The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-10 00:00:00

INQUF:STS. DEATII FROM A FALL —By Mr.
Baker, at the Baker and Basket, Worehip-street, St.
Luke's, on the body of Mr. Benjamin Bird, aged 40, a
cabinet manufacturer. On Monday morning deceased was
on a plank whi, h was resting on a rail outside hia timber-
' ,ft, the gutter of which he was clearing, when the rail
gave way, and he was precipitated to the ground, a depth
of 30 feet. Ile fractured his spine and died on the \Ved-
a slay. Verdict, " Accidental death." DEATH OP A
Boy runs APOPLEM Y.—By Mr. Bedford, at the Crown,
Crown-court, Little Pulteney-street, Golden square, on the
body of John Brown, aged 13, who died suddenly on Wed-
nesday morning. The surgeon who was called in, having
stated that deceased's death was no doubt the result of
apoplexy, a verdict to that effect was recorded.—Bsowe '
iscro TIIF ltiven.—By Mr. \V. l'ayne, at the Bull's Head,
Ball-court, Tooley-street, Southwark, on the body of I. aniel
Donovan, aged 17 years, a labourer. The deceased was
employed on board a barge moored off Topping's-wharf,
Tooley-street on the afternoon of Thursday, and whilst
covering the hatches of the vessel with a tarpaulin, a sudden
gust of wind caused it to carry the deceased into the river.
Ile was completely enveloped by the canvas, and in spite of
instant help was drowned. % edict, " Accidental death."
SOUTH-WEST MIDDLESEX AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY'S PLOUGHING MATCH AND DINNER.
The above-named annual trial of skill and festival
took place yesterday, the ploughing mntch on land belong-
ing to Sir 'W. Clay and Mr. Knevitt, and the dinner at the
fine old manor-house, K tidier Hall, Whitton. Notwith-
standing the lowering aspect of the day, the field was well
attended, and the ploughing was pronounced first-rate by
those competent to give an opinion, in which number we do
not presume to clam uerselvee, in spite of having had some
good amateur practice in the morning in ploughing through
the exceedingly heavy lanes which led to the ground. In a
tent erected in one corner of the field, Sir W. Clay, as • ice-
president of the society, distributed the premiums of the
society to farm servants, male and female agricultural
labourers, shepherds, &e., whose long-continued good con-
duct and industsy pointed them as fit objects for reward.
They were 8.5 in number, and received sums varying in
amount from ten shillings; to two pouLds ten, accom-
panied in each case by a small memorial, framed
and glazed, stating the grounds on which the prize
Laud been given. The recipients seemed highly delighted
with their testimonials, and altogether formed a very credi-
table sample of the agricultural populatiun of the district.
When the prizes had all been distributed,
Sir WILLIAM CLAT addressed the labourers in a short and
impressive speech, complimenting them on the good conduct
which had earned the prices of the society, and exhorting
them to persevere in the good work which had already so
much redounded to their credit. He disclaimed for the FO-
day any notion that the small sums awarded were to be
looked upon as an equivalent for a long life spent in honesty
and industry, but merely at a proof of confidence and esteem
from employers—of respect and affection from friends.
Taken in that light, he trusted they would be valued by
those who on that day had so deservedly received them.
(The hon. gentleman was loudly cheered at the conclusion of
his observations.)
At the dinner, which did not commence until past four
o'clock the chair was taken by Sir W. Clay, vice-president
of the so: iety, suppotted by Sir F. Pollock, General Eden,
H. l'ownall, Esq., M.P., Captain Reid, Arthur Wood, Esq.,
and about one hundred and twenty of the principal gentry
and fanners of the district. The band of the I.2th Lancers
was in attendance, playing several popular airs in the course
of the evening, and the entertainment was further varied by
some excellent singing from Messrs. Itainsfiird and Turner.
The dinner, which was a cold one, and excellent of its kind,
was provided by Mr. Richards, of the l'rince Blucher Inn
Twickenham. Apologies were read from Colonel T. Woori
and 0. Brig, Esq , the county members.
The usual loyal and routine toasts having been dis-
posed of,
Sir W. CLAY rose to propose the toast of the evening,
the health of " his Grace the Duke of Northumberland
President, and Success to the South-west Middlesex
Agricultural Society." He said that the object of the
society being the reward of good and steady farm-
servants and of skilful agricultural labourers, be could
not have imagined anything more innocent or less
obnoxious to censure, and yet the society had recently been
made the object of very violent attacks. Their motives had
been impugned, their utility had been questioned, in fact,
they hail been treated with hitter hostility by a certain
influential portion of the press. An article turning' such
societies into ridicule had recently appeared in the Tem.:—
au article which in his opinion was more distinguished by
the wit than the wisdom usually exhibited in that
able journal. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) He for one
did not complain, he had unlimited confidence in
the fruits of free discussion. He believed a free
pees to be omnipotent for gnoJ, hut almost powerless in the
long run for evil. 1 here was no corruption which fur any
long time could resist its Ithuriel spear, but he was yet to
learn that any good institution had been written down.
(Hear, hear.) For these reasons he felt confident that
societies like th&rs would come triumphant out of the
ordeal to which they were at present exposed. What was
it of which they were accused ? First, it was said, that they
made attendance at the society meetings an excuse for not
attending to more important duties, and that they looked
upon their small subscriptions as absolving them from giving
more substantial relief to their labouring fellow-countrymen.
Again, it was said that the rewards given were of little
value ; and lastly, it was alleged that the whole system
was merely a selfish scheme to relieve the members from
the burthen of poor-rates. (Hear, hear.) He alluded to
these points because they had been urged in an influential
quarter, but in his opinion they were wholly founded in mis-
conception. So far from such societies absolving a man fr-m
more important duties, he believed that their effect was to
concentrate his attention on those duties. The duty of the
landowner and the farmer was to raise by every means in his
power the social condition of those in their employment ;
and what nobler task, he would ask, could any man set be-11
fore him, than that of elevating the position and increasing
the comforts of the British labourer? (Loud cheers.) Tile
hon. baronet having passed a glowing eulogium on the
labouring classes of this country, proceeded to say that as to
the insufficiency of the prizes as rewards, no person ever
dreamt of considering them in that light. (Hear, hear.)
He did not think so mean of his humbler fellow-countrymen
bees tvo imagine
euedas tahnat
po
s
morality ; no, the prizes of the society were valued
ian cfeenwt iv e toun dsgo7d shicolinindgult w oauni dd
by the recipients as being a gift and a distinction from those ;
whom they respected and esteemed. (Cheers.) As to the
third charge, that of wishing to relieve themselves from
poor-rates, it was one an utterly unfounded, that it was
hardly worth an answer. (Cheers.) So far. indeed, he
pleaded guilty, that it was his wish to develope in the
labourer those qualities of the mind and heat which tended
to make him adverse to parish relief; but, to avoid miscon-
struction on this point, he thought these rules should be so
far relaxed as to admit of other causes besides sickness being
taken as an excuse for having renamed such relief. lie
would have it altered to " sickness or other calamity, not
brought on by misconduct." (Hear, hear.) There was one
more point to which he wished to allude, and that involved
an extension of the objects of the society. He thought that
as Middlesex was not famous for stock, a few prizes pointed
judiciously in that direction might raise it nearer to a level
with the neighbouring counties. The hon. baronet concluded
by again proposing " Success to the society." (The toast
was responded to with laud and protracted cheering.)