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