The Press. — London, England, 1857-11-28 00:00:00

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 28, 1857. dends—when to all appearances they are doing a large and profitable business, then is the very time when they are bringing upon the country distress and ruin. Turning then to India, Mr. Miller paid a noble te tribute to the devotedness and daring of the British troops in India, and recorded his opinion in favour of some substantial mark of " our affection and grati tude " to the commanders to whom we owe so much. With reference to the future government o: India, Mr. Miller said : Gentlemen, with reference to the future government of India—and that, after all, is the important and practical question—we must not, I apprehend, shut our eyes to our own faults and to the horrors which may have been com mitted in that fine empire. I blame not the East India Company ; 1 blame not the Government nor the House of Commons specially ; for I believe they are all equally liable , to the imputation of having neglected the interests of India. But I Warne the system. I trust that it will be rooted out; that Government will take up the affairs of India; and that there will be in the House of Commons a respon- sible Minister to whom they will be deputed; not an offi cial of the Board of Control, or a man in a subordinate capacity. The time is come when a great change must take place; and although I should be sorry to commit myself to any details in reference to the government of India. I may say that I think the alteration should embrace a Minister responsible for the interests of India, and with a place in the House of Commons. There is no country in the world in which cultivation by irrigation and the arts of agriculture could be carried on with greater success ; there is no country in which the productions could be more important than those of which India is capable. At the present moment we are suffering from a deficiency of that most important article of commerce, cotton ; and India could produce it with European settlers, conveyances through railways, and means of irrigation. 1 trust the time is fast approaching when we shall find settled in India communities encouraging trade, commerce, and agriculture, and disseminating the Christian religion. This will give civilisation to India; she will then be able to protect herself and make her a blessing and a happiness to this country. (Cheers.) MR. B. HOPE, M.P., ON THE CONDITION OF THE RURAL CLASSES. THE anniversary meeting of the Maidstone Agricul tural Association was held on Thursday last. There was a ploughing match in the morning on the farm of Mr. Whitehead, of Barnjet. At the conclusion Mr. Whatman, M.P., addressed a number of farm servants, including ploughmen, labourers, shepherds, hop-dryers, etc., and presented them with the prizes or money-gifts allotted by the committee. A sub stantial luncheon was subsequently provided for the successful competitors. In the evening the members of the association dined together at the Star Hotel, Maidstone ; Mr. Beresford Hope, M.P., in the chair. The hon. gentleman, iu proposing the toast of the evening,— " Success to the Maidstone Agricultural Association" —took occasion to make some observations on the condition of the labouring poor in the agricultural districts, and on the relations which exist between the owners and the tillers of the soil. Mr. Hope then pointed out the urgent necessity of proper cottage accommodation for the poor:— The amount of responsibility that may have rested on the heads of the landlords of England for neglect of this is, I sincerely believe and solemnly declare, a thing to appal us all. Who can tell the wickedness, the unknown incest, till the book of reckoning is opened, that has re sulted from insufficient cottage accommodation, and of which landlords may be considered in a second degree guilty—a consideration which is enough to make the blood chill in the veins of every one of us. With a view of ob viating this giant evil, the Labourers' Friend Society has been instituted, and I had much pleasure in examining the models of the cottages which this society proposes to build. I think, however, there ought to be another room. What is wanted is three bedrooms, with other accommo dation sufficient for the necessary household work. Only one room is set apart for the latter, and as there is no out side wash-house, I think it is likely that the third bed room will be used as a sitting-room, and the family will as heretofore " pig together " upstairs. I trust that no friend of that society will think that I am antagonistic to it or an illuatured critic, but it is by freely communicating our views to each other that we may hope to arrive at good ; and I may say that, perhaps, by introducing iron where wood is now used, this little difficulty may be amended without in any material degree enhancing the cost and the rent of the cottage. Such associations as that must and will spread throughout the country, for there is a general feeling that, long as we may have gone ou in au apathetic and wrung course, from being accustomed to any system— from a sort of feeling, not blameable in itself, that what we have been accustomed to is right—when our eyes are opened to the right course, we will not be niggard or lazy or stupid in carrying it out. Mr. Hope, in conclusion, glanced briefly at political prospects I cannot and need not make any remarks as to what will be the behaviour of those who, on the 3rd of December will assemble at Westminster to deliberate on the best measures to avert the storm which has for the last few weeks darkened the horizon. I fully trust and believe that whatever measures may be taken will be for the best, and that men of all shades of opinion will look upon this grave question, not with the eyes of party, but with that calm, deliberate, and friendly sympathy and confidence which has always carried us through in great emer gencies. THE Rrotrr HON. GEORGE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK PERCY SYDNEY Setrrin, seventh Viscount Strangford in the Irish peerage, died at Bradgate park, the seat of the Earl of Stamford, near Leicester, on the 23rd inst., in his fortieth year. The noble lord was son of the sixth viscount, the translator of " Camoens," and many years our ambassador at the Courts of Con stantinople, Lisbon, Stockholm, and St. Petersburg. He was born at Stockholm during his father's em bassy there, April 16, 1818, and educated at Eton and at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated M.A. in 1840. Early in the following year he was elected M.P. for Canterbury, on a vacancy occasioned by the acceptance of the Chiltern Hundreds by Lord A. Conyngham, now Lord Londes boroug h, and continued to represent that constituency down to the dissolution of 1852. During the last few months of Sir Robert Peel's Administration iu 1846 he held the post of Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He succeeded to the title and estates as seventh viscount on his father's death in May, 1855, but since his accession to the peerage he had taken no part in public affairs. Lord Strangford was, in his earlier years, esteemed a man of high promise, who might reasonably look forward to a distinguished career. His published work, entitled " Historic Fancies," will have been read by many of our readers. He has died at the early age of thirty-nine. About a month ago his lordship was married to Margaret, daughter of J. K. Lennox, Esq., now his widow. The Irish and English peerages have devolved on his lordship's only surviving brother, the Hon. Percy Ellen Frederick William Sydney Smythe, born in 1825, who was educated at Merton College, Oxford, and has held, we believe, one or two diplomatic appointments. MR. MECHI ON AGRICULTURE. AT a meeting of the Coggeshall Agricultural Scciety last week, Mr. Mechi in the course of the evening rose and said : Be could not help comparing his position fourteen or fifteen years ago with what it was now. He then was considered little less than an impostor, or the promoter of sone wild and visionary schemes, but he knew that he had strong prejudices to encounter, and that the truth would prevail. For instance, when he put up a steam engine it was thought the most absurd act which he could perform ; and now he had the gratification of seeing his neighbours possessed each of his steam•engine, and heard of one gentleman in Chelmsford having as many as thir teen, which he let out upon hire. The farmer had now found it to his interest to cast away the flail, which cost s., as an instrument for thrashing his corn, and to use a machine which cost 3001., as, notwithstanding the enor mous disparity in expense, the steam-engine would pro. duce a cheaper result. The other day he went down to Wandsworth, with Mr. Caird and Mr. Morton, to see a scheme of railway adapted for agricultural purposes, patented by Mr. Halket, by which he promises to plough land at a cost of Is. 7a. per acre, hoe it at Is. 3d., and get in the harvest at Is. per acre, carrying the manure, &c., of the farm at Id. per ton per mile, leaving a margin for the interest of the cost of railway, which could be adapted to the farm at a cost of 241. per acre. By this scheme he might plough his land by night as well as by day if he pleased, and if it were necessary for the production of a good crop that the land should be brought in contact with the air, they would see how important it was to have a long fallow. Mr. Mechi further described the nature of this im plement, and expressed his opinion in favour of its practicability. With reference to the appropriation of sewage manure to the soil, he said Professor Way bad been sent to Milan for the purpose of examining the drainage, so as to adopt some scheme for saving the sewage of London, which was of immense value, but which now ran into the Thames and was entirely lost. He believed the difficulty presented was merely a test of scientific skill, and that it only required some mechanical contrivance to accomplish the object:— There were yet many things which might be done by agriculturists to great advantage, but he could not forget how much some had done, and that there was one gen tleman present who every year burnt at least 1,000 tons of earth into ashes, which, laid upon heavy clay land, greatly increased its fertility. His experience of French agricul turists convinced him that they were not behind them selves in point of intelligence, but he was also convinced of the vast superiority of Englishmen in point of capital and means, the cry of France being, " Where is the money to come from ?" Upon the question of thin sowing, he was glad to find a great change of public opinion in favour of the adoption of such a plan; one bushel per acre was enough seed upon his land, and, though he would not lay that down as a principle, he would recommend them to try it, and be was certain of the result. THE RESTORATION OF MOHAN FERRERS CHURCH has been resolved on. The estimated expense is 6,0001., of which sum 3,200/. has been raised, leaving a deficiency of 2,800/. The great cost is attributable solely to the immense size of the building. 1155 SECOND EDITION. SATURDAY AFTERNOON. LATEST INTELLIGENCE FRANCE. The liloniteur of yesterday contains an official an nouncement that the session of the Corps Legislatit will be opened at the Palais Bourbon on Saturday (this day), at two o'clock in the afternoon, when a communication is to be received from the Govern. went. THE MONETARY CRISIS AT HAMBUR G. At an extraordinary meeting of the Civic Council held yesterday, it was unanimously agreed to accept the proposition of the Senate, to create Exchequer bills to the amount of fifteeen million marks banco, to be lent on the security of imperishable mer. chandise, state bonds, or railway shares. CHINA. By the mail from Hong Kong, it appears that the persecution of Christians in China had recom menced. Several missionaries had been condemned to death. THE ENGLISH ENGINEERS AT NAPLES. THE Morning Post has the following statement on the position of these enr*.ieers The English Governm , has ref) 'c energetic remon strances on the subjec., ,nd 011 Neapolitan authorities have at last permitted the prisoners to be visited. Mr. Pugh, the chaplain of the mission, has seen them. He found them, with the captain of the steamer, confined in as airy room. The men had no couipiaints to make, and said they were sufficiently supplied with money by an agent of the steampacket company in whose employment they are. For the future, the British Vice-Consul will be allowed somas to them. He has engaged counsel in their behalf, and it is hoped that legal forms cannot much longer delay their trial and liberation. Mr. Newdegate, M.P., and Mr. Spooner, M.P., spoke upon public affairs on Thursday, at the Rugby and Dunchurch Agricultural Association. Mr. Newdegate, referring to the meeting of Perlis went, said : Parliament has been summoned, and not at all too early; and when it meets, a strict account should be ex acted of why it was that reinforcements did not reach the scene of action sooner—why the willingness of England to back up her forces in the East was not better applied. trust that a satisfactory account may be rendered, and then we shall be able to consider how these difficulties arose, whether due vigilance was used, whether the form of government in India is such as consults the interests and the feelings of the vast population over which it extend* its sway. With respect to the future government of India, he maintained that the principle of " a Parliament for India " was indispensable, bonus. the Imperial Parliament could not give that time and attention the administration of so vast an empire requires. With respect to the Bank Act, Mr. Newdegate jus tified the recent suspension of that act Well might the late Lord Ashburton declare that the act of 11544 was a " fair-weather boat," and point to the system of accounts and call it an absurd system of book keeping. His observation is justified to the letter. I cannot go quite so far as my hon. colleague towards inconvertibility ; but I do believe that as to the insolvency which is imputed to the present state of affairs, we are no more insolvent now than we were from 1819 to 1844. Notes are just as convertible to gold; and I do believe that much may be done to mitigate the action of a cur rency based upon the precious metals; though I freely admit that if you will have free trade, if you will derange the supply of metals by the nnregulatetd action of imports permanently left without control, you must entail a stye cession of commercial crises upon the country. I think those evils may be mitigated, but that they never will be cured until the country makes up its mind to modify both its commercial system and its monetary system, and to adapt the one to the other. Mr. Spooner also briefly addressed the meeting s and principally in favour of an inconvertible cur rency : If we could not command gold, then we should substi tute something else for it, and the energies and powers of the people should not be crippled, because there were certain arrangements among foreign nations that we could not get gold into this country without sacrificing the beat interests of the country. I +.~