Britain as it has done in Prussia since THE EDICT FOR THE BETTER CULTIVATION OF THE LAND of 1811 (vide number of holdings and their acreage on page 80).

LAND OFFICE.

The whole of the land business of the United Kingdom would be subject to the supreme control of the Chief Land Office in London, with its three distinct departments, viz.—

1. Land Titles Depository;

2. Land Transfer Registry;

3. Land Bank;

and there would be a similar branch office, on a smaller scale, in each of the provinces, working there in connection with the Provincial Government. The branches should communicate direct with the Chief Land Office in London by telegraph, and the post-office should afford every possible assistance in the work.

In order to prevent the loss by fire of any documentary evidence relating to (1) the title of

the ownership of landed property, or (2) to its transfer, and for the purpose of facilitating reference, duplicate copies of all titles and transfers should be kept, one in London and the other in the province.

The branch Land Office in each province should publish a statement of account of all land business done in its own province; the Land Bank in London, a weekly balance-sheet of the Land Fund; and the Chief Imperial Land Office in London, a statement, as an annual summary, of the whole land business of the United Kingdom.

LANDLORDS SELLING TO TENANTS.

(Hints for a Parliamentary Bill.)

1. Each province to be subdivided into local land districts, as equal to one another, in every respect, as possible. All the local land districts in each province to be subject to the control of the Provincial Land Office, and governed by the same rules.

2. Each province to have a Chief Provincial Land Court, and subordinate local Land Courts, to

consist of seven members, elected by every householder in the district, and to have the assistance of the most competent experts in the locality.

3. Whenever any landlord is willing to sell, and a tenant willing to buy his landlord's interest in his holding, at a fair and equitable price, either through the State Land Bank or otherwise, both parties shall send a plan and description of the property, with a complete calculation of the value of the said interest, to the local Land Court, which court shall return its award to both parties within a month.

4. In case the vendor and purchaser cannot then agree as to the fair price so awarded, each party may refer the full particulars of the property, with the calculation of the value of the said interest, and the award of the local Land Court, to the Chief Provincial Land Court; and either party may demand to have a jury, to decide as to the facts of the case, in either court.

5. Moderate ad valorem fees should be fixed for every part of the business, viz. for the payment to courts, officials, and private professional assistance to the vendor and purchaser; and colourable bribery, or blackmail, should be punishable.

6. If the purchase price has to be borrowed of the State Land Bank, as soon as the necessary documents have been signed by the purchaser and vendor to complete the transfer, and the borrower has formally agreed to the terms of the State Land Bank, the ownership of the freehold will pass conditionally from the landlord who sells to the tenant who buys. The State Land Bank will then credit the landlord with the amount of money that the bank advances, of which an account should be kept in the bank ledger in his name, as if he had deposited the amount with the bank; and the interest at 3 per cent. per annum will be paid quarterly by the bank to the landlord, until the borrower has paid off one-third of the mortgage, or fails before he has paid off one-third of it.

7. If the purchaser who has borrowed of the State Land Bank shall fail to duly pay off onethird of the instalments of the amount borrowed of the bank on the mortgage of the landed or house property, then in that case the landlord shall take back the property which he sold conditionally; and the bank shall recoup itself for any loss, in the first place at the expense of the borrower, and afterwards (if that is insufficient),

at the expense of the landlord who sold conditionally.

8. Immediately one-third of the mortgage money has been paid off, the State Land Bank shall inform the vendor or late landlord thereof. If at any time afterwards the mortgagor fails, and is unable to pay off the remaining instalments of his mortgage, then in that case the bank, as mortgagee, shall sell the landed or house property by auction, and, after recouping itself for all expenses, hand back (without any further deduction) the balance belonging to the mortgagor whose property has been sold by auction.

9. After five years from the date of this Act, any occupying tenant who has laid out on his holding more in value than the value of his landlord's interest in the holding may, by giving written notice, compel his landlord and every other person who has any interest in his holding to sell such interest at a fair and equitable price, ascertained as hereinbefore mentioned. And the occupying tenant may borrow the full purchase price from the State Land Bank, on the usual terms.

10. After seven years from the date of this Act all tenants who have held the landed or house

property they occupy for three years previously,

C