COUNTRY FOOTPATHS.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1
Sin,—The Birmingham. Post of this morning frankly compli- ments "the new Ministry," in adapting a Liberal measure," for not doing its work by halves." The reference is to the question of medical relief, which especially affects the agricultural labourers. If a Conservative Government will heartily under- take the maintenance of the rights and privileges of the labourers, we may be sure that the work will be much less hindered in their hands than in those of their political op- ponents; and I imagine that many country Liberals would be well content with five years passed in Opposition on those terms.
There is, perhaps, no subject personally touching the life of the labourer on which, if he could only break through his traditional silence and timidity, he would speak out more dis- tinctly and more unanimously than on the question of his rights of public way. He is warned often enough that "tres- passers will be prosecuted" if they infringe on the landowner's rights ; but who is to prosecute the trespasser who stops the footpath which is his by a right long antecedent often to the existing freeholder's claim to the land which it crosses ?
Some labourers, and some whose labour is not manual, think that Quarter Sessions is not altogether the fittest Court of Appeal to decide on a question of footpaths. Quarter Sessions is no doubt a most valuable, as well as a most venerable, institu- tion; but it is a club of landlords all the same. However, if no footpaths were ever practically closed against the labourer except those across which the " Sessions " barric ade has been drawn, he might not have so much to say as he has now. Bat, like the collier in "Sybil,"—" In forty years, sir, a man sees a pretty deal, 'specially when be don't move out of the same spot and keeps his 'tention."—" The people will never have their rights," said the stranger, "until they learn their power."
(" Sybil," Vol. II., pp. 13, 14.)—I am, Sir, &c.,
F. SIMCOX LEA.
Tedstone Delamere Rectory, Worcester, July 15th.
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