The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-06 00:00:00

/MEETING IN LONDON.

Last evening a meeting of the working classes
and others of the metropolis was held at the National Hall,
Holborn, to consider the preseat state of the factory Opera-
tives of Preston, and to receive • deputation consisting of
Mr. Cowell, of Preston, mad Mr. J. Mathew, of Heywood.
Mr. C. Stew:mos, barrister, presided, and expressed a
hops that that meeting might light up the torch of peace
between the operatives and their employers. But to ensure
such peace, they must prepare for war, by collecting the
sinews of war. (Cheers.) This was a masters' strike and
must be reprobated by every man of common humanity.
The cold-blooded in which they had taken mea-
sures to crush the operatives was worse than anything that
had issued from the pen of the Russian autocrat. When
cotton-spinners thus lifted their diminished heads, it was
simply ridiculous. They were beginning to show their
weakness, and, accordingly, the Times was beginning to
say that t►ey were not altogether right. (Hear, hear.) But
the workmen must never canoeist to the demand of their
masters to give up their clubs. (Cheers.)
Mr. (3. Cowara, was loudly cheered on rising. He said
the only thing that could be laid to the charge of the
Preston operatives was, that they had dared to do what
they liked with their own. (Hear, hear.) He then went
into the history of the contest, and said that with the sup-
port of the large towns in the country they felt confident of
success. Gold and silver was all they wanted. Let them
have plenty of gold and silver, and labour would prove vic-
torious over capital in Preston, and eventually everywhere
else. (Cheers.) In the manufacturing districts, the magis-
terial bench and all positions of honour were filled with
cotton lords, who had risen from the ranks of the opera-
tives; and how had they risen, but by paying low wages, so
as to get greater profits ? (Hear, hear.) SNARE this, and
seeing the destitution of the labouring classes in the same dis-
tricts, it was evident to all that there Was something wrong.
They had received support from the engineers, type-foun-
ders, cork.cutters, and other trades of London, also frem
the ship-carpenters of Liverpool; and if generally sup-
ported by the trades of the large towns, they would " kick
up such a row in England as had never been witnessed
before." Though they bad memorialised Lord Palmerston
a month ago, in • very courteous manner, his lordship had
not vouchsafed them an answer. (Shame.) The Preston
manufacturers had memorialised his lordship respecting a
small disturbance at Blackburn ; and he had ordered •
quantity of red jackets there, to protect the employers.
(Shame.) Why did not hie lordship listen to one memori►l
as readily as to the other ? (Hear, hear.)
Mr. J. MATHEW neat addressed the meeting, after which
resolutioas favourable to the cause were adopted.

TILE POST-OFFICE ACTIIORITIE, have given notice
that ship letter bans will be made up in London on the
20th instant for Madeira, Melbourne, and Sydney, to be
sent by the City of Sydney steamer.

f

raN CERISTMAS CATTLE SHOW OF
YEE SiIITHFIELD CLUB.

London and Birmingham will not only maintain the
credit, but extend the principles of our best breeders
and feeders.

The Smithfield Club Fat Cattle Show, which is this
a. thrown open to the
public, is one of those exhi-
biona which, although an inviting subject for igno-
cast ridicu:e and cheap criticiem, reflects the highest
:, spa the be:knee and practice of our farmers.
eriik-- -
10 the uninformed, to those who have not taken the
to look into the history of early exhibitions
the came kicks,' it is me rely a display of stock
b• Artificial methods, regardless of expense, to
most ;enema! state of obesity—of Brobdignagian
rots--
and of implements more curious and costly
tun prontably te‘eful. But in reality it is the result,
the satisfactory result, of more than half a cen-
tve.s experiments by British agriculturists
tat feeding an increasing population on a
which cannot be increased in dimensions. We
have wisely thrown open our ports to the produce of
tk seho:e world, and thus at the same time secured
tgsixt,test possible supply of food, and extinguished
the Martburnings and jealousies which inevitably
wee between the food-consuming and food-producing
ems as long us the latter were permitted to profit
by artiric,Al scarcity ; but in the face of the most nn-
restricted commerce, in spite of the facilities which
base tee n created by steam-boats and railways, we
must always he principally dependent on our own
toil ter our own food, etisecialiy for meat. The inva-
*ions of foreign cattle,—which filled the soul of the bee-
ciae Knightley with such trembling alarms; the car-
een ut Hamburg beef and Americas eheeseover which
Newdrpte mourned in such funereal strains, as to
plum a panic among stock dealers,—have found
their level mid their limit, and only serve to feed an
appetite among the working classes, which " grows
by what it keelson," and to open neor pastures for the
pure short horn, the mottled, Juicy Hereford, Devon,
aad Highlander, and a steadily increasing demand
fur the produce of the best dairies of Cheshire, Wilt-
Aire, Derbyshire, and their many successful imita-
tors in other counties.
Perhaps in the present exhibition of live stock,
there is nothing which shows any extraordinary
advance over that of last year; but if instead of
looking lock one year, we look back five or six,
then the advance is indeed extraordinary. If we
search the written and painted records of the prizes
of the Smithfield Show from the period when it was
originated iby Francis Duke of Bedford, we shall
find that our stock breeders have completely changed
the character of meat-producing animals, and suc-
ceeded in diminishing liy a half the time required
for bringing the ox, the sheep, acd the pig to
maturity. . . . . . . .

THE PRIVATE VIEW-YESTERDAY.

---- - - -
This great annual event's° interesting to grazier',
butchers, and t►e meet eatiog public, more especially to
the last named, seeing the enormous prices of all animal
food at the present moment, comes oft to-day at the King-
street Baxaar, that well-known rallying point for all the
fat of the land, whether ovine, bovine, or porcine. A
select few were favoured with a private view yesterday
evening, and on the whole were well satisfied with the
year's exertions in the production of beef, mutton, and
bacon. The show is one of the largest that has been for
some years, and although exhibiting none of the monstrosi-
ties of obesity which were wont in former years to astonish
the London public, yet shows marked progress in • much
more useful direeion—that of producing animals symmetri-
cal in form, healthy in constitution, and covered equably with
flesh fit for more important purposes than to be thrown into
the melting pot. The entries which are in all upwards •f
three hundred in number—of which 29 were pure Devons,
20 pure Herefords, and 39 pure short-horns—exhibit •
goodly array of artistocratic candidates for the gold and
silver medals of the club, there being amongst them IIR.H.
Prince Albert, Dukes of Richmond and Bedford, Marquis
of Exeter, Earls of Leicester, Aylesford, Radnor, Darnley,
Harborough, and Lord Portman, together with • long list
of squires of high degree and gentlemen farmers of well-
known reputation. The Marquis of Exeter and Lord Port-
man were amongst the visitors yesterday evening, and care-
fully inspected the various animals which had been made
the subject of award. In cattle, the short-horns carried off
the two gold medals.
It will be sees that Mr. Stratton, who was successful
last year, has again carried off the first prise for his three
years and nine months old ox. In the Devons the Earl of
Leicester carried away the chief prince in classes 1 sad
4, and we regret to add that in the same class Prince
Albert was an unsuccessful exhibitor, and must fain con-
tent himself with his laurels in another direction, of which

mere hereafter. With respect to the successful competi-
ton in this clam, as well as in the shorthorn favourites,
symmetry and compactness were the desiderata with the
judges, and consequently many large showy-looking ani-
mals were passed by, and the prizes awarded to what at
lest view appeared to be r ithes under-sized cattle. In
Herefords the Earl of Radnor finds reason to console him-
self for the comparative obscurity to which his famous
Coleshill pigs are doomed this year, having ob•ained the
lest prize of IV. and the silver medal; the second 251.
pains in the same class being awarded to Mr. Niblett, of
linen, near Bristol. For the remainder of the cattle prizes we
refer to the subjoined list, but we cannot leave our bovine
friends whether long-horned, Hereford, or Devon, without
a line about what we consider to be a very ill-used animal,
which, although his presence has been ignored by the
judges, will most probably be the principal attraction with
the general public during the next three days. We allude
to the Leviathan " short-horn " sent in by Sir H. Verney,
from Winslow, Bucks, and with the fame of which the local
papers have been ringing for the last three weeks. This
extraordinary animal is upwards of six feet high at the
shoulder, weighs 300 atone, and is likely, as his attendant
gravely informed as, to be " half as large again " before be
has dose growing. He is certainly the most conspicuous
salmi in the exhibition, towering high above his neigh-
bours when he stands up, and stretching " many a rood "
when he lies down, • practice to which he is not
so much addicted as might be expected from his esormona
size. And yet with all these manifold attractions he was
passed over by the judges, and is pronounced " vulgar " by
the whole of the new school of cattle breeders, for the
simple reams that it would never pay to fatten so big a
beast. Of ilenesh or Welch cattle the specimens are few
V number, and of Irish there is not a single beast—a rather
simgaLe deeneastance, coasidering the immense numbers
ei limit Sleds bred in the sister country. On inquiring the
trim a person supposed to be well informed, we
Me told that the reason may be found, not in any defici-
ency of high-bred cattle in Ireland, nor in the indisposition
of the Irish graziers to compete, bat in the fact that
the Irish " fancies" are made up for Baster,when the Dublin
show takes place, and are all consequently exhibited and sold
to the butchers long before the exhibition of the Smithfield
club. Turning to sheep, we find that all the prizes in
Sontbdiewns worthily carried away by the Duke of
Rfaborsol. whose attention to this branch of stock-rearing
his keg been well known to the public. His grace, has an
samarls of breeding stock at Goodwood. His graces
" poir ofthis year is said to surpass any of the same species
MM hen bum exhibited for some years, sastlia7rbid
Mask irspdaikp admitted not only by the judges, but what
beet natallbe amen by the unsuccessful competitors. The
LOINANt Olnipeleellod) sheep are also pronounced to be
psMMalarly GM this year, the first prize being awarded
Foklambe, of Osleton-hall, Worksop, and the second
tithe Marquis of Exeter. We were glad to observe that these
peer animals did not exhibit those symptoms of distress
which were so painful to witness in their predecessors of
last year. The change, we believe, is to be attributed prin-
cipally to an improved system of ventilation in the bazaar,
which tells meet favourably on the whole of the animals
exhibited. Last, though not least in Importance, the pigs
was flit in the body, as short in the mese, Gad as loud in
their peculiar music as ever. Amongst these noisy patsy,
the prim ameba= have been sent is by his Royal High- 1
ass Prime Albert, whose pen of three Suffolk pigs, of the
{she age of 22 weeks sad 6 days, carried away the prize of
111 Set the silver medal. They have been ted oa barley-
riad milk, and in their perfect rotundity sad
uildity of flesh do great honour to their royal
exhibitor. There are numerous peas of this useful
variety of the porcine family in the exhibition; but for
further details we must again refer to the list. The Berk-
shire dope:treat is signalised by a specimen as imp la his
bind as the leviathan ox before alluded to. This enormous
animal is exhibited by Mr. Sadler, of Swindon, Wilts, sad
Me 'outlived to accumulate, during a short life of 144
weeks, the euogmous "mount of 40 score, or 800Ibe. weight
of particularly solid flesh. As he did not consider it con-
sistent with his dignity to leave the recumbent pasture
yesterday evening, we could not form any judgment as to
his shape further than a vague general idea that he bore a
strong family resemblance to the young hippopotamus in
the Regent's Park. It is pleasant, however, to know that
the short Roses, tight skins, and stumpy legs of the modern
breeds have not quite banished the famous old Berkshire
hog from the Esglish farmyard.
Although not forming part of the exhibition, nor being

- -
The pig, which forme sly required from twenty to
twenty-four months to react► a profitable degree
of fatness, is now made to attain equal weight in much
lea time. Tho sheep acquires in twenty months
the condition for which tour or five years feeding
was formerly essential. The ox which formerly fed
at its master's expense for six years can now be made
ready for the butcher in three or four. Even so late
as ls 4; a tint-rate lst ox of three years old was con-
sidered an exception, and excited great attention
at the Christmas show among breeders and feeders—
in six years, as will be seen by traversing the
show in Baker-street, the exception has become
almost the rule among those who compete in the
short-horn classes.

'fbis shortening of the period of maturity, accompa-
nied by an increase of symmetry and of weight, enables
the same space of ground to support double the num-
ber of live stock, and at the MOW time economises a
large amount of manure which was wasted when stock
as fed entirely on natural grasses, has been obtained
by close attention and comparison of breeds, and of
modes of feeding. When Bakewell made the experi-
ments by which he carried long horns to a degree of
perfection which they have not maintained, and when
we may almost say he "manufactured," if he did
not invent, the Leicester sheep, ho worked in
Deere% and did his utmost to keep the monopoly of
excellence in his own hands. No such feeling, no
such attempts at secrecy, are to be found among the
stock breeders and feeders of the present day.

If we wish to read a lesson on the intimate con-
nexion of interest between agriculture, commerce,
and manufactures. we find it in the Christmas Fat
Stock Show. Modern facilities of internal conveyance
have had an important influence on the improvement
of live stock. Arthur Young, a great apostle of agri-
cultural improvement, recommended the farmers of
his day to mount their horses, and go and see what
other farmers were doing in distant counties. That
was sound but expensive advice ; and in those days,
although the farmer could mount his horse, it was a
long, ►nd dangerous, and costly undertaking to for-
sthrd choice stock from one extremity of the king-
doe to the other ; but now farmers from the most
remote parts of the country can not only meet and
exchange the benefits of their experience, but can
compete against each other in the exhibition of
live stock. Thus it is that in the present Show
we see collected together the fat meat raised in
Somerset, in Devon, in Dorset, in Norfolk, in
Lincolnshire, in Yorkshire, in Monmouthshire, and

even in Aberdeenshire, competing on even terms '
with stock raised in the neighbouring counties of
Surrey, Herta, Bucks, and Berks—a competition
which would have been quite impossible at a period
when road travelling was the only means within
the reach of any except those wealthy personages
who could afford vans and posthorses to convey
their prize oxen and racehorses.
In the present exhibition Somerset and Dorset are
very large contributors, and the increase in the
number and quality of Devon. and Herefords
is to be solved and traced in no small degree to
improved means of conveyance and the spread of
the spirit of competition and improvement into
districts which were a few years ago quite isolated.
There is another interesting feature in these Christ-
ass shows—the implements and the specimens of
roots which are at the same time exhibited. These
are in many of them the result of the improved atten-
tion paid to raising live stock. A fat ox is not only
the representative of so much beef and tallow—he
represents commerce in the shape of guano and
nitrate of soda, and other foreign manures, which
have been imported to stimulate the crops grown
for his use—he represents cargoes of oil-
cake, and various kinds of grain—he represents
mechanical ingenuity, in a thousand ooatrivrces
for cutting, cooking, mixing food, for erecting, filling,
ventilating, warming farm buildings. And so, too,
the pig has not only been crossed and improved by
mixtures from Naples and China, but the United
States, and Egypt and Russia, and Spain and Italy
assist in supplying him with lentils, beans, peas,
maize, rim, and other kinds of pulse and grain. It is
only necessary to read the lists ef food appended to
the various animals exhibited in Baker-street, to learn
that the progress of our agriculture is intimately
connected with the progress of our commerce—that
it is impossible to produce meat in the quantity re-
quired without permitting the feeder to resort to
every district in the world to find the best and
cheapest food.
In the present exhibition, in the distribution of
prizes attention appears to have been particularly
directed to quality. Very fat animals, which a few
fears ago would have been rewarded, have been
passed over in favour of others of lees weight and
greater symmetry. This is well. Bat at the same
time, we, who have an opportunity of seeing the
best and choicest animals collected together year
after year, must not therefore imagine that the
farmers of this country are all as yet sufficiently
informed on the benefits to be derived from choosing
the best and most suitable breeds of live stock, of
feeding them amply, keeping them warm, and
indulging them with a variety of food.
The regular exhibitors sit Smithfield and at Bir-
mingham know all this, but there are thousands of
farmers and large districts where benighted igno-
rance. of the first principles of stock-feeding still
prevail', in spite of the exertions of the royal prince,
the three dukes, the nine earls, the Speaker of the
House of Commons, and the crowds of baronets and
mires who have contributed to Smithfield Show.
The show is not only an arena of competition, it is a
school of education, in which the best instruction is
afforded by experienced example. We must not Ist the
cry against over-fatness divert us from the meaning
of this club, which was specially instituted in order
to teach al who breed and feed fat stock the best
breeds and the beet styles of feeding.
We an happy to believe that the shows of 1833 in

any way subject to the award of the judges, a word or
toe is generally said tithe molests of the galleries manias
round the Bazaar, is which those investors who consider
themselves the real formers' frjeads crowd their mysterious-
looking sisehises, intended to perform almost by nsagie
every conceivable agricultural operation. The stock is this
year quite as abundant as usual. Mary Wedlake conspicu-
ously inquire. whether "You bruise your Oats yet," and
lees to your shame you should still answer in the nega-
tive, coma provided with a whole host of appliances
for the performaace of that indispensable preliminary. The
reaping machines are in force, and ansolpt them will be
seen with interest the original invention of Mr. Ball, to
which the Americans owe the whole principle of their
much vaunted machine. It is much simpler than any of
its successors, but the whole of the principle is included,
and it is satisfactory to add, that it now enters suoesestally
into competition with all cozen. Another machine, called
the automaton, will be much looked at for its curious eo-
centric motion, but of its practical value some doable are
entertained, as In a recent esperinient the corn was
sot delivered se quickly as was deemed accessary to
make the machine a perfect meows. Of the merits
of the other machines of inauserible Made with which
the gallery is crewded the inventors will be the best ex-
ponents, and will no doubt take full opportunity during the
next tk.ree days. In the same gallery the council of the
Royal Dublin Society again exhibit the result of their
laudable exertions to encourage the cultivation of green
crops in Ireland. A stand has been erected in a conspicuous
situation, and upon it are exhibited specimens of cabbages,
gainsaid wortzel, beet, and other variety of green crops,
oostnbuted by various Irish growers, and all exhibiting a
high amount of excellence both in size and quality. The
society's curates, Mr. Corrigan, attends daily, and will give
every information es to the amount of yield in the various
kinds sad is martens localities. To this stand Mr. Dugan
contributes some Irish butter, which fully sustains the
naticual reputation as regards this great staple, and will
boar a comparing' with that of Holland or any other country.
Subjoiaed is the list of prizes at the cattle show :
DEVON'S. _ _

Claw I. First prise of 251. to No. 5, the Earl of Leine-
ter, Holkhant Hall, Norfolk ; Silver Medal to the brooder,
the Earl of Leicester. &rood prise of 101., to No. 4. Mr.
Georg* Tuner, Barton, near Easter.
Class 2. First prise of 251. to No. 19, Mr. John Coate,
HlllllllOOl. near Woodford ; Silver Medal to the breeder,
Mr. Edward Bond, Htiathaeld, ow Taunton. Sowed
Prise of 101. to No. 9, the Earl of Leicester, Holkhani Hall,
Norfolk.
C 1... 3. Pint prise of 151. to No. 21, Mr. Samuel Farth-
ing, /Rower Court, near Bridgwater; Savor Medal to the
breeder, Mr. Jobs H. Farthing, Nether &away, sear
Bridgwater.

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 6, 1853

Class 4. First prise of 201. to No. 27, the Had of Leicee•
ter, Holkhatn Hall, Norfolk ; Silver Medial to the breeder,
the Earl of Leicester. Second peso of 101. to No. _ti,
Lord Portman, Bryanstone, near Slandford.

HEREFORDS.
Clan 5. First prize of 251 to No. 31, the Earl of Radnor,
Cotentin llou.e, Barka; Silver Medal to tho breeder, the
Lin of Radnor. Second prize of 10/. to No. 31, Mr. Josh.
Phillips, Ardington, near Wastage.
Class 6. First prize of 251. to No. 36. Mr. Isaac Niblett,
Conygro Farm Fitton, Lear ;Bristol ; Silver Medal to the
breeder, Mr. T. L. Meire, Coons. Harbour, Shrewsbury.
Second prize of 101. to No. 37, Mr. John Phillips, Aiding.
ton, near Wantsge.
Class 7. First prize of 151. to No. 49, Mr. Rob. Boman,
Moreton in blanh, Gloucester ; Silver Medal to the breeder,
Mr. Josh. Day:toil, Kinglet. near Monter. Second prize
of 51. to No. 48, Mr. Josh. Phillips, Ardington, near Wan-
tags.
Class 8. First prize of 20/. to No. 50, Mr. W. S. Cart-
wright, Stow Hill, Newport, Monmouth ; Silver Medal to
the breeder, Mr. Henry Collins, Newport, Monmouth.
Second prize of 101., no competition.

SHORT HOILNS.
Class 9. First prize of 251. to No. 52, Mr. Richard
Stratton, Broad Hinton, near Swindon ; Silver Medal to the
breeder, Mr. Richard Stratton. Second prize of 101. to No.
53, Mrßuben Lyan. Strortoo, neer Grantham.
Class 10. First prize of 25/. to No. 62, Mr. Risbard
Stratton, Broad Hinton, near Swindon ; Silver Medal to the
breeder, Mr. Richard Stratton. Second prize of 101. to No.
61, Mr. Edward Fruit, West Wratling Hall, Linton, Cam-
bridge.
Class 11. First prizo of 15;. to No. 74, Mr. Joseph
Phillips, Ardiogton, near %Vantage ; Silver Medal to the
breeder, Mr. Thomas Game, Broadrnore, near Nortbleach.
Second prize of 51. a, No. 73, Mr. Henry Ambler, Watkin-
s** Hall, near Halite:.
Clam 12. First prize of 20/. to No. 81, Mr. Henry Smith,
the Grove,Cropwell Butler, Bingham, Notts; Silver Medal
to the breeder, Mr. William Smith, West Rases. Second
prise of 101. to N. 89, Mr. Henry Roberts, Paztord, war
Mosley, Worcester.
SCOTCH, WELSH, OR IRISH.
Class 13. The prise of 101. to No. 100, the Rev. J. Ark-
wright, Mark Hell, Harlow, Essen.
Class 14. The prize of to No. 105, the Earl of Leicester,
Holkbam Hall, Norfolk.