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    through a minister , probably altogether ignorant of the minutitc of the q uestion , Until crmnmed by that very subordinate , who is not present to state the considerations which influenced him with the freshness and the clear convincing decisiveness belonging to one who knows the subject

    by his own knowledge . It is pitiable to see how , for want of some such regulation , the discussion of great public questions is often mismanaged in our Parliament , from the imperfect manner in which heads of departments understand or are able to state the grounds of their own measures . This is perhaps inevitable , overburdened as they are with variety of business . If so , there is the greater reason to allow them every attainable help for stating their case fully and with effect .

    The subject however is of no pressing exigency . It is sufficient that the suggestion has been put forth . The degree of attention it has met with , will help to familiarize the popular mind with the novelty ; on a second discussion- it will be no longer strange to the public ; and when the reasonableness of a proposition , without any pressing demand from without , shall be a sufficient motive to a legislative assembly for adopting it , this principle will be introduced into our parliamentary law . A stubject of so little importance compared with a hundred others , can afford to wait .

    8 th May . Loss of the Registration Bills . —The defeat of these important improvements in the law , now for the second time repeated , is One of the mdst lamentable proofs yet afforded of the spirit of our legisture , when left ; to itself , and not taken out of itself by the force of a strong popular feeling . If there ever was a proposition recommended by the most obvious expediency , and to which it was difficult for imagination to conjure up even the shadow of objection , it is a measure

    which goes simply and exclusively to giving publicity to all future contracts affecting land ; so that when , in the course of a generation or two , the change shall have come into full effect , every one may know before buying land , whether the land really belongs to the person who sells it , and every one may ascertain before lending money on the security of land , that the land is not already mortgaged beyond its value . The publicity which would be given by registration , is of the same kind and

    degree , which is already given to wills by the registry in Doctors' Commons ; and any one but those who are personally interested , and therefore entitled to correct information , would be as little likely to gratify idle curiosity by prying into the Tecords of the one registry office , as of the other . From the greater certainty which would be given to all conveyances , the saving to the landowners , in annual law expenses , would be greater than anyone can conceive , who is unaware how great a percentage every landlord now pays out of his annual rental for the vices of

    the law . Arid hence , as well as from the increased security to purchase ™ , the market price of all land would be most materially increased . Yet the landlords , the very class who are principally , who alone are directly interested in supplying this strange hiatus in our legislation , are the persons who ( with the aid of that large class of members who depend for the management of their elections upon provincial attornies ) have twice rejected by a large majority , not the details of any particular bill , but the very principle of Registration . On the part of the landowners there are but two ^ raotire * possible

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    Loet 6 ftAe Jtoglttr&Hon Bills . 489

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1834, page 439, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2634/page/57/