The Press. — London, England, 1858-10-02 00:00:00

952 think that they fitly represented the state of parties I in the House of Commons. The toast was so like that of "Speed the Plough," with nobody to say a word about ploughing, that lie hardly knew how to say anything about it. He snppoied, like other members of Parliament who had attended agricul tural Dinners, he must congratulate them on the abundant harvest which ha I lust been reaped. How did they know but that the Commons would be down upon those crops and tax them, on behalf of army and navy estimates, or those great mysteries, miscel. laneous estimates? There were some great crops to be gathered, and be had agricultural proofs to Ulna. trate them. One in particular was certain to appear next session. That crop was Reform, and it was a very important crop. It was known to have been introduced into this country about thirty years ago, and since then had impregnated the whole soil. There were some cultivators who thought they alone had a tenant right to the crop. That was a mistake, and was opposed to the practice of the science. It was strictly an agricultural subject, as they would all see when they returned to their posts ; they would find there was no subject of more importance in the country. For himself, he could say that he could realize no higher honour than to represent the county of Stafford in the British House of Commons. THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY AND MR. PULLER, MT., IN HERTFORDSHIRE. Tae animal meeting of the Herts Agricultural Society took placo on Wednesday, under the presi dency or tho Marquis of Salisbury. Sir E. B. Lytton, who has been a constant attendant at the meetings of the association, was absent in conse quence of the pressure of official business; bat Mr. Puller, the other member for the county, as well as Sir M. Farquhar, M.P. for the borough of Hertford, were present. In responding for the health of the county mem. hers, proposed by the chairman, Mr. Put.t.Eit, having expressed his regret nt the absence of Sir E. B. Lytton, proceeded to say there were one or two topics with respect to which he would take the opportunity of saying a few words, and the subject which naturally occurred to his own mind, in the first place, was that of parliamentary reform. It might be thought that that was a subject which it was impossible to touch upon without exciting party feelings, and so it would have been two or three years ago, hut they had changed all that, and now, without exciting any opposition, he might say that they were all reformers, and not only that, but that there existed the best possible feeling on the subject. Her Majesty's Government appeared to be really occupied in preparing to carry out that promise which they made when they took office, and had in course of preparation a measure upon reform which was to be introduced next session of Parliament. He has quite aware that the noble lord, the Minister in the chair, was too discreet to let them know the details of the forthcoming measure ; but one of his lordship's colleagues had just lifted the corner of the curtain, and enabled them to guess, not what the particular measure was to be, but what they might expect would be the character of that measure. He alludes, of course, to the speech re cently made by that very able statesman, Mr. Henley, the President of the Board of Trade, at an agricultural meeting in Oxlordshire, by which they were led to understand that the Government were occupied in framing a measure of parliamentary re. form which would please all parties. Now, he must say that he considered that a satisfactory announce. meta, because, if all the parties were to be pleased— Whigs, Radicals, and Tories—that s oulil be a very satisfactory sort of thing; but if, as it was just possible, her Majesty's Government shou:d rot succeed in the attempt to please all parties, then, no doubt, her Majesty's Opposition would find some satisfaction from that result, for it would probably give them an opportunity of trying their own Itsnils at a similar measure. The next event to which lie would refer was ;he transfer of the government of India from the East India Company to the Queen's Government. He was by no means disposed to make that event the occasion of saying anything in deterioration of the East India Company. When he considered that the mighty empire of India was built up and for many years maintained by this Company, he considered it one of the most remarkable f, cts in the whole his tory of the world. At the same time, while render. ing ample justice to the Company, he could not but feel that their position was most anomalous. They saw some 300,01K1,000 people governed by a corpora. tion composed of a few private ladies and gentlemen who happened to have shares in East India Stock. Such a state of circurustanees was most anomalous, and contrary to all reason and common sense. There were col; two circumstances that could account for the government of India being so long retained in THE PRE S S i OCTOBER 2, 1t35.8. their hands, and the first was the great constitu tional difficulty that arose with respect to the dispo sition of the patronage. No doubt there was a natural reluctance to throw so much additional patronage into the hands either of a Whig or a Tory Government. The other circumstance which con• tribute , l to maintain the East India Company in their position as rulers of India was one which was highly honourable to themselves. It was the feeling which undoubtedly existed that they had evinced a determination to do all in their power to govern well, and it was the natural and common sense view taken by almost all perfons that it was better to let well alone, and that as 1 mg as they continued to govern that country well, so long, however absurd, anoma• lous, or unconstitutional, the existence of such a power in their hands might be, it was not wise to disturb the course of things. But when in the early part of last year a great mutiny broke out, and that great Bengal army, through the instrumentality of which the greater part of our Indian conquests had been effected, had inched away, it was high time that the Legislature should interfere and transfer the government of that mighty empire to the Queen. That had now been done, and he could not help remarking that, as it seemed to him, almost every principle contained in Lord Palmerston's first India Bill had been adopted. Recently an event had happened with respect to which he must be allowed to otter a few words of congratulation— namely, the termination of the war with Chins. To Lord Elgin he thought the highest praise was due for the manner in which he had conducted the negotiations. The ultimate results of that war, he thought, would prove of enormous advantage to England ; and not only did lie anticipate a vast in crease in commerce, but he believed that it would be a means of introducing Christianity, truth, and civili zation into China itself. In conclusion, lie said, that, though in the conflict of political opinion that prevailed he was not so sanguine as to suppose that every step in his political conduct would prove acceptable, yet lie should always be found a firia friend to the agricultural interest. The health of the Marquis of SALISBURY having been drunk, the noble marquis, after returning thanks for the enthusiastic manner in which his name had been received, said : It is not, i sin sore, expected of me to follow my hon. friend at the bo:toin of the table through all the points of the rather discursive speec:i which he has just made upon politics at an agricultural meeting. I sin fully aware of the very natural anxiety felt by every Englishman filling the position he occupies whenever an opportunity offers of entering upon those somewhat delicate ques tions. My hon. friend promised not to enter inn► poli tics, and I admit fully that be abstained from any lengthened discussion en the subject ; but at the same time he certainly touched upon many of those question. that have agitated the public mind for a considerable time, and not only did he touch noon what was p tat, but upon that which is to conic. With respect to that which is past I will only make one observation, and that is, I am delighted to find the present Government receives such full approval nt the hands of my hon, friend. i am, indeed, rejoiced to find that he approves of the measure that has been passed under the guiJauce of the present Government :Or the better government of India, and that he thinks the treaty with China likely to produce very great commercial advantages. Having said thus much with respect to the politics or the past, with all due deference to the hon. gentleman I shall say no more. I have only one word more to say, and that is that as it appears to me my hon. friend rather misunderstood my right hon. colleague in promising a new Reform Bill which should be pleasing to all parties. I say, however, with perfect confidence, that I do not doubt that great ad vantages will spring from the measure which was passed last session for the government of India, and also from the conclusion of peace with China. On occasions like the present it is highly desirable to avoid politics. We meet together for the advancement of one great object—namely, the promotion of the agriculture of tine countrj, for if agri culture does net prosper I ant confident taste and maim tictures will follow in the wake and suffer. It is quite evident that since these societies were first instituted, a quarter of a century ago, very great improvements have taken place in the science of agriculture, and although fanners undoubtedly know their own business better than any one else does, yet they now and then receive very good hints from what they see and hear at these meetings. My hon. friend also allotted to a subject of vt ry great importance and one which will always hold a very high place in the thoughts of otiose who attend agricultural gatherings— namely, the beat mode of improving th e agr i cu l tura l labourers. I can itaj, from experience, that these societies hive done much in that way, as is visible from the greet improvement that has taken place in the militia recruits. It is my sinee.e wish that agriculture may continue to prosper, c niviticed vs I am that there is no more important interest in the country•. Various other toasts were druuk, and the pro oeedings were brought to a close. MR. HUTT, M.P., ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS. At a grand public banquet given by the Mayor of Gateshead, at winch Mr. Hutt, the member fur the borough, was present, the honourable gentleman, in returning thanks for his health, made a speech on political affairs. Commenting on the dulness which pervaded foreign topics, Mr. llutt said : Every country of Europe is at peace. The Indian i n . surrection, which some of our un.friends on the Continent hail hailed as the beginning of the end of the British em. pire, has been effectually put down by the courage of our soldiers and the energy and skill of our civil and military commanders. We have a treaty of peace and alliance with the Emperor of China; and that almost mythical per. sonage of former times, the Brother of the Sun and M oon . is apparently about to be admitt e d a member of h a lf of the orders of knighthood in Europe, and probably ere lone to be dubbed by the University of Oxford a Doctor of Civil Lill% Having observed that he did not find in the conduct of the present Ministers much occasion for critickin or complaint, Mr. Hutt proceeded to give his views on Cherbourg, to which, however, lie bad not gone, for personal reasons, lie said : Gentlemen, the visit to Cherbo urg has called a great deal of attention in this country to the formidable steam navy which has been created in France at a time of pep found peace, and at a crisis when the state of its finances seemed little to favour such an expenditure. Such prem. rations and pretensions have filled some persons among us with dismay. They see in these things a design, not merely on our security, but on our existence as a nation, and they accordingly call for immense and immoderate measures of defence. Such is the feeling of one party. But there is another which seems seriously to believe la the bong of " Rule Britatmia," to regard any attempt among Frenchmen to create a navy as something ridicu• lons, and to consider the specimens exhibited of it at Cherbourg as not fit, either in regard to the ships or the sailors, to hold a candle to ours ; and these gentlemen are backed by the peace party, who look upon all war as im possible, and all invasion of our shores as an absurdity. There is, depend upon it, much blindness and folly in all such exagderations. Between two powerful nations, jealous of their honour and past history, and daily brought in contact on various points of rival and jarring interests, there must always be the possibility of war, however re• mote or undesired ; and it would be the height of folly, it would be a perfect abdication of reason in us, to act as if we bad any patent of superiority in war, either by land or sea, over other nations, except in those prudent prepsra• Lions and in that science and discipline on which all war like superiority must ultimately depend. At the same time, Ido not adm i re panic fears; and Ido not believe in the ambitious projects so freely attributed to our ally, the Emperor of the French. I sus convinced, on the con trary, that when he told the people of Bordeaux, " L'Ety pire c'est la pais," be announced the settled policy of his firm and sagacious mind ; and I don't think he is the man to be driven from that policy of peace because certain pat ties in Franco hostile to his power—Socialists, Orleanists, and Legitimists--are always labouring to involve him in war, and especially in war with England. What would the Emperor of the French gain by war? If his forces suf fered a reverse, it would be the ruin of his fortunes. if they were victorious, do you suppose it would be fur his interest to divide with their successful commander the homage and the confidence of the French people? From every calculation, thetefore, of self interest, as well as from every consideration of an enlightened and generous policy, I telieve that the Emperor of the French will held firmly to the British alliance. Gentlemen, we must all desire it. The alliance of France and England is the test security for universal peace, as well as for the progress and civilization of mankind. The hon. member resumed his seat amid land cheers. MR. ALCOCK, M.P., ON CHINA. Ar the annual dinner of the East Surrey Agricultural Association, held at Croydon, The Health of the County Members "having been drunk, 111 r. ALcocw, M.P., responded, sad having ex plained that the absence of Ilia lion. colleague, Mr. Locke King, was caused by severe illness, from which he was now recovering, proceeded to advert to the Chinese question. Since the last meeting of the association peace had been concluded with China upon terms highly favourable to this country. lie thought we were justified in expecting great advan tages from the resumption of our intercourse and commerce with China. Up to the present moment our commercial relations with China bad been ex ceeding!y %hulled in extent. With one or two ever Lions, tea was almost the only article which we ob tained from that country, and though the e \ ports from the United Kingdom to the world at large amounted to about 115010,000/. annnally, 014 about one and a quarter millions went to China, Dot• withstanding that that empire formed more than three eighths of the entire universe. He truste.l, and he thought it not unlikely, with a man of the original ideas of the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, that advantage would be taken of the altered state of our relations with China to reduce the duty on tea, -o as to extend our commerce, and to render an article which had now almost become one of the necessaries of life more accessible to the humbler classes of society. At the present moment tea was more heavily taxed than almost any othe r article of general consumption. The duty w as no less th in Is. ltd. a pound, though the price of tea itself in bout, was only Is. 4a. a potted. Coll Se quently a du:) of . &hunt 110 per cent. V% 114 levied, and the result a -as that the consumption of tea was much more limit , d Om it s importance as as ar ticle of general ConauulP-