Landholders of the United Kingdom.

In the House of Lords-n the 19th February, 1872, during the first Administition of Mr. Gladstone, the Earl of Derby wished to now whether Government intended to take any seps for ascertaining accurately the number of proprietors of land and houses in the United Kingdom, observing, in reference to statements made by the late Mr. J. S. Mill and Mr. John Bright (but without naming those gentlemen), that, out of doors, and from time to time, there was a great outcry about what was called the "monopoly of page 125 land," the wildest and most reckless exaggerations and mis-statements being made as to the number of persons who were the actual owners of the soil, who were estimated at not more than 30,000, whilst his own impression and belief was that there were at least ten times as many. The suggestion met with the approval of Government; a Return, including rentals and other particulars not mentioned by his lordship, was ordered; and the result appeared in the shape of two huge Blue Books, relating to England and Wales, and two others, of minor dimensions, devoted to Scotland and Ireland. As to Rentals, it is officially stated in the Preface that they were taken from the Valuation Lists of the localities, as arranged by Boards of Guardians and Assessment Committees or their clerks; and anything differing more widely from the system on which the original "Domesday Book" was compiled can scarcely be imagined, for that was done by sworn Government assessors, fully empowered to ascertain, on oath, the extent and value of each man's holding, whilst in its supposed successor we have no better assurance than the vague estimates of local functionaries and their clerks.