tenancy.at-will. Speaking further on this subject, Mr. Cobden said:—
"Even when you have leases in England—where you have leases or agreements—I doubt whether they are not in many cases worse tenures than where there is no lease at all; the clauses being of such an obsolete and preposterous character as to defy any man to carry on the business of farming under them profitably. I do not know whether the honourable member for Cheshire is here, but if so I will read him a passage from an actual Cheshire lease, showing what kind of covenants farmers are called on to perform:—
"'To pay the landlord £20 for every statute acre of ground, and so in proportion for a less quantity, that shall be converted into tillage, or used contrary to the appointment made; and £5 for every cwt. of hay, thrave of straw, load of potatoes, or cartload of manure, that shall be sold or taken from the premises daring the term; and £10 for every tree fallen, cut down, or destroyed, cropped, lopped, topped, or willingly suffered so to be; and £20 for any servant or other person so hired or admitted so as to gain a settlement in the township; and £10 per statute acre, and so in proportion for a less quantity of the said land, which the tenant shall let off or underlet. (Hear, bear, from the Ministerial side.) Such sums to be paid on demand after every breach, and in default of payment to be considered as reserved rent, and levied by distress and sale us rent in arrear may be levied and raised. And to do six days' boon team work whenever called upon; and to keep for the landlord one dog, and one cock or hen; and to make no marlpit without the landlord's consent first obtained in writing, after which the same is to be properly filled in; nor to allow any inmate to remain on the premises after six days notice; nor to keep or feed any sheep, except such as are used for the consumption of the family."
"Now, what is such an instrument as that? I will tell yon. It is a trap for the unwary man, it is a barrier against men of intelligence and capital, and it is a fetter to the mind of any free man. No man could farm under such a lease as that, or under such clauses as it contains. (Hear, hear.) I perceive that the honourable member for the rape of Bramber (Shoreham) is cheering. I will by-and-by allude to one of the honourable member's own leases. You will find in your own leases, though there may not be a stipulation for cocks and hens and dogs, and probably team work, get there are almost as great absurdities in every lease and agreement you have. ('Hear, hear, and laughter.) What are those leases? Why, they are generally some old antedilurian dusty remains, which some lawyer's clerk takes out of a pigeon-hole, and merely writes out for every fresh incoming tenant:—thing which