Mr. Disraeli on Thursday moved the second reading of the
Agricultural Holdings Bill, in a speech which we have analysed elsewhere, and which announced the surrender of the clause making " letting value" the basis of compensation. The basis is to be the farmer's actual cash outlay, as diminished proportion- ally by each year of occupancy after the improvement has been made. Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen was the only speaker who moved to restrict the freedom of contract, Mr. Lowe the only one who denounced the Bill altogether, and Lord Hartington the only one who strongly advised its postponement to next Session. He, how- ever, announced his perfect agreement with the policy of leaving contract free. Sir T. Acland argued rather as if the Bill were in Committee, suggesting that it would be a good one if the amount of compensation were to be defined beforehand, and the landlord's assent required to every improvement ; but he irritated the Premier into declaring that the Member for Devon never, made a proposition which he did not "water down," and that after heap- ing scorn on the Bill, he had admitted his readiness to make it a useful measure. None of the Liberal leaders spoke upon the Bill, except Lord Harlington and Mr. Lowe, and though, of course, there will be divisions in Committee, serious resistance is, after Lord Hartington's statement, out of the question.
