RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL APPOINTING COUNCIL MEETING, 28th November, 1857. On the Motion of Mr. Gordon: Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to consider whether the Society may with advantage prepare some suggestions for arrangements between Landlord and Tenant for the Cultivation of Land, in the West of England, suitable to the advanced state of Agriculture, and to consider other subjects connected therewith, which may tend to promote its further progress. That the following Gentlemen be nominated a Committee for the above purpose : LORD PORTMAN. G. H. ANDREWS. J. H. COTTERELL. J. DAW. ROBT. DYMOND. M. FARRANT. C. GORDON, JUN. J. GRAY. J. D. HANCOCK. J. E. KNOLLYS. T. NEWMAN. G. S. POOLE. W. PORTER. J. SILLIFANT. Ковт. SMITH. J. WIDDICOMBE. W. WIPPELL. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE. First Meeting of Committee, Taunton, 9th Jan., 1858. That this Committee consider that they may with advantage prepare some suggestions for arrangements between Landlord and Tenant. Resolved, That, with a view to lay a foundation for any suggestions to be made by the Committee, it is expedient to collect information as to any of the most improved arrangements between Landlord and Tenant. Resolved, That a Copy of the foregoing Resolution be forwarded to each member of this Committee, with a request that he will endeavour to bring, or transmit, to its next meeting, all the information he can obtain. Second Meeting of Committee, Feb., 1858, Taunton. The CHAIRMAN laid before the Committee the communications which had been placed in his hands by various members of the Committee. The Committee agreed to consider the subject referred to them under the following heads : A. Verbal and written agreements. B. Time of entry on farms. C. Cultivation clauses. D. Compensation to out-going tenants. E. The question of pre-entry for cultivation before occupa tion and of consuming produce after the expiration of term. Resolved, A. That it is desirable that all agreements between landlord and tenant be reduced to writing. Resolved, B. That it is inexpedient for this Committee to recommend any particular period for entry on farms generally. Resolved, C. That it is desirable that as a general rule more discretion as to the mode of cropping arable land should be given to the occupier than appears to be usual in existing agreements and leases. Resolved unanimously, D. a That the ordinary obligations of a tenant include the following points : 1. That whenever he quits his farm he shall leave it free from weeds. 2. That he shall also leave the land in such a state as to tillage as not to cause loss in cultivation for the next crop. 3. These two obligations ought to be indispensable in all cases, and without reference to the state of the farm at the commencement of the tenancy. 6 That there are corresponding obligations equitably incumbent on a landlord towards an outgoing tenant, viz., to reimburse the tenant 1. For crops in the land. 2. For preparation for ensuing crops, but only for such as portion of the cost). 4. For purchased food consumed on the premises by cattle, sheep, and pigs within a limited period before the expiration of the tenancy (a certain proportion of the cost). 5. For corn raised on the farm which might have been carried to market, but was consumed in like manner and within the like period (a certain proportion of the cost). N.B. It is advisable that these items 3, 4, 5 should be matter of special agreement between landlord and tenant. Mr. Acland was requested to prepare a Draft Report to be submitted to the Committee. Third Meeting of Committee, Taunton, 27th March, 1858. The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed, with some verbal amendments, and signed by the Chairman. Mr. ACLAND presented a Draft Report (see p. xix) which he had prepared in compliance with the instructions of the Committee at its last Meeting, a copy of which Draft had been forwarded to every Member of the Committee. On the proposal that the Resolutions containing a summary of the Draft Report be taken into consideration seriatim, it was resolved that the Resolutions of the last Meeting be first reconsidered. After a long discussion the following amendments were made : Resolution A, after the words "reduced to writing," the following words were added, "and signed before the tenant enters on the land." Resolution D. a 1, for the words "free from weeds," were substituted the words "clean in an agricultural sense." In Resolution D. b, the word "equitably" was omitted. Clause D. b. 5, "For corn raised," &c., down to the word "cost," omitted, and consequently the figure 5 (in the first line of the following note) omitted. It was then moved-That the Committee do now report progress, and that this be the Report of the Committee. "That the Committee had met on the 9th of January and at following periods, and had resolved as follows : "That the Committee consider that they may with advantage |