The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-06 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 6, 185

gbe CoUtl.

BALMORAL, FAMILY, Ocr. 3.
Prince Albert went out deer-stalking yesterday.
Her Majesty accompanied his Royal Highness to the Forest
and then returned home. In the afternoon her Majesty
drove in the open carriage, attended by the Viscountess
Canning and the Hon. Leatrice. Dyne. The dinner party
ye,terday included the Duchess of Kent, W/I MC.4 do
Speth, !slr. and Mrs. Farquharson of Invercauld, and Mr.
and Mrs. Brooke. The Marchioness of Douro lett DA.
moral yesterday, having been relieved by the Viscuuntesa
Canning.
Ocr. 4.
Her Majesty went out driving yesterday attended by the
Viscountess Canning and the Hun. Beatrice Byng. Prince
Albert went out deer-stalking. There was no addition to
the royal dinner party ye..terday.

Despatches were Knt off from tho Colonial-office on
SAturchty evening for the Governor of Van Thenten's Land.
Desp.ttehes Gorr the Governor of St. Ilehus were nevivi.cl
on SAurday at the Col.nit-uthee.

l'rince Frederick of the Netherlands, accom-
panied by his Excellency Baron Btntifick and Baron Stra•
tcuus, and attended by Count Vun der Dupe and M. an
°aeries, attended divine vereice at the Dutch Reformed
Church yesterday morning. The Rev. Dr. Gefile offi-
ciated.
AITOINTMENT.—Mr. finsvargus Tonp Nicolas has
been appointed Consul in the Society or Leeward Lima,
in the l'acitic; to retitle at 'fahieta.—Ubserrer.

SURREY AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.

The annual ploughing match of this association,
together with the distribution of rewards to meritorious
Labourers, was held nu 'fnesday last, at Epsom. Thu pre-
Mama far the year, J. W. FRE.4IIFIY.LIN dis-
tributed the prises to the meritorious labourers on the
ground, addressing them in suitable terms, praising them
for their past career, and urging them to renewed exer-
tions.

The dinner was at etc King's Head. J. W. Fereit-
lieLlt, Esq., presided; Mr. Page, Merlon, officiating
as vice-president. Amongst those present were Lord
Lovaine ; Henry Drummond, Esq., DLL'.; W. J. Evelyn,
Esq.,M.P.; Thomas Ales k, Esq., M.P. ; Charles Eyelyu,
Esq. ; Jame. Gado-den, Esq.
Lord LOVAINE proposed, " Prosperity to this associa-
dim." (Applause.)
Mr. FELIX LADBROKE, who was greeted with loud
and continued applause, said, the toast put into my hands
is "The County Members," Mr. Aleock, Mr. Drummond,
and Mr. Evelyn. (Cheers.) My friend, Mr. Gorse, has
said that politico should be excluded from these meetings.
(Loud cries of " no, no.") Now, if so I must sit down.
(Loud cries of "no, no, go on.") The toast lets not
Item put into my hands to give the health' of
those three gentlemen as good landlords or good
neighbours, but am county members ; and the only
connection between a county member and this meeting
is his politics. Supposing even that we should differ, I eay,
as I have said before, I cannot sec, therefore, why we should
quarrel. (Loud cries of "Hear, hear.") Many persons
may differ horn me, but I shall be very glad to hear them:
but Ido think a great many of us here believe—l don't say
whether they are right or wrong—that we are suffering, as
agriculturists, from legislative measures—(cheers)—and,
therefore, I do think, when we have got the county mem-
bers, see ought to hear what they have got to say on these
topics. (Very great cheering, and cries of " Bravo.")
What we want to know are our future props ets.
(Cheers.) We are now, I think, at the beginning of the
agricultural year. We have got in the harvest; and in my
own name, and in that of gentlemen present, we would de-
sire to be very thankful to Almighty God fur the abundant
harvest with which we are bleseed—(cheers)—but after
saying that I regret to add that there are still very gloomy
prospects over us. (Hear, hear.) I give you the " County
members," and will uuly add in the words of a comic song
I have heard here—
And I'm foe freedom of ophslan.
(Cheers and applause.)
Mr. ALCOCIi, who was loudly cheered on presenting
himself, said —I very much thank my hue. friend on the
lett (Mr. Ladbroke) for the very agreeable, and pleasant,
and talented manner in which he has endeavoured at least
to introduce this toast to your notice, and I feel assured,
after that pleasant and agreeable preface, that whatever I
say will be received by you in that spirit in which it always
Is received—in the spirit in which I intend it. (Cheers.)
Upon the List occasion when I bad the honour to uppear
here, I ventured to allude to the state of the corn market,
especially as regarded France at that tims, and I only do
my now, not with any idea Mr an instant to pretend to
prognosticate whit the price of corn in Fiance will be a
week or six mouths hence, but merely to allude to this sins-
' plc fart. that at time corn is going from Hull to Hamburg;
and that you may, therefore, take it for granted that teem
the country near Hamburg, and from France generally,
you cannot expect any very large impunations of corn. And
now I hope to be permitted to refer to another subject to
which I :mull very considerable importance—(a laugh)
and which, I my, it rests with you the farmers of England
—and with you alone—to carry out according to my wishes.
It does not rest with parliament; it does not rest with go-
vernment; it does not rest with any other creature or WI
in the world but yourselves. If you refuse to help me is
reducing the price of guano—(a laugh)—which I consider
to be nothing Its' than the raw material of wheat, I cannot
help it ; but if you will assist rue to carry out my object,
the reduction of the price of guano from 01. to 51., at which
it would pay an enormous profit to the Peruvian govern-
ment, you hose the power if you like to exercise it, and the
way to do this is simply to purchase as little as possible till
the price falls. (A laugh.) In order to induce you to le
conic into my views, I would just mention one fact with
which I am personally acquainted. I 'seat% allude to
the cas.s of adulterating guano, where the men were.
transported fur a fraud to the extent of 60 per cent.
A dealer in guano to the amount of 1,500/. a year,
sent to Mr. Gibbs for ten or twelve tuns as usual, and that
quantity was delivered from the docks to the lighterman.
That lightennan took the guano to the wharf where the
adulteration took place. The other ease was a transaction
its which 34 tone were sent front the Docks to Paddington
station by one of the first carrier+ in two cam,. The first
preceded the other by three-quarters of au hour, hut it did
not arrive at the station till two hours after the arrival of
that dispatched last. I will leave you to say whether that
cart had not *stopped on the way and taken an adulterated
cargo on board. I wish these facts were known to gentlemen
who eh-suc to purchase guano at 9/. per ton.
A Voters—Why do gentlemen give that if they could
get it for less ?
Mr. ALCOCK—The Peruvian government have a mono-

pole, hut-what we have to act up is thi., to show them that
eight or ten times as much would be used were it dl, instead
of 91. Gentlemen, the reaping machine has already been al-
luded to once or twice. I have no idea of ordering one,
fur I believe its advantages are very small indeed. Even
antler fair circumstances, that is to say, with good large
field,, and where the ground is pretty even, I don't think
myself there is a difference of Is. per acre. What is the
advantage of it? It only tells on half the expense of reap-
ing. You must tie the corn all the same, whether you cut

it with the inaehinu or the scythe. Gentlemen, in dealing
with matters, whether practically or politically, you know
I have never been ashamed to state my opinions. We are
now talking practically, and I see opposite to me my hon.
friend, the *ice chairman, who charged me with being'
deranged on account of what I said as to the expenses
of thre-hing. That machine is to arrive very shortly,
and I am pleil;ed to execute his work at two shillings
per quarter for wheat, for I will not impose upon him so
far LW to take his offer, viz., to do all his wheat, oats,
and barley at that price, because I am prepared to do his
oats at lOd., and nil barley at Is. 4d. (Hear.) Gentlemen,
as to politics, I am one of those who put myself under the
immediate control of your chairman—and if lie chooses to
say politics arc to be excluded, I consider it my bounden
duty to act accordingly. If I were, however, to venture an
I opinion on the subject of protection, I would say, as to this
as. duty which I have heard mentioned, that it I did not
object to it, as I do, on principle—if I was not prepared to
vote against ken that ground, I would not condescend to
accept this dirty, trumpery, pitiful duty of ss. I tell you
(said the hon. member, at each epithet striking his left hand
very violently with his right) it is a dirty, pitiful, trum-
pery, absurd piece of nonsense. (A laugh.) I would take
a farm of 500 acres, farmed in the highest style, and what
is this paltry sum of 501., that any one should be trying to
humbug me by persuading me to accept it ? (A laugh.)
Don't I know this, that practically, a Is. duty can't give
you above 2s. Gd. per qr. in pric, beyond what you have.
No one pretends to say it will give you as. The duty now is
Is., and do you expect that a 4s. duty can give you more
than 2s. 6d. ?

A Voter —What do you say to barley and oats, then?
Mr. ALCOCK (continuing with great vehemence)—And
what Li 2s. Bd. per qr. upon 100 acres of wheat—and I
should like to know how many have got above 100? Some
, of you this year may have got above 4 qrs. per acre, but
you would all be very glad to take that as an average pro-
duction ; consequently, what is 28.6 d. per qr. on 100 acres ?
' Why, it is 501.! And what man is there with 400 acres of
land, and 4,0001. of capital, who would be so base, and
shabby, and pitiful, as to accept of 501. a year to break
through the magnificent principle of free trade. (Cries of
" oh, oh," " chair, chair," and laughter.) I don't believe
—I say, I don't believe—(interruption, and cries of
"order ")—I don't believe there's a man in tho room who
has 400, or 500, or 600 acres, or less, who would condescend
to accept this paltry, trumpery sum of a ss. duty-501.
year upon one of the largest farms in the whole county !
I should like to know how many farms of arable land of
that size there are ? I say, as a matter of principle, I ob-
ject to it altogether—but I say again, as a man com-
pletely, and totally, and solely interested in the pros-
I perky of the land, if you would give me this
duty, do you suppose I should be satisfied with it? Do
you suppose I should be satisfied to have this humbugging
amount of 51/. a year on 400 acres of land ? Not at all—
not at all ; I should—l would have repeal of the malt tax ;
I say, I would ask for liberty to do what I liked—to grow
what I liked on my own land—to grow flax, or beet-root, or
tobacco, u I pleased myself—and do you think you should
gag me, and humbug me with this nonsense of a ss. duty ?
Do you think I am ass enough to be humbugged by your
601. a year? (A laugh.) No, I would do nothing of the
sort, at all. I would have this if I can, and with your as-
sistance, or without your assistance, I will have guano
at 51. a ton, and I'll have liberty to make brandy or
spirit, or what I pleased of my barley or my beet-root.
Who Is going to tell me that we are to have free trade, but
you shall not make spirit, or steep barley, or grow tobacco.
I believe you must not grow 12 plants of tobacco in your
garden. (Hear.) Who's not going to say, " I'll have liberty
to do what I can" to support that interest to which
I say, I am as much devoted as you—(lpplaum)—nay, even
a great deal more devoted than many of yeumelves, I can't
move my lead away with me. If I were a tenant farmer,
I might move my capital away—undoubtedly with loss—
but I cannot remove my acres. If the land so ruined—if
the agricultural interest is ruined—why I am ruined too; and
am not going to be ruined if I can help it. (Clu.ers.) I
have not the slightest idea of having that property de-
stroyed. I have not a halfpenny in the world beyoni land
in England; I depend upon it solely, totally, and without
any equivocation whatever; and do you think I will with
my eyes open allow that interest to be carried away, and
I lost to me and to yourselves, if I can help it ? I have de-
sired to show you this, that lam in earnest about it. (It
is scarcely possible to convey an idea of the vehemence of
the boa. member's manner throughout.) I'll vote against
the slightest duty whatever, and I'll not support any fixed
duty of any kind for a single moment ; and this I'll tell
you also, if the single vote depended upon me I WOlllll
chuck you and year protection over. (The excitement of
the hen. member here reachei its height, and though there
was some interruption here, there was more laughter, rather
perhaps, at the manner than the matter of the hon. member,
and the Saxon simplicity with which this declaratian was
made.) I like to speak plain. I have no idea of misteathag
you. I have endeavoured to give you I
my reasons, and iti
have said too much, or said too feelingly whar really
think, you must excuse me. It is certainlhave
from want
of sufficient attention to the subject that I talked non-
sense, cb
if I have done so, fur lam .oply.me. ( interested in it.
Pardon me if I have trespassed on your time.
I have nothing mare to say than to thank yeafApplause.)
ur the kind
manner in which you have received my tau free remarks—
laugh)—and to drink your healths.

Mr. HENRY DRUMMOND mid—l rise as a matter of
course to retu'u thanks for your kindness, and I take the
opportunity of expressing my regret that I WAS prevented
from attending the meeting of this association last year;
and I do say, not as an idle compliment, that I do exceed-
ingly rejoice in being able to meet yuu now. (Applause.)
I am excessively sorry that one similar institution has died
out, or almost so. I think it of very great importance that
we do meet ; when I say " we," I mean the many persons
connected directly or indirectly with agriculture. We are
of necessity insulated—separated from each other. All
other manufacturers cluster together. The woollen manu-
facture is found in one district, the cotton in another, the
iron in a third; so that no improvement can be made in
arty branch without every one being equally aware of it.
In agriculture the reverse is the ease ; there may be many
great improvements made in one county, and a few
miles off they are unknown. It is of very great importat.ec,
then, we should meet, and discuss things in which we are
interested, and I do wish there weeklies were much more
encouraged, for they are of very great utility. We have
been told we are not to talk about politics by one gentle-
man ; another has tasked us what a county member is but a
political animal. (A laugh.) I'm sure I don't know, but
at the same time I know these societies have been perverted
from their principal use, and have been nude in time. of
excitement arenas for politics. But there are certain things
connected with polities of which we may speak. I cannot
tell you what the price of wheat may he, but my hon. friend
has given you one fact, and 1.11 give you another. I have
just been abroad. I have spent six weeks in a large MAlM-
litcturing district in the north of France. Judging by
what I have seen iu this country, I thought they had
one of the very Wol,at crops possible ; but when I asked how et
was in comparison with ordinary years, they said it was the
best they hail had for eight years. 'fherefore, I do not
think we shall have less wheat from France this year. I
give you my fact and my inference. You may draw another
conclusion. Gentlemen, 1 was surprised in the north of
France to find a *ilk manufactory established. " Why,"
said I, " you have neither stlk, our silk worms, nor mul-
berry trees, nor anything of that sort, how come you to have
a silk manufactory? " The reply was that liviug was cheap,
and that it paid to send silk from Lyons to manufacture it
there. One man told the that he lived at the public-house,
he was very well fed, and very well taken care of, unit he
paid um. a day. Now, I think that is a pretty gout proof
wages there arc lower, and wheat is likily to be lower here.
Now, I have nut mueli faith in speculations on the price of
cora ; I have learnt:a. nut to trust the philosophers who
tell you these things. But if any man has a right
W claim credit on this point, it is myself, fur it' I re-
, member right, I toad you twenty years ago that wheat
would he at 81. a lead. At a great age:cultural meeting
in tins county there were only three jetsens, Mr. l)rayt,
Mr. Marshall of God:dining, and myself, who believed this,
and all the rest laughed at us. I wish the laugh now wa*
not on Vother side, but what object Lad I in ending that
then ? I was perfectly certain front the measures which,
gentlemen, yuu yourselves had taken, that yuu had thrown
political power out of the hands of the aericultural into
those of the manufacturing classes. I was certain of it as I
now am, that were Ito go and bluster about a Ss. duty
they would laugh at me ; and I tell you that you can no
more get it back now, than you can get at the moon.
Don't suppose 1 would not take it. (A laugh.) If I don't
have it, it is simply because I can't get it. (Applause.) It
is impossible to get it, and I say as lung as political power
is where it is yuu never can get it. What then have Ito
expect ? I have not taken up my opinions for the day, nor to
seek your favour much as I prix: it, nor as applicable to this
country or any other; but every country is b tended by na-
ture as to its productiveness, and it is intatuatien on the part
of any government which does not give protection to that
which is the peculiar creature of its own soil in preference
to any other soil. (Very great chetrint'e) Now, mark
what has been the consequence. Though the effect of the
legislation of this country was to make an artificial price of
corn—and that is a bad thing, I grant—it saved us front an
infinitely worse thing, which is a 11111141 C. We have cer-
tainly nut had a famine—scarcely anything approaching to
scarcity—in my memory. Can you doubt that when a
failure of the wheat harvest dues arise—production having
been reduced hero by large importatious—that you will
have this, and then the country will recover its senses?
The country is prosperous. Be it so. The labourers arc
happy. Granted ; but only remember the time is cumin
when they may have nothing to eat. We shall not have
corn enough fur our ordinary consumption, still less
for an extra year of demand. nut's my opinion. And
now, I see a gentleman present who, the last time I lied the
pleasure of addressing you, said all the speaking was up
here, and there was uoue down there. I agreed with him
then, and I'll sit down now, fur 1 came here rather to hear
other people talk than myself. I want to hear your opiuions.
(Laughter and applause.)
Mr. EVELYN, iu returning thanks, said—l assure you
that I fully coincide in what has been said by previous
speakers as to the twofold importance of associations of this
kind; first of all, as encouraging improvements in agricul-
ture, which we all ought to be glad to see ; sad, secondly,
and more important of the two, as bringing all classes toge-
ther, where they hear each other's eentiments freely, it
has been said that an Englishmalis house is his castle, and,
in one sense, that is a line sentiment, but we are often b 0
much shut up, each iu his own editiee, that I gladly wel-
come occasions wheu we may all meet as we do welay—
(applause)—atid I hope it will always be my plea-
sure whether in a public capacity, or simply as a
friend mud neighbour, to meet the farmers of Surrey.
(Cheers.) Were I simply a friend and neighbour I should
now sit down, but a-, probably, I should nut be addressing
you, Lad you nut doue me tim humour to place Inc in a
different capacity, I feel it would be uubecuining in me,
• especially utter the topics which have been adverted to, net
to address a few more words, alteough not so well worth
your hearing as these of other gentlemen. The subject has
been darkly hinted at by Mr. Gorse, but brought into the
fall glare of candle-light by my friend on the right (Mr.
Ladbruke). Whatever the rules may Say, we are uo longer
able to shrink hum ens ring on it. Dm Mr. Ledbreke, I
must say, has imposed a very difficult task ou your county
members. Ile asks us to suite what has been dome and
what is likely to Ise done fur the farmer. As to what hiss
been done since I had a twat iu pailiament, I have a very
bad account to g ye. They have given us bricks—(a
laugh)—but that we did not ask fur; and there is hardly
anything else dune, which nay be cousidered as spe-
cially calculated to relieve the agricultural ilitereat. And
. .

yet,iluring the period 1 have been in parlianicut, one im-
portant advance 114. S becu made. Formerly they denied that
there was such a thing as agricultural distress. When we
met together on these occasions, if we laughed at a comic
song, it proved there was no distress. tither arguments,
equally absurd, were used. Those who affected to lead
public opinion by turns vilified, insulted, bullied, and
coaxed us. But what could be the feelings of these men
when her Majesty's speech appeared? What became of all
their warnings and all their advice ? It is nut practical
1 men—men who have lived among agriculturists, like Mr.
Alcock, however mistaken their upiuious—it is not they
who disputa our distress. It is men who live in London,
and affect to lead public opinion, and to carry with them
the heart and mind of the nation by very long-sounding
words and high phrases. (Applause.) That distress has
been admitted, and what has not been admitted is the cause
of that distress. Some venture to impute it to the fault of
the agricultural interest. They ray, we aro less active,
less energetic; more given to old customs than the
rest of the conemanity. That may be true in some
respects, but the agricultural interest do not under-
stand their business tho less, however old-fashioned
they may be in some things. I do not think the men
of Lancashire are necessarily so very much superior to the
men of Surrey, as they want to make out. (Cheers.) I
think man is very much the same all over the world ; it
is only circumstances which make the difference ; therefore
the probability is on the side of those who think circum-
stances have something to do with it. Whatever may be
the cause of this distress, let them be fully examined into,
and I hope to hear to-night from practical men some ex-
pression of their opinisas as to the p•reseut state of things ;
what they think of the past, and what are their hopes of
the future. I am inclined to believe the harvest is better
than usual, but I must not sit down without referring to
Mr. Alcock's address--becauso I believe in my principle
just as much as he does in his. The very gist of his
argument is, that a ss. duty would not be felt—that it
would only raise the price of wheat 2s. 6d. per qr., which
is too trifling to accept. But this is not the question.
It might be that, after adopting all the measures that
could be passed, there was still agricultural distress. Then
farmers would have no reason to impute this to the legis•
lature, and I believe they mistake the character of the Bri-
tish agriculturist, who think he would not be initialled if he
felt the government bad done all it could for him. (Ap-
plause.) Let us hope that a better time is coming. Let us
hope that her Majesty's speech may state whether that dis-
tress still continues. If the words put into her Majesty's
mouth give the real facts of the case, unless there is a great
change she will not be able to congratulate the country on
any great change in that matter ; but I hope the time will
come when the Queen will be enabled to say, that distress
is removed from that portion of her subjects, which is not
the least devoted—not the least loyal. (Cheers.) Ile con-
cluded by proposing " The health of the chairman," which,
having been responded to, the meeting separated.

SEIZURE OF TUE NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY FOR
Pools, staras.—Last week we published exclusively a re-
port of the proceedings of a special session held in St. Pan-
cras, and the granting of a warrant of distress by the
magistrate against the property of the London and North
Western Railway, for the amount of a poor-rate of upwards
of 1,0001., alleged to be duo alum the North-Western Com-
pany to the vestry of St. Pancras, for a poor-rate made on
the 22nd of March last. The warrant of distress Wd9 held
over until Friday afternoon, when Mr. Bedford, one of the
parochial brokers, took formal possession of the Euston sta-
tion. The company immediately replevined, and the dis-
puted amount was deposited in the hands of the proper
receiver in such cases for the Court of Queen's Bench, in
which court it is understood legal proceedings will imme-
diately take place to try the validity of the euiatire, and the ,
whole question at issue between the St. Pancras vestry'
and the North Western Railway Company.-01‘serter.
NiOVEMENTS.—In Gibraltar, Sept. 20., her Ma-
e—gelnnt,thAereTthaguna.:
jcsty's ships Janus and Resistince ; her Majesty's ship
seSlipcta.rw2?)t.erbcsailr
met f,o4rtyltalstahiop:
rtlrinc2e4thii
Hogue, and Hecate; Leauder ...fled for Gibraltnr, and
Arrogant on the 23th for Cuba ; the Regent and Arethuaa
were to sail on a cruise on the 29th.
TIIE CoMMISSARIAT IB CANAD.t.—It appears,
from the evidence before the Consmitteo on Army and
Ordiumeo Expenditure, that no less than 12 commissariat
chests, with the usual staff of officers, are stationed in
Canada. It is considered by the said committee that there
is no necessity for so large a number, and that, therefore, a
reduction to some extent should take place.