Mr. Clare Read, in a speech delivered on Friday week
to his constituents at Diss, in Norfolk, made a remark which is under- stood to mean that the Government will next Session introduce a mild tenure Act, giving compensation to farmers for unex- hausted improvements. He said, "Should a Bill be introduced to give legislative protection to the capital of tenant-farmers, he was quite sure that the just rights and interests of the landlord would be properly regarded, although this was not the case with the Irish Land Bill." This means, we suppose, that the farmer is to be entitled to the two years' notice which Mr. Disraeli has almost promised, and to compensation for unexhausted improve- ments, when sanctioned previously by the landlord, or when, at at all events, not forbidden by him. That will scarcely be deemed sufficient by farmers who know that if a landlord can contract himself out of the law, a dozen sanguine young men are waiting ready to sign anything if only they may begin to farm.
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