better will it be for their own interest. An Agent, having a comprehensive knowledge of agriculture, and otherwise possessed of necessary qualifications, will perform the legal and the accounting business, as well as one who can only attend to the latter departments ; and, by his practical skill in everything relating to the resources of land, he will prove the main spring of the improving works which the proprietor may be desirous to have carried out. In. these operations, a properly qualified sub-agent will effectively co-operate, and lie again will be aided by an overseer, capable of carrying out the instructions that lie may receive. With three such officers—a principal or non-resident Agent, a local Agent, and a bailiff,—of the right kinds, connected with every large estate in the kingdom, a fair expenditure of capital will be sure to draw forth its capabilities in a profitable and highly satisfactory
c 2
itEN A " MEL
2()
g
n(lver
who will therefore lay out nothing on improvemenls rrmy continue to yield the old rents but xeopt, from causes common to the whole country,
“11110 will 310t be increased. Mere office men are litto y in eapab 1 o of profitably drawing forth the 1:114,,nt rosonrcet4 of estates. They can only exhaust
by Copious sweatings ; but if proprietors are co4liented 1,o sul»nit to t4ifr4, it may be thought that no One 14:thi a right to I i terf( ;re. The question, how﷓
ever, of providing rood (or the nation, must set this point al, rest. Whore is it to be got Are we to continuo importing millions of quarters of wheat
n sr' I r it can be shown that this country is (Naito c4p:11)10 of supporting its ill mbitants, provided every landed property were rightly managed, these queries ;(.re not, to he thought so completely out of place, as may at first 8•1 gilt appear. ',Fite proprietors of estates have the answering or such questions in iJheirown Ininds„ini(l it' they choose to select suitable managers to look after their business, they will be taking the first sty]) -towards the attainment of a great good, individually and nationally.
(rey, of 1)ilsto4t, stated, in his excellent paper, a id before the Ilexham Farmers' Club, that
DISQUA_LU ICATIONS OF land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, AGENTS. '1
the disqualifications for the office of land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent are many. Retired soldiers and sailors do not zenerally make good Agents, though they have some qualities which are useful, such as punctuality and carefulness. Retired butlers and. house stewards may be estimable men, -but they are not such as should be set overtenant ,who may be renting property on your estate,farmers. Poor relations, for whom. some provision is desirable, would generally cost an owner less if he were to make them an allowance to live at Bath or Cheltenham. Mercantile men are too apt to look at everything in a purely mercantile spirit, not seeing distant or contingent advantages. Farmers who have failed in farming have the disadvantage of undertaking to manage another man's affairs when they could. not manage their own ; nevertheless when their failure has been owing to want of capital or unavoidable calamity, and. when they are educated. and upright men, they frequently make good Agents. Head clerks promoted from the office are very apt to find themselves in a position for which they are unfit, having been too much bound to routine and detail to take large views of management. They are apt to be too much the servants of the landowner, and not enough mediators between him and the tenants. Lawyers, .attorneys, and writers, though frequently entrusted with the management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of estates, are about the most disqualified. Their education, bent of mind, legal way of reasoning and treating all questions, .are a positive bar to success iu the management, or environmental and sustainable management in the modern era, of
22 IRELAND AND TENANT-RIGHT.

estates, and we consider it an absolute misfortune to
the country that so many estates are under their
care. From their special training they look
narrowly into legal obligations and the rights of
property, and from want of experience in country
affairs they are incapable of judging of the pro﷓
priety of modifying obligations which may be
obsolete or inexpedient. Landowners in Scotland
and Ireland, we believe, more than in England, cm_
mit the mistake of making such appointments. To
this rule we confess we know some distinguished
exceptions in men, who, having a taste for country
pursuits, spend more of their time in the country
than in their offices. A town residence, though not
an absolute disqualification, is a great disadvantage to a land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, Agent, for though he may be within as easy reach of the estate as a country Agent, his business is apt to degenerate into office work, and his visits to the estates and intercourse with the tenants to become more formal that those of an Agent residing on an estate and moving about constantly in the country, and generally such Agents depend much more on reports from subordinates, and interviews with tenants at their town offices, than Agents who meet tenants in their own fields and homesteads, and judge from their own observation.
The condition of Ireland, as n
reords its rural population and n
ant-right," has again been " ten
brought before the Legislature. Though there is﷓
LORD DUFFERIN ON TENANT-RIGHT. 23
often much discrepancy in the respective statements, it would seem but fair and reasonable that for
atenant ,who may be renting property on your estate,should have compensation f -
improve
ments. Some equitable measure of tenant-right is, doubtless, much needed for the prosperity of the Irish people ; and let us hope that such a measure may soon be adopted. Lord Dufferin takes the true view of this right as it exists in a great portion of the north of Ireland.. Men who often can ill afford
it pay large sums merely to get possession of land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, rented to its full value, and without a lease ; and in almost every case an arrear of rent due to the landlord is paid out of the purchase, which often takes the greater part of it. On many estates most of the tenants have thus become occupiers. The custom grew up with the concurrence and to the advantage of landlord and Agent, and however great may -be its inconveniences—and they are acknowledged to be great, though it has given security for rents at all times—the only fair way to put an end to it is that which it appears a good landlord like .Lord Dufferin suggests and adopts—viz., paying thetenant ,who may be renting property on your estate,on out-going a fair sum for his tenant-right, as it is very justly called, when the landlord or his predecessors have allowed the custom and profited by it. But some landlords act very differently, and proceed to put an end to the evil by disallowing the sale of tenant-right, and turning out tenants without compensation, under the plea that they had made no improvements ; but ignoring the fact that this
MARQUIS OF ilEADFORT'S MOTTO.
tenant-right is not a compensation for improve_
ments, but a repayment of an investment which the
occupier had made with the landlord's coneurrerce,
and on the faith of his being allowed to recover it
whenever he should leave the land., But such
(cachesof good faith must have a most unfavour_
able effect, though the law of the case is clear. of
course, the landlord must be rich to pay the com- pensation to outgoing tenants' but it is most unjust that any landlord should first make a profit, to the injury of his tenant, by taking his arrears habitually out of the purchase-money, as has been done for generations, and then make a second profit by seizing upon that which he. had allowed to be sold and bought. We should hope that a check may be put upon this most unfair dealing, which is made too plausible by the plea that this sort of tenant-right is injurious to all parties.
The Marquis of lleadfort, presiding at a dinner in connection with the Ileadfort Estates Cattle Show, in Ireland, made the following remarks on the land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, question :—" My motto for my tenantry has always been Live and let live,' and I think that principle has always been carried out on this estate by my Agent. A bill affecting the tenure of land , which you may me using for farming or renting out, was introduced by the late Government. At first, misled by some of the speeches against the bill, I was induced to believe it was a bill for making landlords and tenants change places—which I had a natural
objection t- d
u do ; but when I came to look into the
TENANT-RIGHT. 25
bill itself, I really could find nothing objectionable That principle is simply,
in its leading principle.
that if a landlord ejects a tenant-at-will, he must, compensate him for improvements that have added to the letting value of his holding. Now, that seems to me simple justice, not a confiscation of the rights of property at all, but a recognition of them."
Lord. Dufferin thus explains the vexed question : —Enormous sums are given for the " tenant-right"
of a farm on which no improvements have been made by the outgoing tenant, and by whom all former improvements may have been utterly exhausted. In. order to effect the purchase, money is borrowed at a high rate of interest. The newtenant ,who may be renting property on your estate,is unable from want of capital to stock or work the farm, and he struggles on for some years till he, too, is compelled to sell his tenant-right, and another comes to go through the same process. Such a system could scarcely be tolerated by the landlords, if one of the conditions on which the newtenant ,who may be renting property on your estate,is accepted were not the payment of all arrears out of the purchase-money. " There are scores I could name," says Lord D afferin, " who have actually occupied farms under me, have lingered in possession a certain number of years, and have finally been driven out, not by act of mine, but by the persecution of their creditors throughout the country, on account of debts contracted for the express purpose of paying for the tenant-right of the laud which they were never able to cultivate, and for which they never paid the

officer or the Eneun :Estates Court. We readily admit that, whilst advocating leases of fifteen or twenty years' duration, we disapprove of 1110 long lenses granted in the last century for sixth -(u year8 or three lives, to which must be ascribed, in a, great measure, the backwardness of agriculture in a country possessing. so many natural advantages. Suet, preposterously long leases encourage idhliess and neglect of the most common and necessary improvements. Leases Of too long duration are worse than none, both for the landlord and tenant. W e do not for a momeitt advocate a right