The Express. — London, England, 1851-12-13 00:00:00

TIIE NEW REFORM BILL. Moe tT• Daily Neva.) TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL LErrra I. SIT LORD, permit me to remind your lordship of the heavy gill areepted by you at the commeLeement of the Lott session, and which—payable at twelve mouths' ' date -will PO soon become due. Oa the credit of your name the People lent to your political capital, and their subsequent co nduct has beam such as must have increased your l o rdship's desite—as it justifies their expectation— thi.t your engagements should bo tulle discharged. ly t veryttung should be done in ccder, allow me to rewind your lordship of the date of your accept sure. It was on the 2lith of Febitiary, 1851, that, hs tlw Kam of a debate on the extension of the frauel.ise, you pledged yourself as follows: "If I am a number of the government next year, I shall cert.:hale deem it my duty to lay my views upon this subject before the House of Commons." my lord, in the commercial world a man who puts his hind to paper in this way no doubt intends to plc in full, :red the law will force him to do so if he shrinks from his promise or endeavours to evade i:. Idu not venture to presume that you will shrink in any way from the full performaace of your pro. rise. Th it is not, I believe, your character or pi . ..etice. But you have partners in your cancers of whom the wort.' ge.ierully. and the commercial world especially, reasuu to think ill. 'Puy may endeavour to in lace you to shirk and shuffle. Tiley may wish you to ph: a limited interpretation: ou vour pledge: to nik-a.our toe iastead of manfully is teeming it. Ms lord, it will be my o'icet in what 1 mn about to address to you, t o shoe you the consequences of such a rourse--tbe constquetres to yourself, the conse quences to the nati , n, the consequences to the system y.et are L.Sertl to lie enxious to improve. ft will he ray rill:anew to show you, in its naked deformity, wlwt that pees ut system is—the mischief it is doing i.tv, the injury - it is doing to the state. And I di ate tioabt, my turd, that such a case can be made • eut y oi will see not only the wisdom but the thiperatitemesssity of a full and complete fulfilment of ia, pledge you gave and the expectation you . nisi. Vase nano: is too honourahle to suggest s susi:luei of your dealing iu " accommodation sisata, my lord, of " full sal complete " mem r•trt-. Ito not misinterpret me. I employ the parts.: sense in vs hielt a nustenite man would ut it ; fie people seek for uothilig beyond what ▪ iatiikra'e man may grunt. I say "lull and com p:to:" masers A. sense in which vou expressed y,s,,lf in licit, where in words which arc &plea to b. to I %cry period untl to every reform, you told IL:. Commons of England— •• +/ Aries , to forward 111 awe- tehirh • . 0 .0 40.eee e ~,a, fin 4 eltre • , ehf,..ls, bat whi,l4 Jed! anti dare the battle to be f •Nre . ed At..i hem hosing. referred to the debates on the litre:ca lA, I may be permitted to glance over a just p t l / 2 1. It:stary fur the purpose of inquiring sae that utea,ure was and what it left to be iscomplisht d Your lor.Lskip, in the speech from • 1 have quotes', delivered in debate in 1831, &heed the ltehorm Bill to be "a measure for the wth.ss of two enkcial grievances." They were, yea said— Ist.—lttm NOMINATION Or MEMBELS BT INDI %U.rALs. CNUFE EXPENSES OF ELECTIONS. It it thin. my lord, a proper subject of inquiry, bow far the It. to. in Act has cured these two evils \Oath your lordship especially designed it to re -s. Ry Schedule A of the Reform Act your lordship ei,strawhisesLiti boroughs which were in those days n4ori utsly subject to nomination influence. In the 211 years chick have rime elapsed their names have faded from memory; their very whereabouts is, iii 11111411 V cases, not easy to determine. Yet, my had. taing the list of the nomination boroughs of the present day, it is no difficult neater to match s-veral of the towns which you ruthlessly consigned to hdiedule A. Wherein, fur example, is Arundel lame independent in 18.31 than Appleby was in llelstone a more important place than lleytesbury ? or u by should the village of Westbacv return a metnber when the little town of Whitchureh Lis lust its franchise ? Disfranchise Ashburton, and iu half-a-dozen years it will be no more held in re membrance than Amerahani, which was a borough of quite as much impirtunce, and having the advantage of far better associations. Rut your lordship, no doubt, will take pride to yourself, and will congratulate the country, at having in tar putilied the representation of the nation. You *ill say you did a great work ; against all the in thane of the aristocracy von disfranchised fifty--six twaiinatiou boroughs: Well and good. But how many rennin? Let tine give your lordship it list of We nomination boroughs belonging to the aris tocracy in Isal. Strangely enough their number csactiv corresponds with the number of towns you placl iu Sc!fedule A. 2t) years ago. There were ut rv- stx nuudnation boroughs in England in 1s31; there are VilfV-Slx in ItQl; and here is the list, with the names and titles of the patrons : Boaorous. Arundel Avdouttua liewdley Briihnhirth Mr. Whitmore, M.P. Buckingham Burs St. Edmunds C. tint Chichester Chip?, nham Christchurch Earl ut Midmesburv. Cirencester Crieklaik Dorrhester i Earl of Shaftesbury. I Mr. Williams. Dudley Droitwich Eye Cirrat urinsaby Hamrick Mr. J. Attwood. Hertford Earl Cowper. Bristow Duke of Leeds. Huntingdon L youeston Duke of Northumberland. Lichfield Earl of Lichfield. Ludlow Lyinineton Sir 11. Burrard Neale. • Lyme 1016 )lr. J. Attwood. Malmcsbury MA on 31arlbsiesegk Margnis of Aylesbury. 31.rtow 14 kihnnt Earl of Egmont. Mormth Earl of Carlisle. Newark N.rtkalkirtsm Ktabenigik htersfickt I:. irate iticlimond Ifiripou lire Shaftesbary Stamford Marquis of Exeter. Trnsworth SKIL. Peel, M.P. *lavish/Lk Thetford f Duke of Grafton. I Lord Ashburton. Think Lady Frankland Burnell. Town Wallingford Wareham Warwick 11-, •-tlitr 7 Whitehareu Wilton Mr. Sidney Herbert, M.P. It •od.teek Duke of Marlborouoh. Wycomb e This by no means represents the entire case. I i‘c esefuded from the list many towns where an ati.toeratic influence is indirectly exercised, and where that influence is felt without being. or having n. Predominant. I shall have more to say of these horonelis hereafter, when I come to illustrate tho l i larks modes in which nomination influence is sunk( 41. Nlennwhile I submit the list for your itectiun and consideration, as presenting a state of things with which an y t new measure of Parliamentary rea ilef , must deal i it be worth submitting to the Pc9ple. ticherlnk A. my lord, was a step in the right dine- Von. The disfranchisement of Jul nomination L'oringhs Was, for the time at which it was accom- Pli'll , d, a large and valuable measure of reform. But lu-dale A was very incomplete. That schedule, as originally drawn, was far more sweeping and eaten. siv e i n its char acter than it proved to be when it r. , ..ed into a law. In the progress of the bill through Parliament modifications were made—compromises were made—what is far worse, private arrangements were made, between the ministers and the members, and the original Schedule A was the means of satis fying the doubts and difficulties of many a peer and commoner at the expense of the interests of the people. Several of the nomination boroughs, of which 1 have given you a list above, were included in the original Schedule A. Some were rescued from it altogether; others, only par tially escaping, were placed in Schedule 11, under which they were permitted to return one member. Now, my lord, I invite you to look at the condition of the boroughs which you included in your Sehe dub: 11. 'there were thirty of them. Recollect,—these thirty boroughs were to be purified: their boundru:es were to be extended: their burgize tenures were abolished, and the franchise was colikTred upon enlarged con stituencies in each of them: they were to he rescued from 'twill:lotion Lthience, and were to be made valuable contributories to the council of the nation. This is what was to be done with them: I will now proceed to give you an account of each, from which your lordship may judge how far they arc improved. Scur sw• e n. Ant - sot:T.—Before the Reform But, Was a pocket borough of the Duke of Norfolk : continues to be so at tile pres,ut time. AsitnrwroN—Was the property of Sir Lawrence Palk, and Lord Clinton: has, since tim Reform Bill, terra bought up with Sir Lawrence estate, by Sir James )t atm son, 11.1'., who has returned himself or Iris brother sines the yLur 1813, and upon whom you have just conferred a baronetcy for his mrntorious services—to your party. CA LN —W al a close borough of tin Marquis of Lallf flown( ; continues to he so. CH 187,•:1 ItCH W4S ::stays rotten; at present is under the control of the Eat of Maltne.bury. CuTnEttiir —Corrupt : ste t!.c proceedings lr fire tho Election Connuitt.e of 18W. DtlMil.lTll—Corropt the scene of the gros.4 'uribery and corruption in 1844, when it was contested by Mr. &ones Mn.! Mr. Morro. .... 1)1:%/i I wit—For:7l:rly b:longed to Lord Foley; has re cently become the hontiu..e borough of the larg,st landed propriet:sr in the di-tnet, Sir J s'an Pakington, who received als ilowet:y from Sir IL.Peel—for his meritoriou , t:xt. ebw 1e,....anh of sir Edward Kerrisun, who has. retorne.lhine,elf I.llCe the Itk form Bill. UILLAT (a anumr —ender the influence of the Hyman° family. llmacroNE—Divided by the Duke of Leeds and the Vrryan family. lloasuAm—Rotten to the core. Ilc rut —Yoram rly a riaque port, rei , cueil from nomina tion iulluenea by the occidental increasc of the town of Folkeetonc. 11 tainted with corruption. LAl:Net:...tox—A claw b.iniugh of the Duke of Nortbum berlan.l both hcfur , and since the ltkfurm Act. Ltatcetl:u—Fornerly Isclon t .ted to Lord St. 6:Trims ; is now pure, and the only pure borough of the thirty. LYMIt RE,llS—lter qtly I...uxlit up by Mr. John Att woot, who in eon.. gurney ut thu squabbles of the local attorneys h..s up to the rrest tit tune ga:nt 41 a has. tIAL,III . II,TiOfte ; ILL lIIa nomination of thu Earl of 50tf..11.. MI ..I— Close; Lords Dishy and Egmont poszen the influence. MotteErti—Close • the family have seated ouc of them% Ives for' borough ever Mum 183.. . . . lit/KT/IA LL LIMON—Ct.-7:e ; has 'anti' into the hands of Miss Palle, of Bi• !ale, at whose death it will proOably vo to hrr preinaiptire heirs, tho thihlrca of Sir Julio P. Beresford. I'ETLIP.FIELD—CIafe ; after a most disgraceful contest which lasted several years, and by which the town has been almost ruined, Sir William Jolluf r, who nominated for the borough prior to the Iteforra det, has recovered his ascen dancy, and returns Mown,. IiERIATE—CIme ; Lord Solll^Ti returns a relative. live—Ciuse; in the possession of the turteis ST. ITT.S—Corrupt. Susrenissentr—lainly controlled by the Marquis of strainsttr. Corrupt. TIRSIE—ts now entinly influenced by Lady Fi.:aLland Itussell, who returns her . . WALLl:co:•otto--torrupt, :is it always yr:L.; but the corrupt electors are beaten by the local influence of tin: largest hadosrner. WAILEHAM—IIa full , n from the control of the Ca'crafts under the dominion of Mr. lh..tx, entirely in consequence of the manufacture of fictitious rotes. _ _ WEsrutur--reirlipt and wider influence. The old proprietor, Sir 11.41 A Lup,m, eau return himself at any time. ILTO!C—In the hands of the Herbert". Woon4tuetc--Quite dim; not ten people in the borough dare oppose the Duke of l‘lirlborough. This is the havoc that twenty years has made with the boroughs that were to be reformed! You have in this list every specimen of corrupt constituency. You have the old nomination system in full vigour in some of the boroughs. You have it in others adul terated with brib.ry ; in others drowned by beer. In certain other cases these towns have been bought from their ancient owners, very much as they were bought and sold before dour Reform Act pa,sed. When your friend, Sir James Matheson, purchased Ashburton, I unhesitatingly say, that the influence the estate conferred over the parlia mentary electors of that borough was an element of the price he paid for the property. In the case of areham, you have one of the most flagrant examples of fictitious vote-making that it could have been possible to conceive, or that it is passible to ex hibit. Houses have been bought and built for the mere purpose of creating votes; and, as might have been expected, the longest purse has carried it. I shall have, on a future occasion, to direct your at tention to the condition of other boroughs in this list ; meanwhile, permit me, as in the ease of schedule A, to commend it to your grave consi deration. Your lordship told the House of Commons on the 20th of February that whilst you approved of the Reform Bill, you still thous ht that, "building on the old foundation, the rarliaiaent ought certainly to endeavour to improve the symmetry, and add to the convenience, of the ancient edifice." You will see, my lord, from the foregoing illustrations, how rotten are the timbers, and how imperatively necessary is a complete reconstruction. Build upon the old foundation if you please, but do not strive to use materials which must inevitably fall about your ears, and which will assuredly bring down with them the entire remainder of the edifice of the state. For the present, I beg to remain, My lord, your obedient servant, RUNNYMEDE. THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 13, 1851. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRO TECTION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY AND CAPITAL. Yesterday a numerous meeting of the members and friend, of this association was held at the Loudon tavern, fur the purpose of consulting en the present con dition of the agricultural and other producing classes of the country. and especially of the tenant-farmers. he chair was taken by the Duke of RtenetoNtr. On the platform we noticed : Earl Stanhope, the Earl of Maimeshury, the Earl of Gleneull, Lord Berner., Major Berestord. M.P. ; Captain Vyee, M I'. • Mr. G. F. Young, M.P. ; Mr. Bar row, M.l'. ; Mr. Baker, of Writtle ; Lord Reneleeh, the Hot. E. Terse, Sir Matthew White Itidb c, Bart. ; Sir W. B. Smyth, Bart.; Culeuel Williarne, General Landwith, Captain Tamer, dr. C. Banks, Mr. J. Blyth, Mr. Boys, &c.. &c. The noble CHAIRMAN said that the national society for the protection of domestic industry in all its branches, thought fit to call them together on the p resen t oece si on , no t fee the purpose of sending pt titions to the House of Corn wens--a House of Commons in which the great body of the people of thie country had no confidenee, but to ,hew to the friends of British industry that those great branches of national wealth were still determined to persevere, and to enter into a di, laratinu that nothing short of prot. etien to British industry would satisfy them. (Hear.) As timepresident of the association, he felt it a great pleasure and a great honour VI be Calit'd on to preside over it. It was not fleece- I easy for him, he trusted, to tell any f a rmer, or ce:enist, or any individual cugaged in any other branches of native in. I dustry, that he saw ne grouud for changing the opinions he had Do fregnently utter el on fermi. occasions. Olean heer.) He was not one of those 0 Ito could sit quietly down and see rein impending over the best interests of the country. (Ileer, her.) Ile believed it would not at tie present time do the any member of the agricultural body to go to the present pareement and ask them to revert to the old system of protection. Ile knew the present Howie of C 0131111044 well enough to letinw that by doiag so they would give a triumph to their meeourate, and 'lmp the seal of their friends. (Hoar, hear.) It appeared to bin that the tenstitucecice nt this (Feat empire h id a solemn deity to perform to their sneer urn, to themselves, and to hair re!. low men. (Hear, hear.) It was on the hustiegs that they, laying wide all party feeliags and minor censitlere thine, would be called ou to decide this greet vita tiou. They had the evidenee of the free trail, re, they bad the results of their predictions, and it would be their duty as a jury to try and decide the ise.te between free trade and protection. (titer, beer.) Du it he knew they would without favour or ulfectien. Let them core not about ridicule, nod let them deepi,i cajolery. (Hear.) LA them perfuna the duty which the constitution imposed uu them by re tunable good nna true men. (II r mr, bear.) Let there be no mist dee ns to the sentiments of the cesidadetet. Let them Kay, " Thank Cod we have not got the bellot, where men dire nut avow the sentiments of their mindo." (hear, hear.) And if they found conditlatcs who were backward anal Itikewarin iu their Cause, let them bring remelted tither men who st mid elm their duty to them. It was add that a (hinge of sentiment had taken place in the mind of Lord Derby, their leader. Ito would ask them not to believe one simper we: lof it. (Cheers.) Ile knew Lord Derby's high end chivalrous character, and he that lie was not the men to back out of and disguise hie senti ments. (Hear, le sr.) Let then' never deli re that Lord Derby changed his opiniewt till they heard it from his own lips, and from thus" lips he believed they never would hear that such woe the rise. (Cheers.) lie begged of them to unelrstuel that he adruceted not only protection for the farmer, but aleo a full and fait mutectiou foe every branch of native industry. Mr. hest:, the secretary, thou reed the following decla ration : " We remain firmly convinced that the disastrous condi- Bun of these great int,reots is mainly attrilnitalle to the un just, mi.ehievouo, and cruel policy,which under the speciouo appellation Of free trade, Las espee.ed British producers of all classes to a ruinous competitiou in the home market with the peoiluets of foreign labour. We maintain tne in alienable right of the highly taxed and restricted British producer to just Prot, ction smainst this encouragement of foreign in preference to British y. Anil, insisting on this principle, we emphatically protest against its abondon ment, ;or its bring compromised by the substitution of sorely palliative measures. We aflirin that, in the re-eota 14,h:omit of protection, no cissa of the community is so deeply interested as British labourers , who have been encou raged- to believe that their intercom wont.' be promoted by low money prices, while it has heeu coincided fro i them that the ueeemary result of low mouey prices mime ultimately be a correopondiug reduction in the wages of labour; so that not only would the industrial classes derive no possible benefit from such low prices, but, as compared atilt the monied class and persons of fixed incases, their *oriel posi tion would b, absolutely degraded. We further affirm that the same system has a direct and inevitable tendency to diminish the demand for Brithh labour, an effect which is already abundantly proved by the ulorming extent of the desertion of their country by industri o us and able-bodied labourers, who would never abandon home and kindred, were they in the state of prosperity predicted as the certain result of free•trade legislation, and falsely aserted now to exist. The deplorable condition of Ire land, its landowner., occupiers, and labourers, shows too clearly the nature of this boosted prosperity, and off wilt startling evidence of the state to which from the some cause Great Britain is rapidly hest ming. We declare it as our firm convict ms, that unless parliament shall, at the cattiest period, restore prut etiou to British industry, both in this country and in its colonies, the most disastrous consequences must ensue. Deploring unit &preen :in{ these lamentable and too probable results, we earnestly invoke the most strenuous exertions of all reflecting British subjects for the restoration of a justly protective policy, by which alone those results can be Recited. Finally, aware of the discouraging effects that roust be produced on the friends of protection by as ambiguous, uncertain, or waver ing policy, we deem it our bounden duty to call on British producers of every class to direct their united and undivided efforts towards the restoration of just protection to every British interest, without pertuitting their enertie4 or their attentiou to be diverted from that one great object by any projects of partial application . , or of minor import ince, however by whomsoever introduced or recommended." .... „.. Mr. BALL, of Cambridge, proposed the first resolution. He felt great pleasure in see:lig so large a number of dele gates from every part of England before him. It was a good augury of their ultimate success. They must come forward and declare that they would cease not, rest not, pause not, till they had obtained the full, entire, and com plete recognition of the principle of protection to native in dustry. (I kar, hear.) Ile deplored sonic of those speeches which had been male on recent occasions, because it led sonic people to imagine that the principle of protection had been abandoned. (Hear.) He did not believe that Mr. Disraeli departed front the sentiments lie always expressed, but his language, however, produced amongst the friends of protection an ambiguous, uncertain, and wavering polity. (hoar , hear.) It would show great ingratitude and unkindness on their part to exhibit any disrespect towards Mr. Disraeli, who had so eloquently defended their cause, and whose sword was, as he well and truly said himself, hacked from hilt to paint in their service. The noble lord, who had the blood of a Chatham and a Pitt flowing round his heart (Earl Stanhope) might say, " No, go on, in spite of all difficulties, till you succeed." That might do very well for the noble lord, but it would not do fur the tenant-farmers of England. (Hear, hear.) The landlords might ride through, and would ride through, but it would be very different with the farmers. It was true they were led by men who would not flinch. They had the noble chairman—(cheers)—and the Earl of Derby —(cheers)—with them. Men who would not give up their cause, and if they were true to themselves and were united together they would be successful. They had men amongst them who were well qualified to take the reins of govern ment. It was not alone the British farmers that suffered by . this ruinous policy of free trade. The colonies were ruined, the shipowners were loud in their complaints —that important body would be with them, the trades unions of the metropolis would be with them. (Hear, hear.) They had no reason then to despond. Let them bo united ; let them no longer talk of desertion sertion of their leaders, awl they would obtain not merely a victory but a great triumph. (Cheers.) Ile concluded by moving the following resolution : That the declaration now read be approved and adopted as embodying the senti ments of this meeting, and that it be referred to the acting committee of the National Association to circulate the same throughout the country with a view to obtain the concur rence therein of all friends of protection." Mr. C. WOItSLEY, of East Grinstead, seconded the resolution. If they believed that the state of the agricul tural interest was suffering great depression it became their duty to consider what they would do at the neat election. They would have to discriminate between their real and their nominal friends. (hear, hear.) The present govern ment might obtain a doubtful popularity as long as they could succeed in taking 100,000,0001. a year from the British farmer and giving it to others. But what would the result be when the labourers of thn country were thrown out of employment, and when their wages sunk, as they must do, to the level of the price of foreign labour, or even lower, because the taxation of this country was higher than that of foreign countries ? (Hear, hear.) Earl STANHOPE came forward and was received amid loud cheers. He said that they were then assembled under circumstances of grievous and general distress, and on a subject of extreme importance, to consult on he present condition of the agricultural classes, and not for the purpose of rehearsing arguments an favour of protection which have never yet been answered. He congratul fed them on the energy and zeal with which they hail maintained their rights, in which respect they exhibited a splendid example to the ether produciug classes of the country, fur they were not discouraged by the many difficulties they had to en counter, nor by the circumstance that they had been be trayed and deserted by many , whom they considered to be their friends. (Hear, hear.) They had:now to consider the causes which hitherto impeded their SUCCCS9, and the means by which that success could now be promoted and secured. The first and greatest discouragement iu their way was the desertion of their cause by many of the landed proprietors. With a few honourable exceptions they had remained ,ilcnt and inactive spectators of the mighty ruin which was over whelming all the interests of the country. (Hear, hear.) If the landlords of this country desired to retain the posi tion of influence and power which they heretofore exer cised, they must adopt a different course of action. (Hear, I hear.) Let it not be supposed that the other producing classes were exempt from blame. They knew that the West India interest was utterly ruined, mid that its property was confiscated. Did they hold any public meetings ? If so he had not heard of them. (Hear, hear.) They knew that the shipping interest was in a state of as arm depression and distress as the landed interest. Did they come forward, as they ought to have doer, when the repeal of the naviga tion laws, on which the naval supremacy of England da pended, was proposed? (Hear, hear.) With regard to 1 another most important class—the working people of this country—who had assembled to the number of 80,000, in Copenhagen-fields, the other day for a political object, of which lie would say nothing, hu regretted to say that not even 8,000 could be got together to complain of the grievances they felt. A WORAINU MAN—We are ready to do so with the landed interest to lead. Earl STANHOPErejoiced to hear it; but he would judge tho tree by its fruits, and when the fruits appeared he would acknowledge the fact. (Hear, hear.) But there was another matter to which he must allude. It would be well if others had shown the same consistency in the advo cacy of protection as the noble duke in the chair, who bad done hims.lf imperishable honour LT the finn coarse he had pursued on this question. (Cheers.) The noble duke had op posed with hint all free trade measures of *hr U. Peel. The lierl of Derby, on the contrary, had by an unfortunate expression declared that he would aut swerve from the policy of Pe el, some of whose measures supported when a mem ber of his cellinet. The lion. metnher for Oxfordshire (Mr. Henley) declared that they had no facts to go upon. (Hear, hear.) Why, what facts did they want? (Hear, hear.) The lon. member far Berkshire said, that if they did not get back protection, they must only exert themselves to meet their position. (Hear, hear.) Ile (Earl Stanhope) saw no other resource fur them than the union workhouse, l er exile from their native country. (Hear, hear.) They were told by the noble earl (Earl of Malraeshury) that they must give up protection if the neat House of Commons did nut go back to a protection. He (Earl Stanhope) would not Low to the decision of any House of Commons in which the working classes, who were mainly interested in this question, were not represented. (It is a shame.) lie agreed' in that sentiment; it was a shame. (Hear, hear.) Were they to bow to the decision of a house which sees elected by the vilest bribery anti corruption, or to that of any future house perhaps similarly elected, the majority of whose members did nit enjoy or de serve to enjoy the respect or confidence of the people? Were they to Low to the decisions of a house, the majority of which was returned by the power of the 101. houttholdeve In the towns? Were they to bow to the d -cision of that degenerate assembly, or of any other degenerate assembly ? (Hear, hear.) lie caul.' not conclude without adverting to aaather mischievous declaration made by Mr. Disraeli that they cuald not ask oc expect the restoration of the full and effective protectinr. they heretofore enjoyed. (Hear, hear.) Ile would ask why not? (Hear, hear.) Were their inte rests less involved? was their position lest powerfull, or their cause ices just now than it ever was ? (Hear, hear) Wouid they be sat:etied if a man offered them es. thl. in payment of a debt of 100'. ' for that was what the honour able member for Backs culled on them to de ? (Hew, hear.) Let them make a last and vigorous protest against this ninnstroue system et free trade, ageinet this wholesale rob- Itery and plunder which was devnuriug all classes in succes sion ; let teem act wi:lt that en.rgy mid patriotism which distitieuished Britons, and they must secure an ultimate and entire triumph for their cause. (Cheers.) Mr. ALEXANDEIt CAMBELL, a working man, said ho wouid address them on the question of labour, which deserved Hide utmost support anli attention. (Hear, hear.) Labour was the solute! of all the wealth; and it' the pro duce of labour deeerved protection, the producer* them selves were entitled to the first consideration. (Hear, hear.) The pulley of cheareaina ° everything to the lowest utenev value tended to enslave body and mini, and produced the neatest injury in the factories Leith of Eueland and Ire land. (Hear, hear.) The labouring classes of this country ceuld no lower find employment at home, and the conse quence was that they were flying across the Atlantic. He could assure the meeting that there was a strong tendency amongst the working men of the towns to make CO:4F1131/ canoe with them, ter they were beginning to find out by the beet of all teachers—experience—that tho systcia of free trade was destructive of their interests. (Hear, hear.) A short time since, a meeting of woreing men met in Glasgow, where it was stated that the average wages of the men did nut amount to Is. a week. (Hear, hear.) And this was the boasted commercial and manneicturing prosperity of which they had heard so much. (Bear, hear.) If these thins were allowed to go on, what security could there be for the peace and tranquillity of the country? (Ilene, hear) Ile understood that the miners of the north of England did not Linke on an :iverege more than from Ss. to 10s. a week. How e add men bring un their families mid give their children education on such wages? (Hear, hear.) They had heard taut the towns were against them. If that was so it was because they were deceived by falsehood and chicanery. Ilut the dint was being drawn from their eye s, and the working men would heartily co-operate with the agricultural holy in obtaining the abolition of the misery pro4ucing policy which now prevailed in this country. (Bear, hear.) - What they wanted w a fair trade before tree trade. (Chet rs.) Let them get fair trade and free trade would follow, though not the free trade which existed now, which was nothing but a system of monopoly. (Hear.) The reselu-ion was then put, and adopted unanimously. Mr. J. la I'OWLES moved the next resolution. lle had been invited, as a merchant of the City of Linden, to pro pose the next resolution, which he did with the greatest pleasure. ile could assure the meeting that no inconsider able part of the mercantile body sympathised with the fernier, of this country. (Hear, hear.) They were told that it was a degradation to their intellects to expect a re turn to ',Willem. Wile should it be so? He regretted that the gov rnment bail been so far deluded as to give their eatactieu to extreme and abstract view. of 'whited economy, far e etful of tee great national and moral interests which were involved in the question of protection. (Hir) Ile knew, from 141111.1 111 . the Anti-ecru-law League them selves, that they did not expect an entire abroeetion of the earn laws, and that they wnild have been willing to accept a compromise of a Go. duty on corn. (Hear, hear.) No thing seesaw,. destructive of the Weat India caionics than the system of free trade. (Heir, hear.) When the act fur the emancipation of the slaves passed, the West India pro prietors were prozerted against slave-grown sugar; but the governineut went ou iu their ruinous policy to take that proteetiou away, and to brine them into competition with slave-grown sugar. (Hear , hear.) He had heard that when the news arrived in Cuba six ships had been sent out to Africa for slaves, and lie did not know that the town of Havanna was not illuminated on that occasion. (Hear.) The resolutien he had to propose was an follows That all persons engaged in the various branchee of native in dustry, whether as aericulturists, colonists, shipowners, morcliants, tradesmen, artisans, labourers, or otherwise, be earnestly entreated to combine their efforts for the purpose of securing the return to parliament, at the next general election, of representatives pledged to support the prin ciple of just protection to all British interests ugaiast unre stricted for ien cninpetition." Mr. If. J. wEstvonELAsn, a member of the Howse of Assembly at Juiutlica, seconded the resolution. He se conded the resolution as a colonist, and to tell tlieut that their free trade policy but brought the colonies to the verge of ruin, anti that, if persevered in, must be followed by total and complete ruin of these colonies, and their ultimate loss to the British crown. (Hear, hear.) Bail as was the condition of the British farmer, that of the British colonist was much worse. (" Impossible.") Within the last three years the price of sugar had Eaten 81. a ton, and when the little remaining protection they enjoyed was taken away, no- thing less than absolute ruin would ensue. As facts were better than arguments, he would give them a 'few illustrations of the effect of a free trade policy. He knew one estate which had cost 10,000/., and upon which 8,000/. additional had been expended, which was to be ,old for 4,000/. (Hear, hear.) Another estate which I cost 20,0004. was offered to himself for 1,100/., which was not the cost of the still and engine upon it. (Hear, hear.) He ranted a farm himself, but he candidly told the pro- prictor that lie would not pay rent for it. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) If he went to the labouring population what result did he find ? What was the 20,000,000/.paid for ? It was with a view of civilising the population. That civilisation was going on on every side, but since the false act of 1846 education was given up, and the churches were deserted. (Hear, heer.) When the colonists were treated in this way by England, was it to be wondered at that the people were sighing for some other government whose motto was "Protection to native industry." (Cheers) He had always been told that colonies, ships, and commerce were the bulwarks of England, and if the two former were languishing, how could commerce possibly flourish ? (Hear, hear.) lie begged to second the resolution. Mr. CHAMP, a working man came forward, and added his testimony to that of Mr. Can:beil, as to the feelings of the working classes throughout the country in regard to protection. The resolution was put, and carried unanimously. Lord BERNEHS moved the next resolution, viz. : " That this meeting desires to record its deep . sense of the peat obligation of the producing and labouring classes of the country to the acting committee of the National Associ ation, and especially to their able and deservedly respected chairman, George Frederick Young, Esq., M.P., for their 'strenuous and unceasing exertions on behalf of the cause of just protection to all native interests, and to assure them of the entire scmpathy and undiminished confidence which their efforts Lave inspired. And all friends of protection are hereby earnestly called On to support the association, and to co-operate with it to the utmost of their ability in obtaining a reversal of the present system of free importa tion, falsely celled free trade, which is fast sapping the sources of national wealth, and threatens to consummate cre long the ruin of the country." The Earl of MALMESBL fIY came forward amidst loud cheers to second the resolution. He said ho was proud to say that he was no stranger amongst them—(hear, hear)—and although the noble earl near him had insinuated —(Earl Stanhope: What has been charged ?")—that he was amongst those who might have misled and deserted them, and who might pos.sibly have deceived them, he would not condesceud to refute that assertion, because he stood amongst those three who knew that the con trary was the fact. (Heir, hear.) Ile would merely beg of them, as their most earnest and most devoted, and he trusted he might add, tried friend, to dispel from their minds any suspicion which might possible be entertained or insinuated, that they were deserted or deceived by cer tain leaders in the houses of parliament. (Hear, hear.) Men situated as they were had only that power which the electors placed in their hands: they were but individuals swayed by circumstances—swayed by adverse circumstances like any other men : mud it was for those who had elected them and chi reed them on heretofore to continue their sup port till the last. If a policy from which ho for one never shrunk could net be carried into effect from a change of cir cumstances, to the utmost point which some of them might desire, they would at all events do their best ; but that best must be entirely, absolutely, and completely measured Ly the power which they at the next election would place iu their hands. (C'seers.) Mr. G. F. YOUNG, M.P., briefly returned thanks, as he would, he said, have an opportunity of addressing them at greater length at the dinner which was to follow the meet ing. He would only sty on that occasion that no words of his could express the sense of gretitude he felt at the large and generous confidence which had been placed in him. (Hear, hear.) He advised theta to give their entire coati deuce to their leaders, who had honestly and straightfor wardly endeavoured to do their duty twcards the tenant ' farmers. (Cheers.) There might be differences of opinion amongst them in details, gad amongst large bodies such differences must always exist, but at bottom th, y were all sound. (Cheers) From this auspicious hour the protec tionist party would unite heart and hard. (Cheers.) :They would discard all little jealousies and apprehension., and place entire confidence in their leaders. (hear, hear.) Their leaders would not swerve from their upright course, but, even if they were inclined to do so, they would not allow them. (Cheers.) Mr. Barrow, M P. proposed, and Mr. R. Baker seconded a vote of thanks to t 112.: noble chairman. The Duke of RICHMOND, tu retuning thanks, said that the constituencies of the country were in favour of pro tection, for if they were not why vves it the the government wished to change these constituencies ? (Hear, hear.) Ho thankad them for the honour they had done him, and would conclude by calling on them to Mee three cheers for Lord Derby and the success of their endeavours to regain protec tion. (Loud cheers.) The meeting then separated. DINNER TO G. F. YOUNG, ESQ., AT THE LONDON TAVERN. Yesterday evening. the honourable member for Scarborough was entertained at the Lona.loa TAVCriI by up wards of 090 of the tenant farmers of England. We have seldom seen so thronged an assemblage even at this well knowntemple of prandial celebrations. The chair was taken by Mr. JOHN Emitter, a tenant farmer of Sussex. After the nsual routine toasts, The CHAIRMAN we, in a highly eulogistic speech, in the course of which he intimated that Mr. Young would be returaed for Cambridgeshire at the next election, the health of Mr. G. F. Young, the guest of the evening, which was responded to by the company with several distinct rounds of applause. Mr. YOUNG, in returning thanks, disclaimed any per flual claim on the notice of the tenant timers of England. lie was not so vain as to imagine that they had ma on that evening merely to honour so humble en individual a.e him self, but Was convinced that their object was to uphold a great principle—(hear, hear)—ho meant the principle of protection, on which, as he believed, depended the prosjeri.y, the honour, and integrity of this great com mercial empire. (Loud cheers.) He knew that they had dicalties to surnaount, but psis deep convietion was, that there great cause was rapidly progres.ing. (Herr, hear.) He should, with the permission of the company, endeavour to elm,' how all the free trade predictions hod been falsiaied. Sir Robert Peel had first told them they should bare sire , . the quarter for their wheat —(three groans for Peel)—and in 1819 it came down to 445. Ito load early stated his he lief that even 41s. was not an exceptional prier, but that corn would fall lower. They had now tome to lt-il, and who was I.:Wet ? Corn was now at an average of 10s. (Hear, hear.) At length minister; themselves got alarmed, or else: why mention the farmers in the Queen's speech ? (Hear, lacer.) What was the price now ? ills. (Hear, hear.) His - belief was that, with he.a trade, corn would gradually sink down to 303., and he was by no means cure that it would not sink even below that amount. (Hew.) Ha belief was that the foreigner could supply our waste, and that there were many regions in which corn could be produced without almest any refecenee to price at all. (Hear.) Mr. Young proceeded to complain of the allegation in tree trade organ, that the people were never in so good a condition as at present. Even the fair men it was aal alle g e , were reconciled to r. cent events and prepared to "rough it," like the rest of their neighbours. Were they ? (No, no.) Fird it was inserted that rents were well paid. True, but were they paid out of profits? (No, no.) Ili, belief was that the Entieli firmer could not cultivate hie lanai profitably under coy reduction of rent. (Hear.) M'Calloch said that corn was not high because rents were paid, but rent was paid became cons was high, thus excluding rent as an element of price end making it merely a coneequence. Landlords should look to this, as rent could only exist permanently with good prices. llear, hoar.) Nor was it merely a landlord's question; tenants, labourers, and farmers were equally interested, prico then was ie firet thing to be ounitlered. But at was said, what Was a living price ? Ile returned the taant, and inked what price they meant to reduce to. (Ilea: hear.) Ile would not fix a peke, but this he would say, that without a considerable alteration inevitable desti tution awaits.! the British fanner. (Hear, hear.) It was ureed that high prices hail brought much bed landinto cultivation, that was true to soi:l2 extent, hut was not any thing a blessing which converted the howling redden's:es into smiling gar.lait ? (Cheers.) They had millions of acres uncultivated, mid there was abundance of capital ir. Lomberd-strcet. The only thing left to ask for was labour, and serely they could not complain of the want of labour when they were annually heading 309,00 J of their country men to furelen lands. If they were prosperous at home they would net wander, for they might depend upset it that nn man was fonder of his native land than the British labourer. lie was naturally a protectionist beeeueo he re quired protection for his own labour. (Hear, hear.) Well, then, was the colonial interest prosper' ous ? (Na, no.) lie would tint dilate on the state of our sugar colonies, which had been so well exemplified in the morning ; but h ad our other colonies' nothing to com plain of ? Was the Cape contented ? (No.) Wax Canada, New Brunswick, or Australia?? (Cries of " No, no.") Tae next point to which Mr. Young endeavoured to draw the utteution of bid hearers was the repeal of the navigation laws; but the farmers evidently know nothing about the matter, and cared as little, se they kept un a lively conver sational accompaniment to hie own statistics. Air e under stood the general result of his heaves to lee that the foreign shipping had grown upon the British at Me rate of GO per cent. in a year and ten months. lie believed that maritime commerce wae passing lust from Great Britain, und that before the end of four years it would be mainly in the hands of the Americane. (Hear, hear.) Well, then, agriculture was distressed to the last degree. Commerce was embarrassed, the labourer was flying from your »lune" anal where, then, were the blessings of fret teethe? (Hear, hear.) One monster fallacy that had been put forward by their opponents, anal endorsed by Sir Robert Peel, was, that foal would be cheaper and in greater abunilauce fur the people. In 1849 Sir Robert l'eel exclaimed in triumph, We have haal 9 millions of quarters of corn imported, and since ail the English corn has 1.5.1.11 casemate 3, the surplus must all have "Well eaten by the people." The fret was, as he (Mr. Young) believed, that the importation merely , sup plied the place of the wheat land which, on the passing of free trade, la :ad been applied to other purpoets. Let them look at the case of poor unhappy Ireland. Formerly we drew between three and four million quarters annually from that country, and now she imported to the extent of two million quarters. Mr. Young, in conclusion, recom mended unity of purpose, determination, and conciliatory conduct, and promised an early and prosperous solution to the question of protection. As for himself, ho was pledged to their cause—if he should turn out a recreant, they might slay him ; if ho should fall, he hoped they would avenge him. (Cheers.) Mr. BOVILL gave "The Duke of Richmond and the protectionist peers." The Duke of RICHMOND, in returning thanks, said that be had with pleasure accepted an invitation to a dinner given in honour of George Frederick Young. (Cheers.) Ile believed that the agricultural interest was on the brink of ruin, and that nothing could restore it but u return to a moderate system of protection. Ile conjured the tenant farmers to support Mr. Young and his friends, and not to relax their efforts 'until they obtained a remedy tsar their grievances. (Hear, hear.) The noble duke concluded by giving the health of the chairman. Mr. ELLMAN returned thanks. The other toaaU were, " The Protectionist Members of the House of Commons," " Ships, Colonies, and Commerce," and s " The tistional Association." The party broke up after these toast., hut it had been previously much thinned by the number of farmers having to catch the various mail trains. In the lower room, while the more distin7ukhed com pany were occupied in the lark banquet li,dl up stairs, about 150 tenant farmers assembled under the presidency of Mr. Paul Fuakctt, there not being space to accommodate the whole body in the upper and larger chamber. Amongst the guests at the principal table in this room were Messer,. i Cayley Warsley, Westmoreland , Stone (of Oxfordshire , Day, Cressingham, Packman, Cheetham (of Hunpshire , Lamb (of Sussex), the Rev. Charles Day, and the Roy. I . C. Packman. The cloth having been rernovA, and the usual toasts given and acknowledged, The CHAIRMAN next gave the toast of the evening, the health of Mr. George Frederick Young, who, though a whig, was a staunch protectionist. (Hear, hear.) They had heard of treachery in the camp—and who might now be considered the leader of the opposi tion of the House of Commons he did not know ; but this he knew, that the agricultural body would always look on Mr. Young as their leader in that assembly, and with that gentleman in the one house and the Earl of Derby in the other, he had no doubt they would be yet able to fight the battle of protection with success. (Hear, hear.) The lion. E. LAWLESS, as an occupier of land in Clare, contended that in Ireland, under free trade, the rent absorbed the whole produce of the land. —......,....... . .. Mr. CHEETHAM, of Solith Hants, save the health of the Duko of Richmond, the Earl of Derby, the Earl of Malmesbury, Lord Berner!, and the proti.sitionist peers, to which, at a later period of the evening, Lord BEUNEAS replied. Mr. CHOULER proposed tha protectionist members of the House of Commons. whosaid he had received a requisition, and hoped he should be able to advocate their interests as the representative for the county of Oxford, gave " the Church," coupled with the healthy of tho rev. gentlemen who were present at the present meeting. Tho Rev. C. DAY returned thanks, and expressed his regret that the heads of the church and the clergy, as a body, did not support the reuse of the agriculturists, which was not only that of the farmer and the landlord, but that of the labourer also. Mr. WESTMORELAND, a member of the assembly of Jamaica, gave " Ships, colonies, and commerce," and-de tailed the grievances of the colonies as resulting, as he said, from free trade. IbeKealibOftChairman of the supplemental meeting was next given, which Mr. F,MISETT duly acknowledged, availing himself of the opportunity to attack the late Sir R. Peel, who ho had suspected ever since he betrayed the protestant cause, and mere so when he saw that statesman's Canadian Corn Bill of 1812, when ho (Mr. F. was only 17 years old. Ho entered largely into ancient history, quoting the example of Tyre, Carthage, Rom.•, and other countries as showing that when a country Iseg in to depend on foreign supplies for the food of the peaplo their decline commenced. What would be the result, lie asked, if we were to be engaged in another European war, and he bc hoed we were on the eve of such a war. Why, the result would be a famine in the land—(hear, hcar)—and a rise in the price of corn from 365. to 13(is. lie then quoted from the reports of Fnme of the charitable and religious societies in the ruat districts to prove that their receipts had fallen oil in consequence of the distress of the agriculturists as arising from free trade. Ile asserted also that not only (lid free trade produce poverty but disease :voting the small fArmerA, and to that cause he attributed nil the unhappiness that existed either its town or country in the British empire. The Rey. C. DAY, in a very long speech condem natory of free trade, proposed "Full justice to the tersant fanners." Mr. G. F. YOUNG having just entered the room oft^ran afTordionate welcome from Mr. Fosk tt, who told him that he and those assembled in that room " loved " him as tho dcfsnder of their cause, repeated in effect the ad tress he had delivered to the company upstairs. The " Natim d A:sociatiou " and the other toast , of tho upper roust were rept uteri, and the company separated at a late hour. THE RESOLUTIONS ON REFORM AT/OPTED BY THE MANCILESTER CONFERENCE. A public meettn; was had in the school room of the Working :dell's Ilan, Iturw Edge.street, Oninam, on Ncednesday evening, to receive the report of the delegates to the Tate reione confelenee at Manchester, ao I to return mold the scheme of reform adopted by the pubic meeting in the Fr, e is rode Mall, on the 3rd inst. At about eight o'clock, on the motion of Mr. CROWTHER" Mr. H. W. num sr.ui called upon to take the chair. Ha war received with loud cheers, Anti after making some judi cious remark , respecting the prose: eta of a speedy rctbrna in parliament, and the certainty of the success of the NIAn.- ch rater •cheme. if heartily anti atumbuously supp:ated by the great bulk of the middle and working cl.i.x•a of this cottatry, he called upon I'eter Seville, Esq., to read the report of the deputation appointed to represent the borough of tlitlason at the late Manchester contert tee. Mr. SEVILLE was very warmly received by tire mzeting, anti, in a lucid and practimil sgeeeh, u.ive a very iatisfactory rvi,ort of the proceeding., at M ineliewter. no recaiumended in detail, the various principle 4 contained in t.w ,riei of resolutiong moved by John Bright, Esq., M.l' , in the Free trade Ball, and atter a ap.ech of great power, which occu pied nearly an hour in delivery, he sat down aluitlat land cheers. Mr. W. TWEEDALFI moved the following resolution: "That in the opinion o: this meetiog the seneiti • of parlis , meistary totem, adopted uy the 3latiehester coulee nc.•, is • wise and prJetieablo meas=ure, und deserves the eO-..peration and hiarty safioori of the middle• and working Cl 4 Of this country. This meeting, therelore, pledges i.self to use ever,. cobstilutiomil cue 1111 in Its power to eau,• the sant.: to become the lux of the laud." Mr. Tw: 1141 , :3 rent rks were brief, practical, and clolueat, and were repeati fly ,cheered. Mr. J. CAROM'S, in a lengthy and very argumentative speech. seconded the resolution, which, utter a nuinher of questions had been asked by Mr. Cheethain and :mother reran in the holy of the meeting, and satistaamily an swered, was tarri•-a unaMmousiy amidst laud Mr. J. L. QUARMIIV, of Mumps, ntovcd thy next That the following petition ha adopt:A by this mewing, sinned as numerously as pmsnle i.y the in!mbi tants of Oltdonit and pr.:scoffed to the lloa i Commons by our wspeeteee member, W. J. Fox, Esq.:—•• To the Honourable the Cruantuns of din .t Britain and Ireland, in parliament assembled. The petLioa of the un dersign,: I, burgesses and other inhabit 11114 Of use borough of Oldham, iii the county palatine of Lane is tr, in koildto meeting assaubltsl, this tenth day of December, 1.01, Respectfully showe 6,—That iu the 0.;., of your petitioners no people eau ha. truly happy it out %Am): pktely free. That no p. a:ole can be completeiy fr., when, the great bulk of the adult males urn dein ived by low of a vole s in coasting the tutu who make tha laws of the country by waieh they aro governed. Thal the snort:ago now hi we in this country is, in many places, i r:sitive . rtl s became it is not fortotaefed by the ballot. Thai 4, ait e the rem...waive panci;de its tot efficacy, it mu not eniy be protected by Mu ballot, but pardantaits must ne of a touch short,: ouratiun, the representation be moor, f del di tri bated amuilitat the 14 no property 40.41,h-then lo ins required ter members of path:L:ll.lkt, and awe of theta as are too pier to wave their country ut their own imli,idusl cant being remunerated ha their services. •• in order that taxation ratty be more fairly fsvied ; that commerce way be evnyletely free front all taxational no post ; that the food of the ;comic be In. from gcveatte (aits, ler to tax the S.ltitellallCC of the petiol.., in the opt 'dim of your petitioners, in both unwise, witkeo, pond cruel ; and that the sulneets of these realms way be rtlttiously iroe also, no man beiug tax- il to maintain I.! u ridigesus Mnaolf anode r; your petitioners, thrrefore, cam saiy but moat respectfully pray that a nobrin of the retires, itt dive system of thii csmatry may be made by your honourable hints-, to tht f.dtowiug effect : That the elesi;ve franchise may b :riveit to every man Great Britain and Ir.Otatt .5 ..oes Dante appears upon Ilia rate-book of borough in which lie red!..s, prov:d.di such r, shall not have ligen less tl. :at six month.-; thin W.)11 . 0,01,0: of any rate he may owe no; to disqualify him a, ..1 1 ,;tug, seeing that, sounar or lab r, the I will cony a , pay; that the principle of (ho des. fret:holds lei • ,i.h. tto leasehold and costyliold property alto; that the v.•!. r'it pro tected by the ballot; that parliaments be nut o three years' duration ; th at the property ,Imil :, • .;,,. t for mein'eg •be nle!islu'el, said a better distribute', oi ao re presentation given to the people titan that a mit at pro scat so much disgracea this eouatry by the , e iul bri'aTi and corruption aid t prevail in 'dame all toe 4111 tit bo roughs. Tritsring that your hooeuraide lioase still be pleased to give to time allegatiotiv your mow s, rimos deration, your petitioners, as in um>, bairn 1, wid ever pray, ea.., &c." The stsitinteuts express-of in the petition wa e r.;itatcilly cheered by the meeting awing its reading. Mr. Quarmby exhorted the merlin,: to tank all minor dill •reucts, and warmly and Martily to eo-operate with the g sidemen who had tarried the riTeal of the core, laws, and who, if hat ked by a tam nation of the middle and working 1 . 1.1•4.,,, v. most cert•tatly tarry a measure width wont.' elevate the working men of Ei.;!,titil from a state of pain it at slat, ry to freedom. Mr. Qaariuby concluded by antos,a4 twat the petition just read be adopted by the meeting. This was briefly seconded by Mr. J. BAILEY, till pissed, unanimously, and after n vote of thankt to aat v., and a rmsiminendation that every luau prise-at should use his best cialtavours to gain as many inumbers to the Re form Association as possdile, the meeting ttriti in .te !, pliatied with the lase:toilings, at about hall-past Ia Otauck. EAST INDIA MILITARY COLLEGE, ADDIS- COMBE. Yesterday, a deputation from the East India house, comisting of the chairman of the compuy, John Shep:ierd, Esq., Sir James Weir nogg, 13. rt., deputy-chairman; Lieutenant-Colonel W. IL Si tea (vice president of the Royal Society), General Si J. 1.. w Lush. ington, G.C.11., &e., proceeded to the company** military seminary, at Addiscoinbe, for the purpose of receiving the report of the public examiner, General Sir C Paeley ; and also a report from the lieutenant.governor (Lieut.-Colonel Aubott), on the progress of the gentlemen cadets in the various branches of science, and elistributint the rewards and other honourable distinctions gained 54.1C.1 the last term. Amongst the visitors were his Grime rho Archbishop of Canterbury, Major-General Sir George l'ollock, Genera de la Mutts, Colonel Hay, and also Peer lbralkeen Khasi and Sycd Abdallah, two East Indians, who appeared is their Oriental dresses. Thu examinations were col:doctor' by Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Paisley, It.R., assisted by l'rufessor Cooke, and the answers to questions, both verbal and written, were most satisfactory to a very nu merous auditory. The following gentlemen of the first class were then classi fied as follows:—For Engineers: Mears. James P. Rase* Eneas Perkins, Eliot I'. Brownlow, gelgoonie, D. Thompson, and William 1). Goodfellow. For the Artil lery : lessrs. James 11. M. Martin, Francis F. sheppoe, Frederick S. Roberts, Horatio I'. Hitching, John Stewart, Alexander J. Trotter, George Cracklun, Edward I'. Lewin. William E. Stevenson, Albert Tulleinache, E lward L. Hawkins, Edwin A. C. Lambert,Charles P. Roberts, Henry L. Dempster, George Ilagganl, John W. Watkins, toll David 1). Anderson. For the Infantry Messrs. William F. Shaw, Henry U. M. Van Ileylbuysen, Charles A. Denny, Claude M. Ducat, Cohn A. 'tole:aeon, Alfred Uttersun, Eredk. H. Wilson, Welby W. Madam, Mark B. Tanner, Charles Sutton, Charles Warren William 0. Cox, Thos. H. Way, eorge C. Marsh, and Charles O. Smith. The following prizes were then awarded : First class.—Mr. James P. : First prize in mathe matics, first in military surveying, prize in ILL:last:ad, first prize in Latin, and first prize for good conduct (tho latter prize being a splendid artillery sword). The Chairman, in presenting the sword. said hc had great pleasure ' in the name of the Court of Director., ;n pre senting him with that mark of their esteem fur 1:11 exem plary conduct during his stay at Addincatalw, ute:. trusted that he would continue in the same course, which was tho sure way to honour and distinction. It was then declared that ha was the successful competitor for the Pollock large gold medal. The Chairman said he had again mach plensure in pre senting him with the medal struck by the iuhe'•itants of Calcutta in honour of tho distinguished aervic, i of his friend, Sir °corgi: Pollock, which he now presented to him. It was indeed an enviable prize, and a suitablo rew .rd for his talent, as it was honourable to the distinguished general whose name it bore—an officer not leas distinguished fur his gallantry in the field than for his anxious devotion to main tain the honour and the interests of his country. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Encas Perkins, second prise in math:lnatics, prize in geology, and prize in military drawilm; Mr. Brownlow, seethed prize in fortification, second prise for good conduct, second prize in Hindustani, and prize in geology; Mr. William W. Goodfellow, prize in military drawing; Mr. James N. M. Martin, first prize in fortifi cation ; Mr. Albert 'folleinache. prize in French. Second Class.—Mr. Arthur M. Lang, prise in mathema tics, in fortification. Latin, and Hindustan° ; Mr. Henry F. Hancock, prize in military drawing and in mllita.y utrvey ing ; Mr. Edward W. Ilinuphrey, prize in keslnch and third prise for good conduct; Mr. Douglas G. Manning, prize for civil drawing. Third Class.—Mr. John 11. Hunter, fourth prize for good conduct. The Chairman then addressed the cadets upon their prospects and duties. The Archbishop of Canterbury then added a few observations, and the proceedings terra acted. THE SMITHFIELD CATTLE-SHOW. Yesterday brought to a close one of the most suc cessful exhibitions the Smithfield Club has yet had, whether in regard to the number and quality of the stock shown, the amount of sales, or the throng of visitors. The crowd was yesterday at least as great as on Thursday, and the re ceipts for admission during the four days mud have hand somely compensated Mr. Bouloois for the expense he has incurred in enlarging the show yard and increasing the ac commodation. The persons in attendance calculate that on each of the first two days nat fewer than 50,000 persons were admitted, and both on Thursday and Friday that num ber was nearly doubled. That that increasingly important branch of the agriculturist's occupation which consists in the breeding and rearing of cattle is largely benefited by the annual exhibitions of this and similar societies is evident from the improved character of the animals brought into competition on each succeeding occasion. It rarely happens that the quality of the stock remains stationary for two years together, and much seldomer is there any deterioration. In years gone by we saw at these Christmas gatherings none but huge unwieldy Wrests fattened up with oil cake and other stimulating food to a maximum of unwholesome adiposity, at which they were valuable for little else than the purposes of the soap. boiler. Now, on the contrary, we have animals which, though carrying an ample supply of fat to do justice to the Christmas sacrifice, prove also that the farmers and graziers who have sent them are turning their attention to those points which are essential to the maintenance and improvement of the character of the several breeds. This remark, as regards the present exhibition, is applicable in the cattle to the Herefords, the Berens— and in an especial de • gree to Mr. Deuce's beautiful little cross-bred cow—and to the sheep in general, but to the Southduwns more particularly. The Duke of Richmond stated the other day at the dinner that it was vain for the exhibitors to hope for direct pecu niary profit in the prices obtained at the exhibition sales, but that their reward must be looked for in the additional value which the award of a prize or a commendation from the judges conferred upon their stock in their respective localities, adding—(and the observation leads to the ex pectation that we shall have his grace among the most strenuous advocates fur the removal of the advertise ment tax)—that he looked upon the expense in the light of payment for a duty-free advertisement. To a certain extent his grace's observation is no doubt well founded, though we apprehend the cost of preparing stock to com pete at these shows will decrease just in proportion as care is taken in their breeding,improved and economy and cul tivation are carried out in the farm. Two circumstances in connexion with the recent Baker street exhibition struck us as well worthy of the notice of the farmers of all parts of the country : the one, that cattle there shown as haviug becu fed entirely on natural food—that is, roots, grass, straw, &e.—arrived in as good condition as far as flesh is con cerned, and were almost as successful in the competition, as those which had been supplied abundantly with the more stimulating diet of oil-cake (though in the ease of one animal, a cross ox from Aberdeen, a considi.rably greater distance had been travelled) ; the other, that the animals which hung most on han d at the sale were those which bore the greatest superabundance of fat. On the whole, we arc dis posed to regard the Smithfield Club show of It it as encou raging alike to the farmer and the landlord; for while care fully-bred and properly-fel stock commands a ready market at fair prices, the one aced has e but little fear of being ruined by foreign competition, or the other that the rent of his land will be permanently depreciated. :::~ ~j ~~ 14