The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-02-19 00:00:00

\.4‘

SPEECH SY MR. JOSEPH ARCH.

A well.attended meeting in connection with the
National Agricultural Labourers' Union WWI held
on Thursday last at the North-maths Assembly
Rooms. The Rev, R. R. Albie took the:their. Speeches
were delivered by the Chairmen, Mr. Pike (the
secretary), Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Taylor (of the
/Morn Counties.)
Mr..7OIISPEI Axis said he felt extremely pleased to
be present, and contrasted it with f :rmer years, when
the elements ware against them, and they were not
allowed, la this marvellous town of Dorobeeter,a plane
to meet in. He @Lissomly thanked the gentleman who
had lent them that spacious building for the purposes
of their meeting. Such a fact clearly indicated what-
ever opinions might have been held of them as agitators
or demagogues, public: opinion had now, to • very
I happy degree, turned on their side. LI every labourer
would
unite and hold firmly with his fellow, they
would bring public opinion even dorm to them still.
Whatever they said of the House of Commons or the
House of It was, it was public opinion that decided the
destinies of tile eountry, and if public opinion were
euly healthy, it mattered not whether they were Whip
or Conservatives. They wire beginning to reap:sot them,
and when the franchise was extended to the counties
they would have to respect them considerably more.
Twelve years ago, when he broached this question of
the fressoblee to Ms fellow labourer., they
could easily autogiro what se idea some of
his Conservative friends had of him They pooh.
poohed it, and some of them said they would WI be
dead and buried, for it would take a whole °sugary
before they would briar any government to listen to
their just demands. Yet • few days ago he had the
honour of forming the of • deputation of upwards of
400 representative men from the industrial clean,. of
We country to the Prime Minister, and he was very
pleased to hear him say that her Malady's Govern.
meat would introduce a Bill for the occupation
(mumbles to the three kingdom. Leaving this pert of
his subject, Mr. Arch turned to agriculture, and gave
It as kis opinion that the large-farm :system had done
more to nth; farmers than all the bad seasons put
together. What had been his experience? He had
noticed that the holding of several fume generally
resulted in the employment of lees labourers, and
the consequence was they were driven to the large
therm or to the colonies. They were I old bow bad
their trade was; but what created trade? Did
ooeohes and fours and Conservative demonstrations?
No. It was Greeted by that distribution of the wealth
that labour Greeted and brought back into the hand
that created it. If there were any Conservative
friends present, be did not wish to often 4
them—(A Votes : "No matter")—but be could not help
referring to the meeting held here • few weeks
ago. He would only say he gm very pleased they had
'no barriers at their door and he was very
glad they did not require any poUoemen ; he
1 wee delighted to meet Conservatives, because he
believed there was a possibility of getting them con-
verted If they could only get them to hear the truth.
So long as they had agriculture placid in the no.
certain position it was planed In to-day, they oonld
never hope for • permanently prosperous trade so
long as the great bulk of our rural population were sub-
jected to the enormour price for labour—(laughter)-
111. • week to-day, perhaps 10e. to-morrow, and as.
the next day, so long would the shopkeepers in the
towns have bed debts and bad trade. What was It
underlying all this? It was estrange thing, but it was
true, that to a very large extent the land of this coun-
try had been made more of • p machine than it
bed been the means of *resting wealth for the people.
Be had kaown estates, and he knew them to-day,
upon wig& there used to be 20 or $O tenant farmers
thriving and doing well, and now there ware only
three or four, and on same alba estates saaroely one.
He protested strongly against land belly made •
political meths ; they bad no right toasts God's earth,
which was given by the Othater for feeding the people,
for political purposes, and they were determined to do
something deficit, to prevent that mischief going
any further. He passed 03 to speak Of
their programme for the tutor. Their first
step would be very sweeping, they would say. He
bed laid it before the working men is the large towns'
Sir Thomas Aolaad had taken it up, and he (thud it
was spreading. Agrioniteral labourers were never
an big in their lives as they were to-day, and yet some
of tosno did not seem to have muse enough ti see It.
(4 Yotcle : "True.") What then was the first
demand in their programme ? When the Reform
Rill was given to the oousties, they should demand
the compulsory cultivation of land. If a man maid " I
am booed by the law of settlement," then sweep it
out of the way; if he said "I am tied up by
mortgaged debts," then let him bring his estates or
any portion of them into the market and sell them to
the people, and pay the mortgagee with the money.
That would be the policy of tith Government before
five years were over. Another Impudent point was
every cultivator, whether greet or small, should he
protected from the rime of rent upon his own improve-
meets. What had been the history of the past
Dosing • period 01 18 years agricultural rents went

up 21 pm cent He could only say if they would not
accept Arch'. Compulsory Cold ration Bill, they would
have t &wept Henry George's C snfiscaoor Bill. He
snold not like to ass the people of this country rise
into collision on • question of confiscation,
but he did say they were on the eve of
that time when the people of Vas country -youll
demand that millions of acne of our bnattib: land
should no linger Ile anoultirstel; and that they
would no longer send 120 minim, of cal qal out of the
country every year {for foci lwben they cor'd raise
93 millions of it at home. Tools. Conservsti mien Is
said when the labourers bat the fronchier they would
be all Tories. He did not believe it, but suppose they
were; there were .enough intelligent Li eral working
men at Ashton, Croydon, and other at present
unenfrauchissed plains to es_llo yr the whole of Dorset.
lie spoke in tones of the keenest ridicile of the recent
speech of Lori Salisbury, and the vats of censure by
the lion.. of Lords. If the speech were reai by the
nett intelligent geoeratiou after the School Board had
done ite work be eould not think what they would call
it.—(A Voice: " Bosh.")—Atid what about the vote
of
004•11110 The Government was going on as
though they were not ideated in the slightest degree.
Yung, two or three hundred men of this great and
noble House of Lords sitting in that august chamber
and discussing for two hours • measure which, when
It was pelted, was like • child'. soap blaider in the air
—lt burst and nobo iy was one bit the won.. He then
abided lotus De0...8y of lucre seed Red better cottage
aoooromodation for tho labourers, and the substitu•
Mon of the School Board for voluntary schools. lie
spoke in scathing terms of the hiring fan ; so long as
that wretohel system alined so long would the ',rend
petrol of truth Sod • clog. Honing alluded to the
soaadalous anomsly of sposidiug 181. 61. per head of
the people for the purposes of war, and only 3s. per
head for nitionional purpose., Mr. Arch said these
aeornalias he had alluded to were fast comlog down.
Let them nal'e their forces togethor, and instead
of supporting War.lllollolV and mm who delighted
In shed ling homes blood, meu who were
regardlees of how much of their herd-earned
nom» they scattered upon the soil of foreign
countries, let them rather send seen to Parliament
who had • deep regard for the peace and prosperity
of their country, arid looked upon the sun-
brownel feces of the lab inners 111 high • specimen of
divinity as when he gee sd upon the prinee, And
when they got this power let them ale It wisely and
and though they might pass out of time end be
burled In • humble grave, or it might be in • power's
odic and had no stone to mark the spot where their
poor decomposing recaalos might lie, let them raise a
monument for themselves Individually by hard, con-
stant, and persistent work in the eisystioe, freedom,
and prosperity of their country. (Appleton.)
The following motion, proposed by Mr. Pita, and
seconded by Mr. AJIOII, was agreed to: That the
aocompanying memorial be forwarded to the House of
Ocennons

"Tait tho present unaquil dist ibulon of political
power brag unjust in priumpls is fait to Dr a grisranws
by large sumbers of her Wore, loyfil subject., who
or. now unenfranahlood ; your pAitionars, therefore.
overtly, but respectfully, ask your honourablo Hour to
par ths Bill which ths Pains Minister Is shout to intro-
it'', for ths assimilation of the c suety with th• borough
franchise 1.10 1.. wits all porible diaspa,oh."

The f ollowiag m Mon MN also deoiared needed :
" That this waiting coNwatulates the members and
friends of the National Lgrionitaral Labourers Union oa
the fact that the I.oi 'eked for Bill to extend the Perna.
amatory franchise to householders In the comities is now
Wore the Rouse of Onamonn mid metal this moist/ has
1.... wet power in matting lamer I this great metiers
of Worn, mad VI WO hews the machinery at land. wit feel
the time his arrived wee& an emirs political department
should be formed Is all oar district' on thoroughly Liberal
priaMplen and that beatable be at cam organised in this
meaty."