classes of the counties. On the contrary, they secured for it its full value by insisting on a fair arrangement of the constituencies. It was about this that the struggle was in 1884, and not at all on the question of the extension of the Franchise.

m. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES CONTRIBUTING TO THE WELFARE OF THE WORKING CLASSES.

Working men, in common with other members of the community, reap advantages from a wise foreign policy, from sound finance, and from judicious measures directed to promote trade, to maintain social peace, and to further the general progress of the nation. But certain measures affect them more directly though not solely, and of these a large proportion must be placed to the credit of the Conservative party.

In addition to the measures directly concerned with the working classes which have been already referred to, Lord Beaconsfield's Government (1874-1880) passed the following Acts which indirectly benefited them.

It made the property of the rich contribute more to the rates by an Act1 extending the Poor Rate Acts to plantations, shooting and fishing rights, and mines, all previously exempt.

It protected good work and honest manufacturers by an Act 2 establishing a Register of Trade-Marks.

It relieved the widows and children of intestates in Scotland where the estate is of small value.3

It prevented illegal enclosures and promoted public recreation by an Act 4 dealing with the enclosure of commons in England.

It amended the laws relating to the relief of the poor in England, and put a stop to the separation of aged married couples in workhouses.

It relieved the executors of testates in Scotland where the estate is small.

It decreased the rates and improved the condition of prisoners by an Act transferring the cost of prisons to the Imperial Exchequer.

It amended the Free Libraries Act.8

9

It protected women against brutal husbands by an Act giving magistrates in England power to grant a judicial separation to wives whose husbands had committed aggravated assaults upon them.

It removed danger to life and property by an Act1 empowering the Board of Works to enforce strict regulations for ensuring the safety of buildings.

It prevented frauds upon the poor by an Act 2 consolidating the law as to weights and measures.

It improved the position of the private soldier by the Army Discipline and Regulation Act.3

Lord Salisbury's Government of 1885 passed the Criminal Law Amendment Act for the protection of young girls.

4

Lord Salisbury's Government of 1886 passed an Act 5 to permit the conditional release of first offenders.

Provided for the earlier closing of public houses.

Amended and consolidated the Public Libraries Act in England and Scotland.

Protected honest tradesmen by Acts consolidating and amending the law as to fraudulent marks on merchandise.

Improved the law as to patents, designs, and trade-marks.o Further amended the law as to weights and measures, and as to the sale of coal, specially protecting the interests of purchasers of small quantities.10

Made better provision for the widows of certain intestates in England.11

Amended the Boiler Explosions Act.12

Passed important measures making provision for the pensions, allowances, and gratuities of police-constables and their widows and children.13

Amended the law as to the custody of children in Scotland, where parents are neglectful of their duties.14

Gave facilities to managers of reformatories and industrial schools for starting children in useful careers.15

Extended to army schools the benefit of certain educational endowments. 16

Amended the Scottish law as to the presumption of life.17

The Conservatives abolished the import duties on cattle, corn, flour, sugar, butter, bacon, cheese, eggs, and twelve hundred other articles, and have, under Lord Salisbury, reduced those on tea and currants. The cheap breakfast table is due to them. The Unionist Government (1886-92) reduced the duty on tobacco by 4d. in the lb., and the house duty on small

houses by 4d. in the £1. It was estimated, that with the abolition of school-fees, and the reduction of duties during these six years on articles he requires, a working man with a family might be better off by a shilling a week than he was when Mr. Gladstone was in office, apart altogether from the benefit reaped from the revival of trade, due in no small degree to good government at home and peace abroad.

It was Lord Salisbury's Government of 1885 that appointed the Royal Commission to inquire into the causes of the prolonged depression of trade. His second Administration appointed another most important one, which, under the presidency of the Duke of Devonshire, conducted an exhaustive inquiry into the general relations of capital and labour. "The Conservative Government," said Mr. John Burns, at Camden Town, on 17th January 1892, "have granted a Select Committee to inquire into the hours of railway men, also a Royal Commission to report upon the relations of employers and employed in all industries, and as these had caused the companies to reduce hours on all sides-ay, and increase wages too-you as railway men know that a substantial victory has been gained." Well might Mr. Ben Tillett, in view of all the past, say, at Bradford, on 15th January 1892, "I should be a hypocrite were I not to say that the Conservatives of late had done more for the working classes than the Liberals had."

CHAPTER IV..

UNIONIST LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATION.

THE details under the following heads will be found in the chapters dealing with the respective subjects:

Foreign, Colonial, and Indian Affairs (Chapter I.). |
National and Imperial Defence, Army, Navy, and Reserve
Forces (Chapter II.).

Scotland (Chapter V.).

Agricultural Labourers (Chapter VI.).
Seamen and Fishermen (Chapter VII.).
Miners (Chapter VIII.).

Education (Chapter IX.).
Finance (Chapter X.).
Ireland (Chapter XI.).

AGRICULTURE,

(a.) LEGISLATION.

The Allotment Acts, 1887 and 1890 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 48, and 53 & 54 Vict. c. 65).—These Acts secure that in every district of the country where there is a demand for allotments, and where they can be provided without loss to the ratepayers, labourers are to get allotments of an extent not exceeding one acre of land. Further details in regard to this measure will be found in the chapter on Legislation for Farm Labourers (see Chapter VI.).

Board of Agriculture Act, 1889.-Under this Act the importance of the agricultural industry was recognised by the creation of a separate department of State to deal with it. A Board has been created to deal with all agricultural business (including cattle disease, the enclosure of commons, land drainage and improvements, the Ordnance Survey, the Rabies Act, and the Destructive Insects Act), with powers to collect information, conduct experiments, assist agricultural schools, &c. The head of this department under the late Government, Mr. Henry Chaplin, was admitted a member of the Cabinet.

Tithe Act, 1891.-In Scotland teinds or tithes are paid, not

by the tenant, but by the proprietor. In England, on the contrary, tithes have always been paid by the occupier. This gave rise to much friction in Wales and some other districts of the country. The Liberationists stirred up tenants who were Dissenters to resist payment of tithe as being an iniquitous impost. The fomenters of this agitation were thoroughly dishonest, because they represented to the farmers that the Church, and the Church alone, imposed this burden upon them, whereas when they addressed urban and artisan audiences, they never for a moment represented that one penny less of tithe would be levied if the Church were disestablished to-morrow. On the contrary, the tithes were held out as a Disestablishment bribe. The Act of 1891 assimilates the rule in England to what is observed in Scotland. The tithe is henceforth to be paid not by the tenant but by the landowner directly. The clergy are thereby relieved of the irksome necessity of proceeding against tenants for the recovery of tithes, and a great source of irritation has been removed. The measure was opposed, as all such remedial legislation is, by the Disestablishment party, whose invariable policy when there is a grievance in connection with the Established Church is to keep that grievance open.

Minor Measures.-The following other measures affecting the agricultural industry were passed by the Unionist Government or with their co-operation:

Allotments Compensation Act, 1887.-To give to holders of allotments and cottage gardens compensation for their improvements and crops.

Allotments Rating Act, 1891.-To reduce the amount of sanitary rates payable on labourers' allotments.

Glebe Lands Act, 1888.-To authorise the sale of Church lands and to empower local authorities to acquire them for labourers' allotments.

Tenants' Compensation Act, 1890.-To enable farmers to claim compensation for improvements from landlords holding as mortgagees.

Pleuro-pneumonia Act, 1890.-To protect flocks and herds. from the ravages of this disease. Under this Act the burden of compensation for slaughtered cattle is transferred from local rates to imperial funds, supplemented, if necessary (which is not likely), from the Local Taxation Account of England and Scotland.

Markets and Fairs Acts, 1887-91.-To require local authorities to provide means for weighing cattle and to make statistical returns for public information.

Margarine Act, 1887.-To punish the fraudulent sale of foreign substitutes as English butter.

Hares Preservation Act, 1892.-This Act provides a close time