IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) tt|2|J 125 1.0 1.1 lata 11.25 5C^ \ s> iV^ Hiotogra(jiic 23 VffiST MAIN STMIT Sciences VVHSTn,N.Y. l4StO ( 71* ) •73-4503 CorporaBon CIHM/ICMH CIHM/ICMH Collection de Series. microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas Taehnleal and BlbNographie NotM/NotM tschniquM at bibliographiqiiM to Th« IfMtituts Hm attMnptad to olMaln tha boot L'inatltut a microfilm^ la maWaur axai«. v!«ira oriflinol eoi»y availabki for ftlmlng. Faaturaa of thia qu'll lui a At* posaiMa da sa procurar. Las details copy vwtiieh may ba MbHograpMaaiy uniqwa. da cat axamplaira qui sont paut-Atra uniquaa du whleh may altar any of tha imagaa in ttia point da vua bibllographiqua, qui pauvant modifiar raproduetton, or wMeh may cignlfieantly ebanga una imaga raprodulta, ou qui pauvant axigar una Jh tha uaual mathod of filming, ara ehackad balow. modification dans la mAthoda normala da filmaga pc sont IndiquAs ci-dasaous. of fil Colourad covars/ Colourad pagas/ D Couvartura da coulaur D Pagaa da coulaur Oi be Covara damagad/ Pagas damagad/ I I thi Couvartura andommagAa D Pagas andommagAas sis ot Covars raatorad and/or laminatad/ Pagas raatorad and/or laminatad/ fir paliieulAa D Couvartura rattaur^a at/ou D Pagaa rastaurAas at/ou paiiiculAaa sic or I Covar titia missing/ Pagas discoloiirad. stainad or foxad/ I— La titra da couvartura manqua Pagas dAcoiorAas, tachatAas ou piquAas Colourad maps/ Pagas datachad/ Cartas ftAographiquas 911 coulaur D Pagas dAtachAas Th sh Til Colourad ink (i.a. othar than blua or black)/ Showthrougd/ wl Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) Transparanca Ml r~n Colourad platas and/or illustrations/ Quality of print varias/ dif Planchaa at/ou illuatrations an coulaur QuaiitA inAgala da I'imprassion D em bei with othar matarlal/ Bound Includes supplementary material/ rig RaliA avac d'autras n documants D Comprand du matArial supplAmantaira rec ma Tight bind'ng may causa shadows or distortion Only edition available/ along intarior margin/ D Seule Adition disponible La re iiura sarrie paut causar da i'ombra ou da la distortion la long da la marga intAriaura Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata D slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to Blank laavas addad during rastoration may ensure the best possible imege/ D appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar possibia. thasa Les pages totaiement ou partieilement hava baan omittad from filming/ obscurcies per un feuiilet d'errata. una pelure. 11 sa paut qua cartainas pagas bianchas aJoutAas etc.. ont AtA fiimAes A nouveau de fapon A lors d'una rastauration apparaissant dans la taxta. obtenir la meilleure imege possible. mais, lorsqua cala Atait possibia, cas pagas n'ont pas AtA filmias. Additional commants:/ D Commantairas suppiAmantairas: This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document eat filmA au taux da rAduction IndiquA ci-daeaous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 12X 16X aox a4x 28X 32X inv copy iNnMo iwfv iws dotii rapfooiMva L'aKampMra film* ftit raprodult grioa i la to th* OMMroslty of: Library of tho Public La bibliotMqua doa Areliivoa Archivot of Canada puMiquoa du Canada Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha quality Laa imagaa sulvantaa ont 4lA raprodultaa avac la poaaibia conaMaring tha condition laglbWty piua grand aoln, compta tanu da la condition at of tha original copy and in kaaplng tho da la nattati da I'axamplalra fllm4, at an filming contract apacificationa. conformM avac la* conditkMM du contrat da fllmaga. Original coplaa In printad papar covara ara fllmad Laa axamplairaa orlginaux dont la couvartura mt baginning with tha front covar and anding on papiar aat Imprlm4a aont fllmte an common^ant tha iaat paga vvith a printad or llluatratad Impraa- par la pramlar plat at 9n tarminant aoit par la sion, or tha back covar whan approprlata. AH damMra paga qui comporta una amprainta other original coplaa ara fiimad baginning on tha dimpraaaion ou d'iiiuatration, aolt par la aacond first paga with a printad or llluatratad impraa- plat, colon la caa. Toua laa autraa axamplairaa •ion. and anding on tha last paga ¥vith a printad orlginaux aont filmto tt commandant par la or llluatratad impraaaion. pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Impraaalon ou d'iiiuatration at wn tarminant pat la darniira paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha last racordad frama on aach microfiche Un daa aymbolaa auivanta apparaltra aur la •hall contain tha aymboi -^ (moaning "CON- darnlAra imaga da chaqua microflcha, salon la TINUED"), or tha aymboi (moaning "END"), caa: la tymbola -^ aignifla "A SUIVRE". la whichavar applias. aymbola aignifia "FIN". Maps, plataa. charts, ate may ba fiimad at Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba filmte i das taux da rMuction dlff^ents. antiraly included in ona axpoaura ara fiimad Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre baginning in tha uppar iaft hand comor. laft to reprodult en un aeul clichA. 11 eat fllmA A partir right and top to bottom, aa many framaa aa da Tangle aupArieur gauche, do gauche A droite, required. The following diagrams illustrate the et do haut en baa, en prenant le nombre method: d'imagea nAceaaalre. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 32X ,-,. am f: - ) AN ESSAY ON THE TRANSFER OF LAND BY REGISTRATION. '>. ^ 1 c< AN ESSAY ON THl TRANSFER OF LAND BY REGISTRATION UNDER THE DUPLICATE METHOD OPERATIVE IN BRITISH COLONIES. BY SIR ROBERT TORRENS, K.C.M.G. Cassell, Fetter, Galpin & Co.: LVDGATE HILL, LONDON, E.C. PREFACE. The present volume is, for the most part, a compilation from papers read and addresses delivered on various occasions within the last eighteen years. It is published at the sugges- tion of several Members of Parliament and others, who dnem the present juncture peculiarly appropriate for the discussion of a measure calculated to afford material relief to all who are interested in land. Avoiding, as altogether outside the subject matter, all reference to the more or less party questions of primogeni- ture and entail, the system of conveyancing herein explained does not interfere with the principles or rules of law, or with the powers of landowners or their rglits or liberties; but only with the machinery by which such li ^hts or liberties may be created or protected without the intervention of the statute of uses. At the same time, the advantages to be derived from the adoption of the system of land transfer advocated in the following pages, are not by any means confined to the simplification of the machinery by which land is conveyed. For perhaps the most important ultimate result of its intro- duction into the United Kingdom will be, the substitution of indefeasibility of title, in all cases, in lieu of the present VI PREFACE. insecurity of title, which leaves people in doubt as to whether land, which they call their own, and which has usually been acquired at great cost, legally belongs to them. This result can, as will be subsequently indicated (page aaX be attained without doing injustice to any one. Moreover, by effluxion of time, many doubtful titles will soon be in a condition to be declared indefeasible, a result which a recent statute ("The Real Property Limitation Act, 1874") will hasten. In bringing forward a measure which has been grappled with in vain by three Lord Chancellors, I am aware that I render myself obnoxious to the charge of presumption. My defence is that the question as here treated is not one of law, but rather of official mechanism, by means of which the principles advocated by those high authorities may be rendered operative to the almost incalculable benefit of all who are now, or hope to become, interested in land; and for that work my official employment in connection with the transfer of properly in shipping, and subsequently in registration of assurances, afforded an experience of a special character which neither the study nor the practice of the law are calculated to impart. And, again, I would plead that the complete success which has attended the application of that mechanism in the nine colonies in which it is in opera- tion, warrants the belief that the like result >vill follow its adoption in this country. \\ CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. rAOB Contrasts thb pRiifciPAL Systems of Conviyancino in OPERATION IN THB UNITKD KINGDOM ANU BUBWHERB ... 9 CHAPTER n. How Titles arb placed on the Rbgistbr ... i8 CHAPTER III. How Transfers and other dealings are Conducted under this Duplicate Method of Conveyancing ly Registra- tion OF Title 21 CHAPTER IV. Replies to Stock Objections 28 CHAPTER V. Why Attempts to apply this System have hitherto failed IN this Country 39 CHAPTER VI. The Dead>lock Difficulty founded on Misapprehension... 45 CHAPTER VII. Legislation reqi irbd in order to the successful applxca- tion of the system to land in the united kingdom 49 vUi CONTENTS. CHAPTER Vlll. rAOB Reports op Oppicuu on thi working op thb System in the Colonies, in Reply to Lord Kimebrlev's Circular {See Blite Book^ May lo^ 1881) 54 Appendix • t • • •• tat tat 59 ; Bill to Amend and Extend the Pruvisions op the Record op Titles (Ireland) Act, 1865 86 y v^ AN ESSAY ON THE TRANSFER OF LAND BY REGISTRATION. CHAPTER I. CONTRASTS THE PRINCIPAL SYSTEMS OF CONVEYANCING IN OPERATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ELSEWHERE. Conveyancing by deed without registration is in operation throughout the greater part of England. In Middlesex and in Yorkshire we find a system of conveyancing by deed with registration, but without barring *' the doctrine of notice.? In the United States of America, in portions of the Dominion of Canada, in Ireland, and notably in Scotland, the principle of conveyancing by deed with registration, and barring " no- tice " (whether actual or imputed), obtains with more or less diversity in the method of its application.