The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-03-18 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS

DORCHESTER, TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1862.

DORCHESTER FARMERS' CLUB.

The monthly meeting of the Dorchester
Farmers' Club was held at the King's Anna on
Saturday evening. The meeting was the most
numerously attended of any since the establish-
ment of the Club, and the president and vice presi-
dent were in attendance. Several additional mem-
bers were elected after the reading of the minutes
of the previous meeting, a discussion arose as
to the subject for consideration at the next
meeting. The president suggested whether it
would not be worth while to return to the subject
discussed at the former lecture—the Repeal of
the Malt Tax—as it had not been yet exhausted,
while it h'ad led other parties, elsewhere, to turn
their attention to the subject. It occurred to
him' that they might take action upon the
question, either by drawing up a string of
resolutions, setting forth their views, to be laid
before other societies of this kind, or by petition
to Parliament. Mr. Harding, the vice-chair-
man, fully agreed with the suggestion, as did
several other gentlemen present —Mr. Galpin,
the Mayor of Dorchester, thought the suggestion
a very valuable one; although, looking at the
financial position of the country at the present
time, owing to the preparations that were made
at the time we were placed in a very serious
position with America, still, a petition to
Parliament would draw the attention of the
country to the subject, and the matter might be
kept alive until Government should be in a
position to remit the tax. After further dis-
cussion it was resolved that the subject of the
Remission of the Malt Tax be further discussed
at the next meeting, which will take place on
the 12th April, and that a committee of three
, members be requested to ptepare a string of
, resolutions, embodying their views, to be sub-
mitted to the meeting for their consideration;
that the Committee be composed of the President,
Mr. Damen, and Mr. Andrews.
The Chairman said that, according to one of
their rules, the auditing of the accounts and the
election of officers for the ensuing year should
take place in March. This could not be done
now, but he thought it would meet the spirit of
this rule if they were to do so at their
meeting in April. A resolution to this effect
having been agreed to, a discussion arose whether
they should not, on proroguing their meetings of
the Club for the summer recess, commemorate
the event by a dinner among the members.
Mr. Hodges thought it would be an unpardonable
omission to close the season without a dinner;
it would be like the Government closing a
session of Parliament without a whitebait dinner
at Greenwich. That a dinner should take place
was unanimously agreed to, and the only
question was as to the time. Saturday it was
thought was not a good day—Thursday would
be far preferable. The fixing of the day was,
however, deferred till the next meeting. The
Chairman then called upon Mr. Homer to deliver
his promised lecture on

"THE MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP OF CAPITAL
AND LABOUR, PARTICULARY AS APPLIED
TO AGRICULTURE."

Mr. G. W. Rouse, on rising, said:
MR. PREISIMINT AND GICNTLIMNN,—It WU a pleasure
to me to join the Dorchester Farmers' Club, in the
expectation of deriving much profitable information
from those of your members whose experience so well
qualifies them to instruct their juniors. Although -I
did not at all anticipate being so soon called to the
position I now occupy, I at once complied with your
request to introduce a subject of discussion, on the sup-
position that you wished to see of what stuff your
recruits were made, reserving some of your veterans
for future service. The mutual relationship of capital
and labour is a question of such magnitude, that to
discuss it comprehensively, and in detail, would occupy
much longer time than the custom of a farmers'
club allows ; I shall endeavour, therefore, to direct
my attention chiefly to those particulars which
have a practical bearing on the interests of agri-
culture. In the common acceptation of the word
Capital is the stock of valuable exchangeable commodi-
ties possessed by individuals or communities. This
capital may be either fixed or floating The fixed con-
sists not only of all descriptions of stationary property—
such as land, buildings, railways, &c.,—but also of that
used in production as machinery, working and other
animals. The floating capital comprises all such stook
as is produced or kept for the purpose of being from
time to time exchanged ; this would include all descrip-
tions of coin and the stock of goods kept for barter. A
considerable capital is necessary in order to undertake
production to any large extent: there must be either
land to cultivate, materials to work up, or
tools to work with, and he who is desti-
tute of these in undertaking production mSst
seek employment on the capital of another ; in
plain language he must be a labourer. This shows the
dependence of labour on capital. The capital of indi-
viduals, oroemmenities, suffers continual drain in the
consumption of food, and in the wear and tear of
clothing, as well as in that of machinery and other
things. It is coatintutlly being consumed, and requires
to be replenished. Labour is the exertion of strength.
either physical or mental, and is the power, without
which capital cannot be produced or replenished. This
shows the dependence of capital on lebour. In estimating
the value of capital, either of individuals or of different
periods, we must ascertain its marketable price,
as the standard by which all comparisons are
made is that of money. It is, however, necessary
to remember that in order to arrive at • just compari-
son, the value of Money itself must be ascertained. To
do this it will be necessary to learn the value of a great
somber of articles at one place or period, and to com-
pare it with the value of the same number and descrip-
tion of articles in the other place or period. Thus in
comparing the wages of the labourer an hundred and
fifty years ago with those of the present time, we must
not only find out the exact amount of money paid, but
also the relative valve of food and clothing at each time.
Should it be found that the price of these articles was
formerly fifty per gent, less than at present, we must
add fifty per cent, to the wages then paid in order to
make them equal, bectrase the former amount would go
as far in food and clothing thee as the same with the
addition of fifty per cent, would now. Labour must be
performed by motive power of some kind, and this
power consists principally of either wind, water, steam,
or muscle. The three former, by the aid of machinery,
will execute work, but they require the muscle and
brain of man both to set and keep them in motion.
Man, therefore, directly or indirectly is the perlormer
of all labour. The original condition of man is that of
a labourer—

" Wl:en Adam delved, and Eve soap,
Who wee then the gentleman ?" ,

The accumulation of capital has, however, placed come
above this necessity, but the majority of mankind still
continue in their natural and original condition. Labour,
in the case of those who have nothing else, may be said
to be their floating capital. Its value is its market
price, the payment of which we call wages. In
, competition for wages there are the employer and
! the employed; those who wish to get labour for
wages, and those who with to get wages for labour.
I If the former increase more rapidly than the latter,
wages will rime ; if less rapidly, they will fall. The
great law of supply and demand fixes, then, the value of
labour. There are, however, certain limits below or
above which wages cannot rise or fall for a lengthened
period, the higher limit being regulated by the value of
the article of the labourer's manufacture or production ;
and the lower, which may be called the cost price of
labour, being fixed by the amount necessary to support
the labourer and his family. The capital and labour of
Ibis country are chiefly employed in either agriculture,
montitacturo, or oommoroo, Agriculture is Us aft o

cultivating land; man must have daily food and cloth-
ing—hence its necessity and importance. Manufacture
is • consequential necessity of the former, whether it
relate to the bread that we eat, the clothing that we
wear, or the tenements we inhabit. Commerce is the
interchange of the material of either the necessities or
luxuries of life. Exchange of the raw material for the
manufactured article is probably the first form of com-
merce. In referring to the agriculture, manufacture,
and commerce of Great Britain, I can take but • pas-
sing notice of the two latter, and it is the less
needful, as I have shown that they arise from the
former. The manufacture and commerce of Great
Britain were comparatively of but little importance two
hundred years ago, but the discovery of the large
amount of fuel in application to the first, viz., manu-
facture, and the 'stimulus thus given to the other, viz.,
commerce, have enabled them in their progression to
outstrip their elder brother Agriculture. Of the article
, of coal it has been justly said that in its discovery a
source of wealth was found far more precious than the
gold mines of Peru. The great increase in manufacture
and commerce will be evident from the few following
statistics :—One hundred and eighty years ago the
weight of iron cast in this country, per annum, was
only 10,000 tons, now it exceeds 1,000,000 tons. The
whole of the coal then annually raised from the bowels
of the earth was 700,000 tons, now it is upwards of
30,000,000 tons. Not many years ago the roads on
which goods were slowly carted, were in • most
wretched state, and now something like £400,000,000
are invested in railways for the carrying on of the traffic
of this country. The magnitude of this suni will be
realised, if we consider that it is nearly six times the
amount of the annual rent rolls of all the real property
in Great Britain. The custom's duties on arch,.
commodities with foreign nations amounted in t 1 year
1685 to £530,000; and last year property to the
value of £296,800,000 nomad through the customs'
houses, on which duties were charged to the amount of
£23,305,000. And here it may be allowed me to state
that the two great obstacles to commerce with other
nations are war and prohibitory duties. Of all the
huge miseries of war we can only notice here its obstruc-
tire influence on the commonwealth of nations, and I
need not enlarge: We have before us an ample Mottle-
tion in the case of America, and it augurs well for the
Intelligence and growing wisdom of the world, and
especially of our native land, that she and other nations
feel so keenly, in a commercial sense, the miseries of
this fratricidal (Harrel, and take so deep an interest
In its termination. The levy of prohibitory duties
on the imports of a oonntry we have been accustomed
to call protection, and the effect of the absolute appli-
cation of the principle would be to make of every
country a distinct trading community, exchanging
capital only amongst its own members; whilst on the
other hand the effect of absolute free trade would be
to make but one trading oommunity of the whole world,
and thus everywhere to equalize the price of the world's
produce. Can we doubt the superiority of the latter
over the former? The productions of one country differ
materially from those of another, yet they minister
equally to the wants and comforts of each other.
A mutual exchange benefits them both. The effect of
this exchange is, by consequence, to stimulate the pro-
ductive power of every land, and the call for both
capital and labour is vastly increased. To show
the effect of free trade in this way it may
be interesting to refer for a moment to • work lately
published, and quoted from as an authority, from which
it appears that the wages paid to operatives in some de-
scriptions of skilled workmanship sometimes exceed in
amount the pay of a lieutenant, captain, major, or
even lieutenant-colonel, in Her Majesty's army: But in
comparing such wages with what is paid to agricultural
labourers, we must be careful to note the difference in
their respective expenditure. Half the money paid to
the mannafcturing operatives in large towns will keep
the agricultural labourer in equal respectability in the
country, the difference arising from the reenective price
of the commodities of life. lam now brought to that
part of the subject which specially applies to our occupa-
tion as farmers. That agriculture requires both capital
and labour is wellknown to yon all,—a capital, consisting
of / land, seed corn, lire stock and implements, and
labour to attend on the stock, and apply the implements
to the land. The capital employed in agriculture
admits of two great division,; the first being that of
the land, and the second every description of stock, or,
as it is technically termed, the plan employed in its
cultivation. Less than two hundred years ago half the
land of this county was comprised of either heath,
swamp, or wood. This was at • time when the produce
of the soil far exceeded in value all the other fruits of
human industry. The total production of wheat in this
country was then 2,000,000 quarters, now it is estimated
at 12,000,000 quarters, The production of wheat, rye,
barley, oats, and beans, was then 12,000,000 quarters,
it is now supposed to exceed 110,000,000 quarters; show-
ing an increase of 150 per cent. in the production of
corn in 177 years. Land is either cultivate-I by its
owners, or let to others in return for rent. The
number of those cultivating their own land must
have proportionably decreased during the last two
hun 'red years. There were at that time, according to
the hest statistical writers of the age, about one hun-
dred and s'xty thousand proprietors cultivating their
own freeholda, andhaving average incomes of from sixty
to seventy pounds • year. These, with their families,
would have amounted to one-seventh of the entire popu-
lation ef the country at that time. Rent is the return
made to the owner by the occupier for the use of lands
or buildings. The rentable value of land is regulated
chiefly by the price of its produce and the coat of
production: the law of supply and demand affects it
only so far as the increase or decrease in the amount
to be returned to the agriculturist, for his skill and
capitol, is concerned. The rentable value of land has
wonderfully increased from time to time. Six hun-
dred years ago the highest ever paid was sevenpence
per acre, and some was let. at one farthing. In 1685
rent ranged from two to ten shillings per acre, that
being probably about one-fourth of that nosy paid
The capital employed in the cultivation of land has
also immensely increased. This does not
result solely from the greater extent of land
now under cultivation, as the extra capital rendered
necessary by the expensive machinery now used, and the
extra stock required by the extensive adoption of artifi-
cial feeding, is estiinatecl bypratical men at from fifty to
sixty per cent, more than was required thirty years
ago. And here I may 6e allowed to notice that the
very general introduction of machine power has had an
immense influence, not Only on the augmentation of
(+spite!, but on its concentration—a capitalist, possess-
log machinery, being able to produce at a cheaper rate
than another can without it. This is apparent from
' the magnitude of our manufactories, and from the
increased and still increasing size of farms. Let me
now call your attention to the services of the labourer,
which, as you know, are indispensable in agri-
culture. In this country the agricultural labourer
is nsnally • servant in continuous employment,
' and hired subject to either a weekly, monthly,
or annual agreement. Of these it may be argued
that the latter is the better system. During
the different seasons of the year the demand
for farm labour is so variable that half that required
in the summer would suffice for the winter. In con-
sequence of this, where only a weekly or monthly
agreement exists, the master and eervant are each in
turn to some extent dependent on the other; as the
master, wheel servants were to leave him in the sum-
mer, woull„be put to very great inconvenience ; and
the servant, should he be discharged in the winter,
would probably be thrown altogether out of employ-
ment. A desirable alteration which, however, may
, yet be made, is, that agreements should be in • form
' which would not require renewing every year, and
terminable only on notice being given by either em-
ployer or employed • month before the usual hiring
season in any year. These agreements should always
, be either in a written or printed form, and
not merely verbal. In some parts of the
country agricultural labourers are hired at fairs
held for that purpose, sometimes called Mop, or Mope
fairs. This latter term, according to Walker and
Maunders—a drone a dreamer—well describes the
character of the customary frequenters of them. These
fain are objectionable on two grounds. First, because
a fair is a most unsuitable opportunity for making an
agreement on which depends so mnch the comfort of
the master and the happiness of the man for the fol-
lowing year ; Secondly,- that hiring fairs are often a
temptation to the labourer to seek a change of situ-
ation, and thus tend to shorten the duration of an
agreement between muter and pervant, to their mutual
disadvantage. A servant slat who makes an agree-
ment at such a place has to reside with his family in
a house which he may never have seen, and which
, may prove to be an unconijprtable and most un-
suitable one. That the fairs are • temptation
to labourers to seek tient change, and often
from only • love of Ity, is well known to all
,mployers who live i a neighbourhood where they are
held; and it is easy to pion that:such frequent changes
is prejudicial to the labourer and annoying to the
master :—pnjudicial to the labourer because it has a
demoralising effect upon him, promoting • feeling of
recklessness and carelessness about conducting himself
to the satisfaction of his employer '--annoying to the
master because it keeps up a spirit of discontentment
in his servant, whom, services he often loses, when,
after learning his ways, be has become most useful to
him, Again, can it be a comfortable or convenient
thing for a man to be always moving from place to
place with his furniture and family, separating all local
ties which much tend to eustainhis respectability!? The
establishment of register offices for farm labourers
would obviate the necessity for these fairs, and it
devolves upon the agriculturists to promote this mode
of hiring, and to refuse, one and all, ever more to hire
at Drone fair. I now pass to the subject of labourers'
wages. Wages are paid in two different ways,—first,
altogether in money; and secondly, partly in money,
and partly in kind. Perhaps the first is the most de-
sirable, Money is the standard by which the value of
labour is ascertained, and money is the only proper
exchange for labour. This is the theory, but in prac-
tice the second way must be admitted to have some
advantages, particularly to the labourer who is often
much attached to the syatem. The most common form
of payment in kind is that of supplying the labourer
with a certain amount of wheat per week at a
moderate and invariable price. This is in reality
a system of regulating the labourer's wages
by what may be said to be the article of
his production and chief consumption, and seems to be
Just in principle. Under this system the labourer feels
himself to be in a secure position as far as food for him-
self and family pea, for by always equalising its price
to him times of scarcity are never felt. He is also
benefitied by the saving effected of all the intermedi-
ate profits of retail dealers, meal sellers, and bakers ;
and still more important, the large item of bread does
not contribute to swell his account at what may be
called the financial maelstrom of the rural labourer—the
village shop. I submit, then, that although the former
system, namely, the paying of the labourer altogether
in money, is on many accounts the most desirable,
still the latter, namely, partial payment in kind seed
not hastily be abolished as being unattended with a
single advantage. I have taken some trouble to
ascertain the average pay of agricultural labourers
throughout the kingdom by day work, and I
believe that about 12s. per week is the amount, but
when employed by the piece they range from 14s. to
30s. per week, the latter sum being frequently earned
in six days of fine weather during the harvest season.
Thus, taking the average hours of laboarat,whaVl believe
them to be, via., 56 in the week, and the average
amount of wages paid throughout the year at 14n, we
find that the agricultural labourer in every hour of
work adds to the capital of this country by the sum of
threepence. True it may be said that he is hourly
contributing to the consumption of capita 4 but that
Is net the question before no, neither 4011 it interfere

, -

with it. An interesting question, which must often
suggest itself to agriculturists, is, how much per sere
will be profitably spent in manual labour? Many cir-
cumstances contribute to make the fixing of any such 1
sum very difficult, as ea much depends on the nature
of the soil and on the proportions of arable and pas-
ture land on the farm in question. Experienced men
say that on a Dorsetehire farm, having fair pro-
portions of both pasture and arable, about 20s. per
acre is the average now paid. It may be right
to remark on the effect upon labour of the
introduction of machinery. It Was supposedthat when
machinery, thirty years ago, was more generally intro-
duced, the value of labour would have been depreciated,
and so much was this felt by the labourer himself
that we reed of formidable riots taking place, whole
object was either to destroy machines or prevent their
use. Experience has told a different result, for though
, since then the invention and use of machinery in agri-
culture has vastly increased, the requirement for labour
has inereased rather than lessened. We may draw a
satisfactory conclusion from this fact, insommush as
machinery, with the aids of chemical science, has
greatly increased the amount of production. Let nil
compare the value of agricultural labour at former
periods of our history with what it is now m To do this
we must also con:pare the prices of the !different articles
of eonsumption at those times with thelpresent ones,
but perhaps a brief review of the general condition of
the agriculture of Great Britain at former periods, with
special reference to the condition of the labourer, will
enable us to draw the justest conclusions. The first as-
count we have of the agriculture of this country is that
furnished by the commentaries of Closer, commencing
about half a century B:C. From these we learn that
the Ancient Britons were not altogether unscientific in
the management of land, as they sometimes chalked
it, and used a very rude plough in its cultivation.
The land was divided amongst a number of tribes,
with chieftains at their bead, exercising royal autho-
rity, and having large numbers of armed followers.
The great mass of the people were dependent on these
for protection, and in a state of servitude to them,
being employed in the growing of corn and rearing
of cattle. In A.D. 300, we find the people dwelling
principally in towns. The serfs went forth to culti-
vate the fields, or tended the herds of cattle
in some mud cabin not far removed from their master.
The condition of a landed proprietor was not an envi-
able one. He dwelt in a town from which he dare
not absent himself without permission ; the office of
tax-collector WAS forced upon him, and he was answer-
able for any deficiency in the amount imposed. The
agricultural working classes consisted of the holders
of small 'patches; Of land, which were tilled by them-
selves and serfs who were bought arid sold at the
will of their masters. In A.D. 600, although Christi-
anity had been introduced by the Saxons, it had not
yet leavened society's° as to produce any improvement
in the condition of the labourer. Nearly the whole
of the land was owned by the great nobles. A com-
paratively small portion was held by poor freemen.
subject to the condition of • labour rent,
but these were few in number in comparison
with the serfs, by whom agricultural labour was almost
wholly performed. The ploughman ranked highest among
them. The serf was either born as such, or came into
that condition as • captive in war. He was the abso-
lute property of • master, who was privileged to mu-
tilate or kill him at pleasure—the only restraint was
that by doing no he was destroying his own property.
The slave held no property, and paid for any offence
of which he Was guilty by yielding his body to the
lash. Even at this time he had one day of rest in the
week—the Christian Sabbath. In the latter end of
the eleventh century some changes of considerable im-
portance were introduced after the conquest of the
country by the Normans. We now read not only of ,
slaves, but also of a class who rrformed services in
husbandry, for which they received payment. From
Domesday Book we learn that there were at this
time 1,588 chief proprietors of land. Next to these came
• class who held land by a military tenure, and were
liable to render forty days of knight service, at their
own cost, when the king went against the enemy. A
third class was that called eilloni or ',Wiens. These
occupied small patches of land, for which they per.
formed such services as that of ploughing for their
lord, and supplying his household with food. The
villan was hell in the greatest contempt, the rudest
hut and the coarsest fare were good enough for him. ,
Lastly came the slave, who was bought and sold with
the land on which he dwelt. The particulius of some
of these bargains have been preserved. In one case,
£3O was given for • piece of laud, and LI more for
the stock and crop on it, consisting of men, cattle and
corn. We also read of a serf who purchased his freedom
for £l, and of another being sold for 10s. Three-fourths ,
of the entire population of the country were either in
a state of slavery, or little above that condition. The
..pulation of Dorsetshire, as enumerated in Domesday
: ..k, consisted at this time of 56 chief proprietors of
land, 2,663 villans, 2,827 borderers or squatters on the
commons 1,165 slaves, 334 shepherds, 239 woodmen,
1,595 other heads of families. These with their fami-
lies would make the total population of Dorsetshire
about 40,000; at present it is about 186,000. In
Magna Charta, which was signed early in the thirteenth
century, no mention is made of the slave; but • privi-
lege was granted to the villain as it is provided that
he shall not be distrained on his wagonage, i.e. his
ploughs, carts, and other implements of husbandry
should not be taken from him in payment of fines or
taxes. Towards the end of this century, the condition
of the agricultural labourer seems gradually to have im-
proved; and slavery was further substituted by paid
labour, as we read of carters and threshers being in-
mates of the farm-honse, and receiving wages to the
amount of six shillings and eight pence • year. The
size of farms at this time ranged from ten to two
hundred acres. In the middle of the fourteenth cen-
tury there seems to have been • great scarcity of
labourers, on account Of many of the inhabitants being
swept off by the plague. Wages were rapidly rising,
but this was stepped by the enactment of the
"Statute of Labourers." The demand for this was thus
set forth :—" Because • great part of the people and
especially of workmen and te, late died of pesti-
lence, many seeing the necessity of masters and great
scarcity of servants, will not serve unless they may
receive excessive wages." Another statute followed
the first, and these fixed the amount of the wages of
the agricultural labourer. (The mower was to have
five pence per day), and it was also provided that any
leaving their service should be imprisoned,
and that masters consenting to give higher wages
should be fined double the amount thus paid or pro-
mised. It was also provided that no labourer who
could obtain employment in the place at which lie had
passed the winter, should leave it, or work elsewhere
in the summer. These statutes show that the right of
one man to hold another had by this time been
abolished. Some years later • law was made to prevent
the agricultural labourer repairing to the towns to seek
employment, and was thus worded,—" That he or she
whioh use to labour at time plough, and cart, or other
labour or service of husbandry, till they be of the age
of twelve years, from thenceforth shall abide at the
same labour, without being put to any mystery or
handicraft, and if any covenant or bond of apprentice
be from henceforth made to the contrary, the same
shall be holden for none." These enactments proving
inoperative they were followed bylanother, which pro.
vided that labourers were to be sworn to serve accord-
ing to [the former etatutes, and should they refuse
to do so they were to be put in the docks. In the
year 1,425 the first corn law was made. This provided
that no person should import those articles, when
wheat did not exceed 68. Bd. ; rye, 41, ; and barley,
3e. per quarter. Some progress had been made in agri.
culture by the latter end of the fifteenth century. The
land was new let to tenants, who held leases of it;
but again was there an attempt made to regulate wm,“
and the hours of labour. By • statute now made,
from the middle of March to the middle of September,
every labourer was to be at his work before Ave
o'clock in the morning, and he was to depart not until
between seven and eight in the evening • out of this
he was to be allowed half an hour for iris breakfast,
one hour for his dinner, and half an hour for his
nonemete (from which our term " namet" is evidently
derived.) He Was also allowed half an hour for sleep
in the day. From September to March he Was to be at
his work in the springing of the day, and depart not
until night of the same day. His wages were fixed at
threepence farthing per day in the summer, and three-
pence in the winter. This statute had been in opera-
tion but ono year before it was repealed, for, as it is
set forth, "diver and many reasonable considerations
and causes." These frequent alterations show that
none of the statutes answered the purposes for which
they were made and they furnish the evidence that
all state or other interferences with the law of supply
and demand applied to labour, as well as to other com-
modities, would prove utter failures. In the middle
of the sixteenth century the agricultural labouring
population were in distress, arising, it was supposed,
from the increase in the qtrantity of land enclosed for
the purpose of keeping cattle and sheep, and the
consequent ejectment of it-any of thit'cottager far.
mere. Thepeople of Dorsetshire as well as those
of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, rose in rebellion
for the redress of this grievance and were slaughtered
by hundreds before it was sums:eased. The work of
the farm was at this time performed very much by
indoor labourers. An act was now passed repealing
all former ones concerning servants in husbandry and
others, and leaving the amount of wages to be settled
annually by the justices in sessions assembled. The
rate being settled and also approved by the Governs
ment, all who received higher wages were to be pun-
ished by fine and imprisonment. At the end of the
seventeenth century, England contained • population
of 5,400,000, of which oneffourth were paupers and
beggars. The average Incomes of the farmers of this
period was calculated at £42 10s. per annum. The
wages of farm labourers were about 4s.
per week, but in some cases rose so high
as ss. and 6.5. The labourers lived upon
rye-bread, barley-bread, and oat-cake; meat
they rarely tasted • salt was very dear. Their
hovels were unglazed, with thatched roofs and bat-
tered walls, which offered the most miserable shelter.
A rough bench and a plank on tressele were the fur-
niture; an iron pot, and • brown basin or two, the
household utensils. The children were reared in the
grossest ignorance, believing in witches and omens.
This was the condition of the agricultural labourer but
one hundred and fifty years ago. In the middle of the
eighteenth ieotury, • Instonandescribes thestate of Dor.
'cabins agriculture as being fifty years behind that of
ihe rest of the country. The land was for the most
part in furzy downe, tenanted by a few sheep, and many
foxes. What • different state of things from that of the
present day, as the large flocks of Dorsetehire sheep are
now unequalled for quality, and poor pug has become so
scarce that he cannot sometimes be met with in a day's
search, many of his most favoured haunts, by a large
expenditure of capital and labour have been converted
into productive cornfields. The Dorsetshire labourers
were, then, amongst the worst cared for in the king-
dom, living in mud-walled cottages composed of road
scrapings, chalk, and straw. The wages which are
now paid, amounting as they sometimes do in the
case of a skilful labourer, to an average of 15s. per
week throughout the year, the comfortable cottages
which we see, and the generally neat appearance
which the labouring population present on the Sabbaths
day, show what the last century has dome for the
Doreetshire labourer. But half • century ago England
was very much in open fields and commons, a third
part of the arable land being every year under • dead
hllow, in heavy land the crops were much damaged b
water. The sheep and cattle were then but meagre.by
looking animals, the horses with hairy heels were ad-
mirably adapted to carry on every leg a considerable
weight of soil, the farm implemente then used would
now be considered et the rudest kind, and the manure

was little better than a heap of decomposed straw.
By comparing the agriculture of the present day with
that of those periods I have noticed, we find that its
prosperity has gone band in hand with that of manu-
facture and oommerae. Toe period of prosperity to one
is that of prosperity to them all; in fact the relations
between them are of so intimate a nature, that neither
can be in a depressed state without the others being af-
fected. The relations of the capitalist and the labourer
are of the same nature in this respect If the capitalist
be in difficulty the labourer will suffer. On the other
hand the best description of labour will insure the
best return to the capitalist. Both the physical and
intellectual powers of the labourer must be cultivated
in order to obtain these results and when so cultivated
they must be sustained by good food and comfortable
dwellings. To this end humanity and self-interest
alike demand the attention of the capitalist. The ger.
vices of the labourer are now required of a superior
character. The powerful and complicated machinery
of manufacture, the engines, thrashing machines,
drills, reaping and grass cutting machines of agrical-
tore, require a condition of far higher intelligence.
Not only must he have strong arms, barbs musttbe,
to some extent, an intellectual man. Is there no
whome by which the labourer may be induced to hus-
band his means forfaickness and old age? Surely well-
regulated Friendly Societies present the means
by which such necessities may be met
For the information of any who may not be intimate
with the working of these. I will say of one with the
operations of which I am somewhat acquainted, that a
' member of it, by the iegular payment of one shilling
and four pence per month, from the age of eighteen,
secures for himself an ample provision in sickness, and
an income of four shillings per week from the age of
sixty-five. May we not look to the extension of these
societies rather than to the abolition of the Law of
Settlement, for fully securing to the labourer that
invaluable birthright—his honest independence? I
now mak* my bow, gentlemen, gratefully acknow-
ledging your patient and indulgent attention, by
expressing the earnest wish that the capital
of our countrymay continue to increase, sod
the moral and physical condition of the labourer
continue to improve, and instead of the degra-
dation of parochial relief, may he soon arrive at
the position in which a life of industry, sobriety, and
thrift, may secure to him an independent and honour-
able old age. [The authorities on whom I have de-
pended for much of the information and some of the
statistics, are Lord Macaulay, Charles Knight, Dr.
Vaughan, Turner, Arthur Young and some others.]
The CHAIRMAIC labibethouglit their young friend
might well he gratefellor the-patient and indulgent
attention with *bleb' the Company had that n t
listened to Sim. There could be no greater co -
pliment paid by an audience to a speaker than to
Eaten to him in silence. This night they had
listened to a large amount of extraordinary facto,
but the time limited for discussing them would not
enable them to go over the whole of the ground he
had laid open to their view. And indeed, [for his
own part, he hardly felt competent to discuss them
at so short • notice. It seemed to him that he
wanted to digest the matter a bit, and to think over
the question. Still he would like to carry on the
war, and though he felt incompetent to call upon
any one by name, he would be really obliged for
some gentleman to follow up the discussion which
had been so ably commenced.
Mr. Gatrie said he had been justaummoned to
leave the room, but he felt it impossible to do so
withou tfirst of all expressing his thanks to Mr.
Homer for the very excellent lecture he had given
them that evening. He had listened to it, as an
employer of labour, with very great pleasure, and he
thought the company present must accept it in the
same feeling as he did. The very liberal tone of
the sentiments he had expressed, and the correct
view he had taken of the subject in its different
bearings, must meet the approval of every honour-
able mind. Not only had Mr. Homer given them
some very valuable information, but he had ex-
pressed himself in that liberal manner, with that
cordial good feeling towards the labourer, that his
sentiments must, be (was sure, not only meet with
the hearty approval of that assembly but of every
assemblage of Englishmen before whom the principle
was enunciated. It was to him a source of great
satisfaction that he bad imbibed the sentiments be
had thus ably expressed that evening. It was a
principle which he trusted would actuate him in his
future life, and that he hiuiself would be a bright
example to those around him, of kindliness of heart
towards (the labourer. Capital was, no doubt, a
great element of success, but labour was equally iso.
No person could employ his capital to the greatest
advantage by depreciating labour. If a man de-
preciated labour, he would often find out that be
acted to his own injury by so doing. His own ex-
perience upon this subject had confirmed his
opinions. From his own observations be
found that it was largely to the advantage of the
community that the relative advantages of both
labour and capital should be :appreciated and care-
fully guarded—that the labourers' interests should
be as carefully attended to by the capitalist as
his capital itself. All legislative enactments on this
subject had been and must ever be unattended with
success. It must be to the real good feeling sub-
Mating between the employer and the employed,
rather than by legislative enactment, that they
must look for success. He thought he should be
wanting in his duty if, before he left that room, he
failed to express towards Mr. Homer his hearty
thanks for the very Able lecture he had given them.
(Applause.) •
Mr. Daman said he had very great pleasure in
endorsing the sentiments of Mr. Galpin, with regard
to the very interesting and intellectual lecture Mr.
Homer had given them that evening. He had
sketched out the ,history of centuries in • very in-
teresting manner, and what he had stated had been
borne out by facts: Only 30 or 40 years ago • very
imperfect idea generally prevailed with regard to
the relationship between labour and capital. With
regard to the lecture itself, it was so compact that
they could not pull it to pieces. He sometimes
thought that there was an advantage in but-imper-
fectly bringing forward a subject, as then a diecue-
sion ensued, and hence they arrived at the train
But in the present instance Mr. Homer had left
them n 6 loophole. He had set the subject so fairly
before them, and his arguments were 80 conclusive,
that no one could oppose the facts enunciated by
him, and hence there was nothing to discuss. With
regard to the question of labour there was one point
touched upon by Mr. Homer on which he would
offer a few remarka. The farmers in some parts of
the county were in the habit of paying their labourers
partly in kind and partly in money. He was quite
aware that this mode of payment was often a benefit
to the man who received it, but be thought that the
system placed the county in a false position with
the other counties in England as to the value of the
wages given, and that it afforded a loophole to
those who did not pay their men in this way, as
such only gave the same amount of wages as those
who gave their men wheat at the rate of five shillings
a bushel. He had always considered this an unfair
teat for regulating wages: It was true that wages
were, in a measure, regulated by the system of
supply and demand, still he considered that pay-
ment of wages partly in kind, with wheat at 6s. a
bushel, might be looted upon, and were no doubt
regarded by the men, as perquisites, and that those
who did not receive these perquigites did not receive
an equal amount of wages. He therefore thought
the principle of paying partly in kind a Wee one, as
it del not represent the full benefit the labourers
received for their labour. In conclusion he joined
in thanking Mr. Homer for his very excellent lecture.
Mr. Homes believed there never was a time in
the history of this country when there was such a
lively interest of the masters on all sides to attend to
the interests of the labourers whom they engaged,
as there was at the present time. lie fully agreed
with the speakers who had preceded him, and which
was evidently the feeling of that meeting, that there
was not &single peg in the whole lecture upon which
they *mold hang a discussion. Mr. Homer had that
that evening advanced sound argument--argument
that would stand the test of the soundest writers on
political economy. A vast deal had been done in
this country is the elneidation of truth by discus-
sions of this kind,,and,it had been clearly *hewn
that the necessary accompaniment for the promotion
of the national weal was the mutual association of
capital and labour. Unfortunately, in this country
thirty years ago, during the disturbed state of society,
and especially in the agricultural districts, the
opinion was largely entertained that the existence of
wealth was antagonistic to labour. A greater
fallacy never existed. No doubt the opinion was
honestly entertained by the great mass of the people,
but it was a misguided one. But the intelligence
among the masses of the people had brought about
a great change of opinion in this respect. They
were now beginning to see that, according to the
present state of society, it was with an abundance of
capital that the prosperity of the country must be
carried forward, and that the only prospect A man
of capital had of success was, the constant employ-
ment of that capital. He said he believed this
feeling was largely shared in by the working chews,
as they found that there did not exist among them
otfh the
expensive
rvwe hmoafcohnnin
machinery
t fornecessaairryry.
at the present time that jealousy which existed in
ttoi motel 1P a ti
tahgea ni
det
ing ion his operations. There was one fallacy he
hoped the intelligence of the people would tend to
dispel, as it was a great drawback to the happiness
and comfort of the people, and a great injury to
capital. He alluded to those combinations of labourers
called strikes. Nothing had a more injurious ten-
dency to all concerned than those combinations
which ended in strikes. It was the object of those
by whom these misguided men were led to subject
the capital of the masters to the control of the
workmen, a thing, which if it once prevailed, would
utterly destroy capital, as it would be impossible for
• master to withstand combinations; and with regard
to the labourer himself he must be subject to the
greatest privation and distress, as no one would
embark in an undertaking under such circumstances.
They had seen their ill effects among the workmen
themselves, by crippling those who were engaged in
spreading discontent among them. He was happy
to believe that the labouring dames were beginning
to perceive that instead of capital injuring the large
industrial element of this country, there was
nothing like capital for promoting their own in-
terests, and that those who did thus employ it were
the best friends to the labouring man. With re-
spect to the subject alluded to by the lecturer, he
(Mr. Hodges) must say that he should certainly be
very glad and- rejoice in the adoption of any mea-
sure that should lead to the honourable indepen-
dence, social comfort, and moral improvement of
the labourer, But with reprd to the subjeet of
e •

settlement and parochial relief, he did not look upon
it, in many instances, as being a degradation.
Sometimes, even with the most liberal wages, where
there was a largo family, sickness and other unfortu-
nate circumstances occurring, it was impossible for
even the most provident and frugal to bear up
against them. Under these circumstances the old
law of Elizabeth was a very valuable one, which
said that those whom Providence had blessed with
worldly means should be liable to contribute an
amount according to their ability until such person
should be able to follow his usual occupation,
Anything like dependence upon the poor-rat• we.
doubtless a greet misfortune, but he could not think
that it was a sneer to a man to depend upon that
means of support instead of his own energy when
driven to this by no misconduct of hie own. There
was no doubt the position of the labourer, both sa
regarded his dwelling and other matters, had in
many plaoes been greatly improved of late purl,
and there was a strong and prevailing feeling is hie
favour in relation to the success of the agricultural
and other great interests in this country. In sin.
elusion, he begged V) thank Mr. Homer for the very
excellent lecture he had given them.
The Vicx-Parnrozsv said be perfectly wood
with the remarks of Mr. Homer on the subject
which, next to strikes, as alluded to by Mr. Hodge.'
were of the most injurious tendency. He Minder(
to the subject of hiring fairs, These, as It,,
Homer had justly remarked, caused a vast amount
of harm to the labourers and inconvenience to
the masters. He had known persons break
up a comfortable cottage home, after a forty
years' residence, through these hiring fairs. Hs
thought that if masters, instead of attendiag
these fairs to hire servants, would not go there tha,
might very soon alter this state of dings, withi
was an injury to both parties. Let them tell the
men " if you go to the fair you will not see me there."
He wished there could be a system of registration or
some such like means adopted for hiring agricultural
servants, which he thought would be a great
improvement upon the present system. His father
never had but two shepherds for 65 years. He bad
beard his father tell, to, what used to be the state of
their land formerly', .4nd this would bear out Mr.
Momer't remarks. It was covered with gorse, and
the cdc‘plan was to Ake a plough and break it up
for sowing with corn All it was worn out and Irma
bear no more, and then to lay it down again rough ti
it was. No wonder foxes were then abundant-
Poor pug could now find no such place of shelter..
be then had upon this island.
Mr. W. MANTIILD said be thought the discussion
was now brought nearly to a close. Their dissuasion
' had turned chiefly on the advantages of the labourer.
He would admit that hitherto the increase of mmHg
had gone on with the mutual improvement of
capital; but he wished to ask bow much farther
they were to go on in this way and where they were
to stop, or if theywere not to stop at all;? Some-
time since a labourer got into prison, and the school-
master wished to teach him latin, but be said he bad
always done without that, and he could not see
what good Win would do him in working on the
farm.

bin HMO= thought it would be but an act of
propriety and duty to place upon record a reso-
lution, tieing their best and heartiest thanks to Mr.
Homer for the instructive lecture with which he had
favoured them, and the very interesting manner in
which he bad placed the subject before them. The
lecture, while it gave Mr. Homer redit, WAS ales-
lated to do not only the company, but all who reed
it, a vast deal of good, by giving them a large amount
of very useful information.
Mr. Genoa seconded the resolution, which wail
adopted unanimously.
Mr. HOMER thanked the company for their kind
expression of his humble production. The discussion
that evening had left bin, little to say in reply, fat
there were one or two remarks which had fallen
from the speakers to which he would just alb&
Mr. Damen, in alluding to the system of payihg
labourers partly in kind and partly in menet,
objected to the system as he felt that justice wee
not done to the farmer in the eyes of those living at
a distance, as it appeared the value of the wages
really given was less than they appeared. Now
it seemed to him, Mr. Homer, that there would be
some difficulty in getting rid of the system. Some.
time since a farmer offered his labour 12. 5 month
setts, for him to give up his wheat. He had sia
bushels of wheat a month, so that his wheat was
worth 7s. a bushel, for which he was only paying
or in other words, the labourer was apparently
receiving 3s. a week lees than what the actual
amount was. But the labourer would not accept
the offer. He knew that if he did he must be in the
hands of that mash Strom, the village shopkeeper.
This seemed to be the great objection to money
payments, and the labourers would rather be in the
hands of their mailers than in those of the shop.
keeper. Mr. Hodges had told them that he did not
consider the acceptance of parochial reliefs dere-
dation, but, although this might not be so in fact,
there were many an honest working man who felt it
a degradation, and who would submit to almost any
amount of privation rather than seek it. Mr.
Harding had agreed with what he had said respect-
ing hiring fairs, and if the masters felt that it was
an injurious system, why not free themselves of the
system by refusingto hare at them? Mr. Manfield
had asked the question, How far they were to go on
in the improvement of the labourer, and where
they were to stop? What more they had to do for
the labourer? They had to do a great deal more for
him. The labourers did not yet understand that it
was to their interest to po with capital. They had
to educate them in self-esteem, so that they should
learn to respect themselves, and give them a taste
for intellectual improvement rather than a love of
the pot-house.
The CHILIILMAN confessed that in bringing them
proceedings to a close he did not intend to bestow
much time or labour in expressing his Ville'p on this
discussion. The subject opened for that evening's
discussion was, as Mr. Damon had vary properly
said, se fall of fact, or rather history, that they had
to look at the results. It had been stated, and no
doubt the statement was perfectly correct, that all
restraints upon labour, esally of a legislative
character, had failed to produce the results intended
—had failed to produce the prosperity of the busi-
ness for which the restraint had been put on. And
it was a matter for congratulation that they had
arrived st a happier state of things. The remits of
the past few years, he Abought, could not fail to
cantinas 'the 'most obtains. 'minds that the system
now adopted—free-tehde with regard to capital,
and tree labour in regurdto production and busineas,
was the proper principle for adoption. When he
' looked back to what had taken place during the
last 50 or 100 years he was not much alarmed at
what was to come. With regard to the enlighten.
meat of the labourer it might happen that the..
would be found that there were labourers not far
behind their employers, but this would happen only
in a few instances, and he was inclined to look
upon this fact somewhat in the light of Lord
Brougham, when he said, if it does so happen that
the lower classes are thus educated they will put the
spurs on their toes rather than on their heels, and
kick forward those who are before them (laughter)
and no one would flnd Vault with them. He
thought the lecture that evening augured well for
their farmers' club, as he trusted it would have the
effect of stimulating some others among their young
members to labour in the same direction. He was
quite sure of this, but amongst them were to her
found some very good brains not yet sufficiently
developed. He thought it also augured well for
their young friend that beginning life with sock
views and principles an he had enunciated that
night, he would be qualified to serve his generation
in a much better way than some of them who were
just going off the stage. The proceedings were
then brought to a close.

POSINHOMItt /Worm CORN MAMMY, Saturday,
Match 16th.—Atteadance smalL A good amount
of business done at late rates.
FiLONY BY A SIAVANT.—Sarah Bart was on
Monday charged at the Townhall with stealing four
sovereigns, the property of Henry Hobert Tassel.
The prosecutor said his father kept a draper's shop
in Cornbill, and the prisoner was his servant till
about midday on Saturday, when she was die.
charged.— On Friday evening be put his puree, con.
taming four sovereigns and three half-crowns in a
drawer in his bedroom. The next evening be had
occasion to go to the drawer, when he found the
purse and money were gone.—P. C. Cousins said,
from information be received,he went to Cattistock
and apprehended the prisoner, who denied the
charge at first, but when she found she had tote
searched by a female searcher, she exclaimed "In
guilty, l'm guilty, and I'll give up the money.
did take the money, but I left the purse in the
drawer;" and she then gave up the 'lost money.
She was committed for six months' hard labour.

PIDDLETOWN.—FILONT OH NOT PILLOW/ '—
TRAY'. THe Qummox.—Charles Woolfreys, and
Charles Sandford. two boys in she employ of Mr.
Joseph Saunders, of Masten farm, was brought
before H. Williams, and W. L. Henning Esqm.
by P.C. Orchard, charged with stesliag eggs from
the hen's nests belonging to their employer. Mr.
Weston attended for the defendants. It appeared
that Mrs. Saunders had offered the boys a pen*Y.
doxen for all the eggs they brought to her that baa
be
Zi Odre dropped
d b Ylirtiltimeanhendorse. fancied the
ee
boys were
wig
either laying a less number than usual or that there
were thieves about the premises, and to clear up the
doubt he set the policeman to watch. The truth
was then discovered. On Sundays, while the family
were at church, the boys visited the hens' nest,
abstracted the contents, and next day presented
themselves to Mrs. Saunders to receive her pram
for their indaitry and obtain their reward. The
question for the„Betsch to decide was, was it *
felony or not a felony The magistrates owned
themselves for once at fault, and as they entertained
a doubt on the point they gave the defendants the
benefit of it and dismissed the ease.

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Wampum]) MILLARD, of Icon Road, Fordinytos,
Dorchester, Printer, at the Oales of TM Anvil
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day, Mar* 16, YAM