The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-27 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL MEETINGS.

AT the HEREFORDSHIRE Agricultural Dinner, on the
19th inst., the question was incidentally mooted
whether the existing high price of agricultural pro-
duce was attributable Lk. the war. The company in.
eluded several of the pnncipal persons in the
county; Mr. Kevill Davies presided. Mr. Brookes,
M.P., was absent through a domestic bereavement•
Captain HantsußY, alluding to the present position of
affairs, said :

There was no doubt that the manner in which the groat
question of peace or war was treated at these meetings
must have some weight with the Minister of the day. He
might (although politics were excluded from their meet-
ings) be allowed to refer to the gratifying position of the
agricultural interest, and to remark that the prices which
farmers were obtaining were some etunpensation for the
struggles iu which they had been for a long time engaged,
and for the difficulties which they had had to encounter.
He believed the main cause of the present high prices to
be the war. He anticipated that in the next session of
Parliament the war would bring many important tines.
tions under discussion. There would be the questions of
what was to be done with tho Crimea, of the position of
Turkey, of the course which Austria and Prussia would
take, and the kingdom of Naples might probably form a
subject of discussion. Relying, however, on the alliance
with France. he thought there was no cause for despon-
dency as to the future.

Colonel CLIFFOILD thought the introduction of
politics at their meetings unfortunate, and felt sure
that the war was not popular with the agricultural
community because connected with high prices :
Re did not quite agree with ell that bad fallen from
Captain Hanbury as to the price of corn. Captain Danbury
attributed the present high price to the war. lle would
not attempt to slur over the fact, for it could not be owe.
trovert• d, but he should be very sorry to think that the
undoubted prosperity of the agricultural interest was
mainly owing to the war, because if such were the case
farmers might be accused of attempting to keep up a
warlike spirit iu the country, than which he was sure
nothing was further from their thoughts or desires. Ile
believed tl:e cause of the present high price of wheat to be
owing to the deficiency of the harvest on the Continent,
and to the fact that France was buying largely for her own
consumption.

The chairman, Mr. DAVIES, thought that the
existing prices were too high to be regarded 118 a
benefit:—

As to the prices of agricultural produce, whether they
resulted from the oar or not he could not buy, but be
could not congratulate them upon those prices, because hq
considered them too high for the oonsurner—( Hear,
hear)—and he would rather see prices at such a rate al
would benefit the consumer as well as the producer. At
the same time the farmers had great reason to be thank.
ful for an abundant harvest, housed in glorious weather,
for a better crop of hops than they had had tier many years,
and for a splendid winter crop, which at one time looked
very bad.
At the cattle show previous to the dinner some
excellent Hereford cattle were exhibited, and four
yearling bullocks were bought for Prince Albert at
the extraordinary price of 130/.

The annual dinner of the CHF:JITNEY Agricultural
Association on the 10th was distinguished by the pm.
sidency of Mr. H. DRUMMOND, M.l'., who, far fro=
thinking the occasion unlit for politics, made some
pointed political allusions on giving the chilli' toasts
of the evening. in proposing " The Queen," be
condemned what he eouridered a most unwarrantable
interference with the privacy of the Royal Family :
What would they say if, when any young person made
love to the daughter of a farmer, some impertinent and
meddling neighbour chose to turn round and tell them that
it would be an improper marriage? Would they nut say,
" Hold your tongue ; mind your own affairs; it is no
business of yours; " and would not all their neighbours
join with them in expressing their opinion that it was au
impudent interference? The privacy of the Royal Family
ought to be equally respected.

In giving " The Army and' Navy," he spoke with
severity of the attacks which had been made on Lord
Raglan and General Simpson, and related an anec-
dote from his own experience of the delusion which
prevailed relative to some points in the management
of the war :

He had been for three months in Germany, and be
would tell them what passed one day when be was there.
He was sitting at a large table d'hote, most of the company
being Germans, and all, more or less, nnderstanding the
English language, when an Englishman came in, whw
tallied very loudly about the scandalous way in which the
war was being eondueted ; and, among other things, said
that Mr. Sidney Herbert had sent out orders that Odessa
should not be bombarded because he had private property
there. He (Mr. Drummond) allowed him to go ou for a
little while, and then said, " How happy, sir. you must be
to hear so gnats a calumny contradicted. Now, I have seen
with my own eyes a despatch written from Admiral Dundee
to Admiral Hamelin, begging to be allowed to bombard
Odessa. Admiral Hamelin sent that despatch to General
Canrobert, and I saw General Csnrobert's refusal to Ist
them do so." Mr. S. Herbert had eo more to do with it
than the present emapany had, and the statement that be
did nut nibb Odessa to be bombarded is order to save his
own private property was a gross calumny. General biropl
ion; also, bid been subjootert to similar calumnies.

I