The Express.
London, England, 1849-09-15 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 15, 1849.

MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

BIZKINGHAX, FRIDAY.
Last sight the first eontersasimse took place at the
Tows-hall ; ft was aymerously attended, mod of the prim.
clpal permeates visiting the tows were present. The elec-
tric ligkt wee *abated by Pr Assoc Faraday ; and &camber
of szperiassets made with metallic wires exhibited their
penlas properties, sad most interesting phenomena were
predeest. The party did mot break ap until past elect■
o'clock.

This morning the various sections *gain assembled, and a
number 0( interesting pipers were read, amongst others
on. by the Chevalier Bunsen, "ea the relative amount and
extent of the differeat races in l'rusefa and In Germany;
and on the statistic* of Prussia, with particular ref Ore,,Cl/ t.
railways, and the mites of public isstrestlon according to
the latest returns." This excited a good deal of attention,
the Bishop of Oxford, the Bari of Rarrowhy, Mr. Adderley,
/LP., Sir R. R. Inks, M.P., Iffr. M. D. hill, Q.C., and
ether persons of limier, eminence, being pesesot.
eatistireper rend by Mr. O. Porter, "Oa the agricultural
ea of Inland," has excited a good deal of attention.
The following is an extract :
A volume of considerable iimerest and importance, enti-
tled " Returns of Agricultaral Producer, Ireland in the year
1848," has very ieo.u.ly been distributed to the masters
of the two houses of parliament, and it is thought that a
short abstract of its contents may prove intimating to the
maim This volume more then fulfils the promi.e set
forth in Its title-page, since it cloprie a also the n turn-
of agricultural stock and produce in the preadii g year,
1847, and thus enables its to draw a erfrop,ristin hawser
the two years as regards this most imp rtaut branch of the
national industry, under circumstances which give to such
a comparison an interest far greater than it would have
possessed at almost any other period. The retorts hay.
Owen obtained at the desire of Lord Clarend,.n, under the
direction of that most intelligert and energetic public ofileir,
Captain Lamm, of rt.e Royal /ingrain, who, i.
will be renambered, read before this sectiun at
the meeting of the emaciation, held at Cork is
1843, a very valuable and elaborate paper on the cen-
sus of the pipulation of Ireland in 1811, Ia whith
paper a considerable amount of information was given that
will admit of the comparison as respects some matter. eon.
fleeted with agriculture being carried back te the year 184 L
Tee returns embraced at both periods the Lumber or serum
or holdings, distutgutalted in different chums, ace 'ruing to
their average contests, isrortroatiou of deep imporiaafe son-
sideting the faulty—it might rather be said one fatal—sub
divisions of the soal is that island; sad It out be gratify Ise
to learn that a Omega in thus respect is gong forward, if
not so rapidly as could be wished, yet mare rapidly t. an
could have been expected from the knows tenacity where•
with the Irish tattier his previously adhered to his parch o;
ground. Tito eonch.ton of the country in this revert it
each of the three years above mentioned was-
-1847. 1848.
Punts from Ito 6 aerie 125,926 .. 101,779
1.9 6to IS asses
16 to 30 acres
FarmWabove 30 acres

Total number ..... 807,702 814,672
The mileage of hatcher not exceeding an acre Iran—
i» 1847
1848 44,261
The piper read by Captain Lamm, on the omens re-
bores, did MK give the number of thew smell boldioge ic
1841, bat we may fairly preemie* that it must have been
greatly beyond the number ascertained in 1847, seeing
that the next smallest description of farms, those of one to
five acres, had then decreased in the peopoetim of three•
fifths, while the.. above thirty acres Dave increased in a
dires.fold proportion. The next teases retains, *huh will
must probable be made under the di:se:los of Capt. Ler.
woe, who ao ably conduct. d the census of 1841, wilt doubt
less be made to exhibit the edict which this change pro-
duces upon tho course of employment. The fact has on
previous occasions been noticed, that while ia England
and Scotland the proportionate nut& yer of the impala
ton employed in ran-ing loud has been decrossing
in a very remarkable manner, the contrary mutt
has been experienced in Ireland. It was ascertained, at
the census of 1811, that, in Great Britain, 1,000 per-
sons engaged as occupiers and labourers, in rotsing loud, pro.
tided for the wants to that respect, of tbeinseates and of
2,984 p. noes, while in Ireland the like number of persons,
us., 1,000, so engaged. provided food for no more than 611
persons beyond tiomselvet. la 1831, the number of Mini.
pen not employing labourers—me lowest descripti n of
farmers—in England was 94,983, but of a population of
13,000,000, es hs seas in Irelaid, a pupulathn of 7,700,600
turnishsd 564,274 of IMP h sons 1 farmers. Adroit parted these
have changed, or, it is to be hoped, will co-.stage »sir condi-
tion by becoming hires labourers for others; and as their
employers will nemesia' ily be in the possession of some
the lab Air employed by them wi.l be re. d. red more
effective than it could be under the old order of Wogs,
where the laremr of a mere patch of ground hal usually
little or nothing more than his bodily exertions to assist in
developing the resources of the sod.
the amount of land under cultivation applied to the
production of Miters» kind@ of food, and tee ac-nal pre
duce, in each td the years 1817 and 1848, are
glees in tne returns, but it is necessary to explain,
that owlet, to the unsettled elate of the country, rt was
mond imp .seible to mile» returns in the counties of Water-
ford and Tipperary, so that »drama; •cunipansun between
the remits id lest year and of 1t47. we mum deduct the re-
turns for them too commies. Tao total Damns el aer.•
under cultivation in 1b47 was hand to be 6,238,674. If we
deduct therefrom the area cultivated in Waterford and Tip-
perary, 432,977, the remainder will show the extent which
is fairly to be brought into the comparison-5.s , 4,505,48.
The acreage under cultivation In 1848 was 6,108,002, shoe-
ing the gratitylue fact that an increase has been made in
clue year of 302,464 »rem exclusive of the two counties here
mentiooed. It Ms 140tesse in those counties ea' kept pace
with that of the remainder of Ireland, the lamed» breadth
of land te.ught leader cultivation into* year has amounted
to 329,716 acres, or more than 6 per cent.
The stock of various kinds that existed at the time of the
'tut Callsa, (1111), and in 1847 and 1818, afford a atm»
commentary upon the distress occasioned by tie Molars or the
potato harvest. It appears that, oompariug 1817 with 1811,
the number of horses was lessened by 64,348; but we
deficiency on farms not exceeding fifteen an» amounted to
183,694, while there was actually an increase on farms above
that arse of 109,314. Of uses there was an increase of
91,714 ; but on the small farms there was a felling off in the
number of these animate amonoting to 32,956, while there
was an increase os the larger holdings ot 61,609. With
respect to horned cattle, th<re was sa ingress@ of 627,114 ;
bat this was wholly experienced on the larger farms, there
having been on those not exceeding fifteen acres, fewer in
1817 than in 1841 by 338,471, sad consequently more oa the
larder holdings by 803,683. The number of sheep was km
on the whole ia 1847 thaa in 1841 by 109,685; but the de-
ficiency on the small farms was 649,218, whds there was an
Increase isa the larger. The greater deficieuey has
been experienced in regard to pigs and posit»,
which in Ireland are especially domestic animal%
and, as might be expected, the failing off is Maud »idly
amend the cattier dale. Oa the larger farms, those above
thirty scree in extent, there were 42,643 more pigs in 1847
than in 1841; whereas ea all the smoke holdings the differ-
ence was very greatly in the other direction On farms not
exceeding ems are the numbers Wall 295,048 in 1841, and
only 19,108 id 1847. Oa farms from one to five sane then
were 261,687 in 1841, and only 21,422 in 1847. In the next
division, between live and 6 tea acres, the numb., were
350,826 in 1561, and no more than 80,098 in 1847. Pennies
huidieg from Mien to thirty acres kept, in 1841, 216,310,
and only 113,864 in 1847; while on farms above that eine
the numbers, whisk were 240,301 ia 1841, had advanced to
282.984 I. 1847. The satire deficiecey of this description
of stock between the two periods was 836,625, or sore than
60 per aut.
The diminished number of poultiy was 3.378,279 epos
8,234,427, or forty per cent., which, as in the case of the
pigs, apps entirely to the smaller farms. On those above
fifteen acres these woo am bewared number, amounting
to 1,048,974, showirg that the laorned number on
the smaller luau was 4,427,253. The lessened num-
ber of pigs ia clearly »lovable to the failure of the
food up» which those animals are wisally kept in the »hies
of the powastry; and, as regards poiltry, ems» baldly les
to should sestinas
=roe that a starving people as veer
se easily ehavertible into food, or into that which
wooaulldd pram bed for the owners. These flee, which Cr.
proved hoped orsobroveng the hoguiciss of the lash gee•
veronica', plain is a way ompleseas light Me deadvaatage
ofpps leldinp, so illeeparld tsp Isms which, trona
tbM meat, main tow euldested by mesas who, pos-
sessing some 'aortal, are set dives as the ocuirresos of the
bet ealamboos season to aseimees destradive el their owe
totals respeity, sad Warless es the Wilk at large. The
geodes ef the adivaatego, or otherwise, of assintelaiag A
dale-
peel seedseerdesmo, h gas spas white it w
be alivieahle to noises ads sorades, bat *elguree
howord t, Or returns osier essatiaatios appear to be le
istpesesed, es sr:Maass the essomisseess of farming witless
the medal spedissoss, that it was impossible to peas them
1 by althost this ose word of osolosont.
The Idle 'dabbing rho iambic of soros devoted lon 1647
sad lallsompestively to the grakedos ot the different cereal
grains, show a result for giblet we odd hardly have been
prepared. There wee a falling of is the breadth of chest
sewn el 178,126 awes, or 24 par mat apes the queatity in
1110. Of eats there Willa lemma swim of 278,484 acne, or
I lib per east. Of barley the oaldvatios was kw sod by 40,352
mat, or nearly 14 pet swat. Oa the other bead, the ten-
dewy to eassisno dependent Ara great part of their dedy
apse pabertra ha boos showss-by the Irish peasantry is
starluol Innen of the lead devoted to their growth.,
I whisk maismeed 104276,1141 awes, or 1111Lper sontietVigt
as of aims so la 1847 -We boor
Wary aveloised by rod at priest, and nay expose dig
the shery throe whist that prowstry bad to pen oe-
seat spas the ammies of their maple mods*. will he
aad that dry mess be willing to rend& is depose
dean wee the sawing od& lowest deseripdas of bed, end
thus be liable at any the. to a apeurreacie of the horrors of

Ws ere MW, for the AM tine Is the bleturof this eat-
try, esaltiod to mead, with to
eery, the easel sad immostalkol"diZt Wricri--"oweeeen-
doe harrow. The rank le mil se to geoeo-.4 bassi any
=tpail him, oleo megehoi—of are d wire visa
h takes, the troth nee
_this mot scosest
Da Want Wit bore NIS that the trawitit et hell devoted
is 1/111 to the waltivaties el the wool vele. woe wor! lota
dein 111 Ilides our, sad tits Vim WWI& NOW the
Teeth etthotelitivaties servo to lbw that the ming po-
ises of as lia4.la di tie meet instant obfistr, mod.
se pretty to eggravote the ell theme to b.
It avian, wpm calculation, that the produce of the