II. 1. To recover the tithe rentcharge through the County Court is new machinery. It is a new buffer between the tithe-owner and tithe-payer; it removes all immediate friction between the clergyman and his tithe-paying tenant. The subject of “fees” and “costs,” was the most contentious point in passing the Bill through Committee of the House of Commons. The Lords introduced the amendment, that “costs” should be recovered as in the case of an ordinary action in the County Court. This amendment will be extremely irritating to the small landowners, especially in Wales. It will also be a fruitful source of irritation to tithe-payers and of legal persecution by tithe-owners through their agents. The Lords’ amendment, introduced by Lord Selborne, was truly compared by Sir William Harcourt to “tares sown among wheat.” The Tithe Act of 1836 gave 21 days to the occupier to pay his tithe after it had fallen due, but this Act gives three months to the owners of the lands. This is a reasonable time, for the landlord has often to wait six months and even longer for his rents. II. 2. By this, the tithe-owner can, in default of payment on distraint, take possession of the lands, and derive all the advantages of the tillage, and keep possession for years without rendering any compensation to the occupier. This is but one of the many cases which show that the Act was wholly framed in the interest of the tithe-owner, and disadvantageous to the tithe-payer. The security and stringent means for recovering tithe rentcharge are all advantages to the tithe-owner. II. 5. The tithe-owner has a prior claim to all other creditors. II. 9. The owner of the lands, or the occupier, cannot be imprisoned for non-payment of the tithe rentcharge, but may be fined or imprisoned as regards other matters in the execution of County Court warrants.