Evenacceptingtheirconventioninvagueterms,however,Jonesmighthaveseenthatsince"labor"couldbeadjustedsocould"capital,"orthat"labor"couldbetradedfor"capital.",onecannothelpbutspeculatethathisabruptconclusionwasdrawnnotfromlogicalreasoning,,and,ofcourse,hewrotefavorablyofthesystem:

Thesystemofcultivationbymetayers……contributes,morethananythingelse,todiffusehappinessamongthelowerclasses,toraiselandtoahighstateofculture,andaccumulateagreatquantityofwealthuponit……Underthissystem,thepeasanthasaninterestintheproperty,asifitwerehisown……Theaccumulationofanimmensecapitaluponthesoil,theinventionofmanyjudiciousrotations,andindustriousprocesses,……thecollectionofanumerouspopulation,uponaspaceverylimitedandnaturallybarren,showsplainlyenoughthatthismodeofcultivationisasprofitabletothelanditselfastothepeasant.[24]

ThisexuberantendorsementofmetayageisquitecontradictorytoYoung'.[25]

Withanimpressivecoverageoftheliterature,Millnotedthat"themetayersystemhasmetwithnomercyfromEnglishau-thorities."[26]Heclaimed"thattheunmeasuredvituperationlav-isheduponthesystembyEnglishwriters,isgroundedonanextremelynarrowviewofthesubject."[27]Mill'sownanalysisisessentiallyamodificationofJones's,and,moreexplicitly,'sviewthatsharerentisanalogoustoatax,andthereforefeltthatthetenantwouldnotbeinterestedinmaking"improvements."[28]Thus,"theimprovementsmustbemadewiththecapitalofthelandlord,"but"custom"is"aserioushindrancetoimprovement."[29]Inregardtolaborinput,Mill'sargumentgoesfrom"notenough"toapossibilityof"toomuch,"whichmayappearinconsistentatfirstsight:

Themetayerhaslessmotivetoexertionthanthepeasantproprietor,sinceonlyhalfthefruitsofhisindustry,insteadofthewhole,arehisown……,dependsonthedegreeofsubdivisionoftheland;whichdependsontheoperationofthepopulationprinciple……Thereisalandlord,whomayexertacontrollingpower,,however,attachgreatimportancetothischeck,becausethefarmmaybeloadedwithsuperfluoushandswithoutbeingsubdivided;andbecause,solongastheincreaseofhandsincreasesthegrossproduce,whichisalmostalwaysthecase,thelandlord,whoreceiveshalftheproduce,isanimmediategainer,theinconveniencefallingonlyonthelaborers.[30]