Duchy of Cornwall that they had won a lawsuit against the Commissioner of Woods and Forests, and that the Isles of Scilly were again available for lease. At this time, the Islands were administrated by a body known as the Council of Twelve, who derived their authority from the Duke of Leeds. The 6th Duke, George Osborne, had since given up the lease to the Islands, so the Council lacked its claimed authority. Due to this, as well as the lack of magistrates due to the absence of any local property owners, the Islands had become increasingly lawless. Moreover, due to the then-popular local practice of parents dividing their land between all of their children, farm holdings had become increasingly smaller and confusing, with many of the individual holdings being too small to sustain those who occupied them. Smith signed a 99-year lease for the Islands for £20,000 on 20 November 1834, and became the Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly, having visited the islands himself to assess them. In return, Smith was to pay a £40 a year rent to the Duchy, as well as spend £5,000 on building a new church and quay for St Mary's. He was also to be responsible for selecting and employing the Island's teachers and clergy. Smith gave himself the title of Lord Proprietor when he took on the lease for the islands. In March 1835, Smith, along with five others, became Magistrates for the Islands. Smith did not allow any clergy members onto the magistrates bench, due to their perceived "propensity for causing trouble". Smith employed W.T. Johns as his agent. After becoming the Lord Proprietor, Smith began to introduce numerous Benthamist reforms to the Isles of Scilly. Smith's proposed reforms were included in four main points. Firstly, he wanted all local children to have an education. Secondly, he would consolidate all the local farms to form larger, more sustainable holdings. Thirdly, he would eliminate the common practice of smuggling by providing better employment to all. Fourthly, he would encourage tenants an incentive to improve their holdings by giving them security of tenure. These reforms were very unpopular with the local population. Smith's consolidation of all the smaller holdings necessitated the eviction of many tenants, while his other reforms regarding smuggling and education were met with much scorn from the local residents. By 1836, Smith had completed the first stage of