The Press.
London, England, 1856-10-04 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

ercise of their skill—by the ardour with which they pursue
their efforts—by the resolution to have recourse to all
legitimate means to stimulate and improve the cultivation
of the soil—will remain, as they have long remained, fore-
most in their class ; and if that be the case, and if these
be my hopes, you may judge of the pride which I feel, and
of the spirit which, under all circumstances, animates
me when I remember that I have the honour to repre-
sent you.

Several other toasts were proposed and drunk be-
fore the meeting separated.

The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER attended
the RADNORSHIRE AGRICULTURAL MEETING On Wed-
nesday at Knighton. The right hon. baronet, in re-
plying to his health, alluded to the report that her
Majesty's Government had employed 5,000,0001. to
secure the return of Colonel Fremont, as President
of the United States. He had only to say that, if
the return of that gentleman depended upon the
application of such a sum from the Government, he
need not be very sanguine about his election. Later
in the evening Sir G. C. Lewis proposed " Prosperity
to the Association," and, in the course of his speech,
alluded to the different position of the country be •
tween this year and last. He thought the Treaty of
Peace accomplished every object for which the war
had been undertaken :

This is a matter of fact upon which scarcely any dis-
pute can arise, because the objects of the war were authen-
tically stated at its commencement, and any person may
take that statement and the treaty of peace, when he
will see that the objects which were announced were
accomplished—that more, indeed, than those objects was
accomplished. The late war was terminated by a peace
in which the terms of the treaty were—l will not say
dictated, but at all events prescribed by England and
France, acting in concert with Austria. It is a matter
of fact that the treaty was founded upon a draught
which was prepared by France and England, which was
tendered by Austria to Russia in the form of an ultima•
tum, and to which Russia assented. We may, therefore,
say with truth that the terms of that pacification were
prescribed by France and England and accepted by
Russia. I think, therefore, we must be satisfied that the

Government of this oountry pursued a wise, as I am sure
it pursued a humane course, because every man of
humanity, every man animated by philanthropic and reli-
gions feelings, must approve the termination of a fierce
and sanguinary contest. No man, I think, will willingly
and openly profess the doctrine that war is to be con-
tinued upon some mere speculative and gambling princi-
ples, or for the mere chance of gaining some uncertain
advantages or the acquisition of military glory.
The right hon. baronet proceeded to glance at the
prospects of agriculture, congratulating the farmers
upon the late bountiful harvest, and expressed his
opinion that moderately high prices are better calcu-
lated than excessive prices to secure the permanent
prosperity of agriculture and the other interests of
the nation. He enforced the principle of the old
Saxon maxim, " Live and let live," not only in its
application to this country, but in its larger applies.
tion to the world at large, contending that we ought
to learn with satisfaction of the prosperity and pro-
gress of other nations, as thereby they became more
likely to be purchasers from England. He then
referred at some length to the subject of agricultural
statistics, and combated the objections which have
been raised to their collection.

The Right Hon. VERNON SMITH, M.P., and Mr.
A. STAFFORD, M.l'., attended the agricultural meeting
at Northampton last week.
Mr. VERNON SMITH, in proposing "The Army and
Navy," paid high compliments to both services.
With respect to the prospects of peace, the right
hon. gentleman observed :

Ten years ago, if I had had to speak of peace, I should have
spoken of it as something likely to be permanent ; but now,
as I am afraid, recent events show that that is not likely
to be the case. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and,
although we ought not to keep up a war establishment, we
ought to maintain &force such as will be capable of securing
our position and gratifying our dignity. I hope that no
such occasion may arrive. lam not here to suppose any
approaching danger or calamity, but to say that it would toe
most unwise in this country to disarm herself through fear
of an unjust expenditure of the public money. A cautious
Chancellor of the Exchequer and a vigilant House of
Commons will guard against that, and it will be better for
US to have provided such an army and nary than run the
risk of being unprotected.
Mr. AUGUSTUS STAFFORD, M.P., spoke principally
upon the question of agricultural statistics. He
said :

Let Government bring forward some bill, not inquisi-
torial and not compulsory, and there can be no doubt the
tenant farmers of this country will give it their hearty ap-
proval. We do not wise to have to tell when and where
any particular lien lays an egg, but we are willing to afford
to the country and to Parliament all useful information
with regard to the agriculture of the country. In resisting
inquisitorial inquiry we are charged with bucolic jealousy
by the public press. We can never, I admit, have those
nimble wits upon our side on this question, for every
person would refuse to make a return cf his private affairs
to be given in a blue-book. If we are t 3 be celled jealous
for refusing such returns, what man of business, let me
ask, would not be jealous? But with regard to the press
which has charged us with b.ucolio jealousy, it dues not

945

itself come into court with clean hands. Returns used to
be published of the different circulation of the various
newspapers, but they have been suppressed because the
press solicited that they should be so. Therefore I think
that those who have objections to this publicity on their
own part are the last who should blame the tenant farmers
for not making those returns, which they will reffise to do
until the days of the Inquisition return to us. We feel
this the more strongly, because it has been urged against
us that every pound of cotton that is brought into the
country is made known to the public in a return. That is
quite true ; but does every manufacturer of cotton make a
return to Government of every ound of the material he
may buy himself orsupply to another? There is no analogy
between the imports of cotton and the returns which that
bill required the farmers to make. Agricultural statistics
may or may not be useful, but they are no more good to
agriculture in Ireland than are the Georgics of Virgil, orthe
treatises of Columella, although the farmers may calculate
on them the value of their crops and the range of time for
bringing them to the market. What would influence us is
that we should be enabled to ascertain the quantity of corn
brought from all parts of the country, and not have to rely
on vague rumours and fallacious returns. What we feel
is this—we are not, as a class, to benefit by the returns ;
but if the principle be compulsory, and press inquisitorially
upon us, we are likely to be harassed, and, therefore,
against it we will protest, and desire our representatives to
oppose it in Parliament.

Before concluding he alluded to an opinion lately ex-
pressed by Count Montalembert on the peasantry of
England :

It is no small boast and pride to us, as agriculturists
to find that the most intelligent foreigner who has lately
visited this country—l mean Count Montalembert,
a gentleman separated from us both by country and by
creed, states that in the agricultural community of this
country is to be found the safest barrier against convul-
sions and invasion. We may also boast of sending for-
ward the finest, the strongest—l will not say the bravest—
soldiers in the army for the preservation and maintenance
of those institutions which we have inherited from our an-
cestors, and which we will transmit unimpaired to our
posterity.

The Womorum SOCIETY held its meeting last
week at the Town-hall. Sir Edward Conroy in the
chair, with Mr. Palmer, M.P., and Lord Barringtorl
M.P., present. Lord Barrington was obliged to leavd
early. Mr. Palmer responded to " The County
Members." He said :

The public mind had been so thoroughly absorbed in
the recent war that it seemed to feel no interest in any
other subject. They had most providentially escaped out
of that war, and come to a happy conclusion—he hoped a
lasting and an honourable peace. He had no doubt next
session a variety of subjects might arise, very likely some
of them affecting the agricultural interest. If such should
arise, he should consider it his duty to pay every attention
to them, and endeavour to take that course which he
thought most conducive to the interests of those whom he
represented.

The LUDLOW AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION had its
banquet on Saturday. The Hon. It. W. Clive, M.P.,
and Colonel Percy Herbert, M.P., attended. Speak-
ing of agricultural statistics, Mr. Clive said :
NOG' I am not prepared to say that I do not admit the
principle. The prine9le may be good ; the difficulty is in
carrying it out so as not to be offensive nor inquisitorial.
There is the difficulty. If the machinery could be set to
work so as to be satisfactory to all, I believe great good
might result from it. But, as I said before, the difficulty
is in collecting these statistics, so as not to interfere in a ny
way with private affairs-

The VALE OF EVESHAX SOCIETY also held its
meeting last week, Mr. E. Holland, M.P., Sir Henry
Willoughby, M.P., Hon. Colonel Rushout, M.P., and
Mr. H. Foley, M.P., attending. The health of the
county members being given, the Hon. Colonel Rush-
out replied briefly, observing that Parliament had
done so little during the late session that he was at
a loss for a subject on which to address them. Sir
H. Willoughby, in responding to the toast of "The
Members for the Borough," briefly alluded to the
position of the farmer in the present day, exposed to
the competition of the world, and which rendered it
imperatively necessary that he should use all his
energies in the cultivation of the soil, so as success•
fully to meet that competition. The proceettings
were prolonged for some hours, and practical dis-
cussions on several agricultural topics took place.

The STOWIN THE-WOLD AND CHIPPING NORTON
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY had their show and diluter
a few days ago. Colonel North, \I. L'., presided, and
Mr. Henley, M.P., spoke. He said :
People were very apt to decry the farmers, and to regard
them as a class that had made no progress; but any one
who remembered what the land formerly produced, what
number of sheep was kept and corn grown upon it, would
admit that such was not the case, for much had been done
by them, and he should like to know of any trade which
had developed itself to the same extent. It was true that
the manufacturer was enabled to double or treble his

City of goods by increasing his number of mills and .
but the firmer was confined to the same farm—to the

extent of hind—and yet by his energy, enterprise, am
he succeeded in increasing to a considerable ext

supply of corn, mutton, and other food. The re

LI UC UM%
his clump
d hands,
the same
Ind skill,
,tent his •F
!I was ftlo
Al4l

946

class of men who had done more in the same space of time
let their profession be what it might, than the tarmer

At the ABINGDON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY Mr.
Charles Duffield presided, and various addresses
were delivered by the few gentlemen present, not
more than thirty sitting down to dinner.
At the STAFFORDSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
dinner, Lord Harrowby, Mr. Smith Child, M.P., and
Mr. C. B. Adderley, M.P., were the principal speakers,
but their remarks were entirely with reference to
general topics of agricultural interest.