Ley Lerdo (English spelling)

The Law on the Dissolution of Perpetual Property was enacted in Mexico in 1856. It was named after the Minister of Finance, Miguel Lerdo, who drafted it. It was a land reform law that was promulgated by the liberal faction that won the revolution of 1854-55, following the Juarez Law (Judicial Reform Law) of 1855. The main points of the law were: (1) all religious and secular organizations (such as the Catholic Church and Indian communities) were prohibited from owning land and real estate other than that which was directly essential, (2) they were to transfer the said real estate to tenants or tenants at a set price within three months, and (3) in the event of a violation of the above provisions, they were obliged to sell the property to a "whistleblower" or a third party. When this law was enacted, it was met with fierce opposition from the church, conservative forces, and even Indian communities, which led to the civil war of 1858-60. The aims of the plan were to weaken the economic power of the Catholic Church, democratize land ownership, and abolish semi-feudal land ownership to promote capitalist development in Mexico. However, in the end, most of the dismantled land was concentrated in the hands of merchants, speculators, liberal landowners, and foreigners, marking the beginning of the growth of a "new landlord class."

[Takashi Noda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1856年、メキシコで制定された永代所有不動産解体法。名称は起草者の大蔵大臣ミゲル・レルドにちなむ。1854～55年の革命に勝利した自由派が、55年のフアレス法（司法改革法）に続いて公布した土地改革法である。その大要は、（1）すべての宗教団体および世俗団体（カトリック教会やインディオ共同体など）は、直接必要不可欠なもの以外の土地不動産所有を禁止されること、（2）3か月以内に定められた価格で当該不動産を小作人もしくは賃借人に譲渡すべきこと、（3）前記規定に違反した場合には、「告発者」もしくは第三者への売却を義務づけること、などが定められた。この法律が施行されると、教会や保守勢力、さらにはインディオ共同体民の猛反対を受け、58～60年の内戦に発展した。カトリック教会の経済力の弱体化、土地所有の民主化、半封建的土地所有の廃棄によるメキシコの資本主義的発展などを目ざしたものであったが、結果的には解体地の大半は商人、投機家、自由派地主、外国人などの手に集中され、「新興地主階級」成長の出発点となった。

［野田　隆］

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