The House of Commons has abolished distraint for the rent
of agricultural holdings. That is to say, no Bill has been passed, but the House, on Tuesday, resolved, after an important debate, without a division, that distraint should be abolished. The Tories, chiefly represented by Sir R. Cross and Sir W. Hart-Dyke, demurred to the resolution ; but it was so well known that the tenant-farmers were iu favour of the change, that no serious resistance was made. The occurrence is most significant of the new tone of the farmers, and their determination 'to abolish the exceptional privileges of landlords. The effect of distraint, as of hypothec, is to diminish the tenant's power of pawning his crop and furniture to his banker, and to enable landlords to accept untrustworthy tenants, who pay the rent by cheating all other creditors out of their dividend. Some 'Posies in the debate threatened that rent should be asked in advance, but the difficulty of letting farms makes that solution impossible. As it is, the landlord, in addition to his power of ejection, will have as complete security as any other tradesman who sells articles to a farmer ou credit, and ho has no right to more.
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