[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR. " ] SIL — It might interest
your readers to refer to two articles which appeared in the Fortivighay Review for January 1st,1876,
and October 1st, 1879, written respecting the Channel Islands and the peculiarities of land tenure within them by F. Barham Zincke and G. Shaw-Lefevre, M.P. I know the islands well, having frequently and very recently visited them, and except as regards climate, can think of no reason why small holdings should answer better or flourish more there than in England, cceteris paribus. The people are certainly very thrifty, and ap- parently contented and well-to-do. They are very independent, and extremely jealous of their ancient rights and customs. The land by no means strikes one as exceptionally productive—in fact, to my mind, cannot compare with the rich valleys which abound in England. I do not profess to understand the question of land-tenure sufficiently to form a decided opinion on the sub- ject; but Mr. Shaw-Lefevre's remarks, in his article to which I have referred as to the advantages of the three functions of landowner, capitalist, and labourer being combined in one person, seem to me to be weighty, to say the least.-1 am, Sir, &c.,
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