Lord Cane's Acts

The Agricultural Practices Act, 3 Edm. VIII, p. 92 and Regulation of Goods and Trade Act, 11 Edm. IX, p. 15, together known as Lord Cane's Acts, are Acts of the Parliament of Great Nortend which impose restrictions on the import and sale of certain goods. The former Act prohibits the use of “novel agricultural practices” by farmers without a Royal licence, specifically proscribing the use of “mechanical or fumous engines or any other proscribed contraption” in the cultivation of land, sowing of seeds and harvest of crops. The latter Act prohibits the import and sale of “novel technological innovations” without a Royal licence. The latter Act also regulates minimum wages, although it has been largely superseded in practice by the Quantum Meruit Act, 12 Cath. II, p. 128.

Together, the Acts have fundamentally shaped Great Nortend since the 20th century, leading to its retention of sundry 19th century practices and equipment which would have otherwise fallen out of general use.

Background

During the 19th century, the speed of technological advancement grew ever-quicker as the Industrial Revolution and mechanisation gathered pace. Abroad, this led to massive changes in lifestyle as people migrated en masse from the countryside to the cities and towns, causing a collapse in the supply of labour in the agricultural industry. The nature of landholding in Great Nortend meant that this was less marked in Great Nortend, but by the 1820s, there was growing discontent by both landlords and tenants over the feudal system which stymied growth and innovation given the law's presumption of mediaeval technology.

This led to the Manorial Reform Act, 31 Guliel. II, p. 173 being passed by the government of the Viscount of Lortfey, which gave farmers greater rights over their land which in turn resulted in farmers investing in their farms with new machinery. However, this meant thousands of farm labourers holding tenancies as cottagers, who held their tenancies for life only, were no longer needed. By 1870, over 10 per cent of heirs to cottages had already been refused livery of seisin by landlords on account of their labour being no longer needed and thus escheated to the landlord, and another 20 per cent of cottages were earmarked for escheat upon the deaths of of their current tenants.

The resulting masses of workers had been forced to leave and seek employment in towns, generally in the new factories and enterprises which had sprung up during the century. Yet the lack of general entitlement to companies of limited liability compounded by imposition of no-fault and vicarious liability in tort meant that it was difficult for factories and enterprises to succeed in the crowded market. Many collapsed in the Depression of the 1880s and their erstwhile employees plunged into adject poverty.

At the same time, farm mechanisation grew leading to the potential loss of livelihood for over two million households. A Royal Commission into the problem was announced and just before the death of Henry VI it returned, proposing to restrain further mechanisation in agriculture unless it could be shewn that no job losses would occur.

The Agricultural Practices Bill was introduced in the first sitting of Parliament in the reign of Edmund VIII by the sitting Scodelier government. Despite strong opposition from the Droughers, it was passed by a majority of three in 1893 in the Houses of Commons and of one in the House of Lords, Lord Cane finally agreeing to support the bill after days of negotiation. Royal assent was granted and the Great Seal affixed on Ladymas that year.