AN EXTRAORDINARY AWARD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 899, 20 September 1879, Page 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY AWARD

The Western Gazette, a paper published m Wiltshire, says :— So far as we are aware, no newspaper has called attention to a monstrous piece of injustice which lias been recently perpetrated at Dorchester, m the name of the Prince of Wales, m connection with the bankruptcy of one of the tenants on the Duchy of Cornwall estates. Mr. Chilcot, of Dowerfield Farm, Longbredy, was unable, like a good many other farmers just now, to make both ends meet. He rented under the Prince of Wales, having a lease till 1883, at £1098 per annum, and the lease, necessarily came to a premature end when he became bankrupt. That his royal landlord was entitled to every penny of the rent then actually due, whether the other creditors got anything or not, was a matter of course. Everybody knows that an equitable law gives a landlord the preference over all other creditors. But we venture to think that not one person m a hundred ever before dreamt of the unfairness — nay, let us use the right word, iniquity — to which a landlord may legally go. Not only did the Duchy officials claim the whole, of the rent due, but' they actually claimed £298 a year till 1883 (some £1200 m all) for prospective loss through the determination of tJie lease and the reduced value of the land. And they not only claimed this sum, but they had it allowed. It is true, the decision was Judge Lefroy's, but we have no reason to doubt that it is perfectly legal, for we are ready to believe anything as to the way m which successive Parliaments of landowners have taken care of Number One. The effect of the judgment is, of course, this : — His Royal Highness, the landlord, is secured not only against present loss, but also against a loss that may never accrue, for a good harvest and a revival of trade would soon 'send land up to its old level again. If better times should enable his agents to relet the farm, within four years, at the old rent, the Prince will actually be the gainer by Mr. Chilcott's bankruptcy. As for the poor tradesmen who supplied the implements with which the Prince's land was tilled, the manures by which it was possibly improved, and the other farming requisites, they have to stand humbly on one side until every actual claim and every possiole claim, however remote, preferred on behalf of the royal landlord is fully satisfied. This done^hey are graciously allowed to scrambl§£for any few crumbs, that may happen to have fallen from the royal table. Are we using language too strong for the occasion when we denounce the law which tolerates this kind of thing as an infamous law, and a disgrace to a civilised nation ? We do thus denounce it, and we would use stronger words if we know where to find them without falling back upon Mr. Lefroy's rich vocabulary. Personally, the Prince of Wales is no doubt exempt from direct blame m this matter ; but is impossible to exculpate him altogether, supposing he has any voice at all m the management of the Duchy estates. It is probably regarded as the duty of the Duchy agents to enforce the legal claims of their office to the fullest extent ; but (to use a vulgarism) it is not "healthy" either for the Prince personally, or for the principle of hereditary monarchy which he represents, that he should come to be regarded as a sort of Shylock, insisting on bis full legal rights, even though the enforcing of those rights may involve the wronging of others. To encourage such an impression as this is particularly unwise m the present day. For neither Monarchy m the abstract nor Royality m the person of a prince is regarded with the reverence which one, and at no distant date, hedged both. Both the principle and the person must henceforth stand on their own merits or they will not stand at all. The Prince may be very properly warned that neither the one uor the other gains by the enforce, meut of his extreme legal claims. If it be said that hi* Royal Highness cannot possibly give his ptrsonai attention to such trifles at these, we would venture to suggest .that these* things are not trifles, and that they have at least as much claim on his attention as many of the engagements which he some-hew iiiids time to fullil. The smiles and flatteries of frivolous courtiers , are no doubt very pleasant, and there is probably more enjoyment of a certain kind to be found m races, theatres, pigeonshooting, and making oneself agreeable at one great mausiou after another than m the examination of troublesome question's of account. But the enjoyments will prove to have been dearly brought, if it should presently turn out that they were purchased at the cost of the loyalty of the masses.