The Express.
London, England, 1856-10-23 00:00:00

MR. DISRAELI' ON AGRICULTURAL STATIS
TICS AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

On Tuesday the meeting of the Amerehun tint
Chubs= Agricultural Association was held at Chubut
The chair was occupied by the Hon. C. C. Cavendish, WI 1
fir Bucks, and the company indaded Mr. Sheriff Kaki, 4
Tissue* Hall, Viscount Curzon, T. T. Drake, Esq., W.
Lewndes, Beg., and • number of the local gamy.
ye eisepocdiog to the toast of it The County M.
bon," Mr. DIORAMA mid—l mut say that, &likens'?
I agree on these social occasion. on almost ever
subject with my friend Mr. Cavendish, thus 4
in sentiment- in which I cannot (*lucid' wit'
him—aamely, that it would have been as well that tb,
health of the county members had nit been given. Gentle
I men, I should have bees unhappy sad ashamed Ultras It
'that the »presentative of this grant, this rdividal
county, could he considered under any eiromersaces as a
mere political partisan. I look forward with the deepest
intereat and gratification to these occasions when we mat
Weather without referents to political prisoipla, political
passim. or olitical birdies, united together by our cu-
m. , oar common iaterests, our coracle coaatr.
I ens say most sincerely—and it was not my tamers a
ban referred la the moat indirect Mann to political Boa-
101114—that although Mr. Cavendish and sayeell sit on Mt-
forest sides of the House, of Commons, still, wh le
barest' of the county of Buckingham are at stake, there
has a been the slightest &frenzies of opinion between
✓,
and on ell such occasions I rye received from him cor-
dial and invariable support, end I have been guided mid
brefited by his advice and counsel. Geddlemen, I would
flaw,taith your pernsisiion, sit down, but that equation was
asked me down state, to which I said, perhaps rashly, that
I maid reply after dinner. I was &eked just now, by roof
es' sot influential members of your society, what was my
Maine on agricultural statistics ? I have no desire to avoid
on answer to that question, bruise this emulation being
iseued purely for the benefit of the agricultural interest,
ilia a questioa that was rightly asked, and which I ought
sot to avoid giving an answer to. I hope It will never
be said of me, or of any member representing you, that he
or lam an enemy to information. I believe informs.
tic., and correct information, is the oily solid buil of true
sad real legislaton, and I am ors that giddier the *viol-
tvral interest nor any other interest in this important
rusty would ever oppose the collection of information
that fa likely to prove a benefit to the oonemanity. But on
SY Isahjset of agricultural statistic*, on which amuck 'gi-
bers motets, on which sharers have been defeated, in
which purulent his been appealed to fa vain, without
being permitted to solve the difficulty, I believe that the
skims rs of no sumatry have the means of obtaining such
seri mad 'intensive iaformatioe as to the agricultural
Css or .Y., ...mu so .Y. ....5....•. ws fla ...1a..% .
Zla not a parish in the conatey of which the acreage
is not known, and even the mode of cultivation of that
asesega. This information *sista in the Tithe Comeau.
?Won Ate m is the awards under laelosere seta, and
fa the NW of parochial assesounts. Ido sot for a
111011026 maintain that it may not he necessary to obtain
MIN 111111111111ta or wider information. But when I heu it
melelleirel that we sea absolutely In the Mask os to this im-
portant article of produce, and the mesas by which It is
peodecod, I hope it will not he considered impertinent or
Irrelevant on my part, as your member, to remind you that
then are already sliding in the country these remarkably
fall means of ascertaining them results. It may be that
fuller and more accurate information is required, but
how is it to be obtained 1 Suppose an Inspector had
been sent round, before last harvest, to ascertain the
probable results of the harvest, and to forward to the
government the fruits of his research ; could anything be
men deceptive thou such »dime ? Would they not have
required to be diminished by 26 per conk on the crops pro-
mised ? The deduction I draw is, that on this object only
penal results us be available to gaide us is legislation,
and in this country there said at present mars of obtaining
these paced results which no relater of any country pos-
eurs in an equal degree with the minister of England. I
do not say this in say way to encourage you in any blind,
bigoted opposition to information, or to any MMus by
which it can be more accurately obtained. But we live in
en age of statistical impoeture, and many statements are
nub ea these mutters by men entirely unacquainted with
rural life, and not possesead of that information which is
nesemary on subjects of such delicacy and importers. We
have a great basis of information in the country to build
epos, sad I believe we may both increase that basis and go
on to build epos it. But I will not swame that cry,
which is the ay of 'gauss», that this great civilised
country is so &UNA in the muss of authentic and
positive information as to the agricultural produce
of Ragland. We may, I trust we shall, improve these
mean+, and we cannot so imirove them without the cordial
support of the agricultural body. But that support will
not, ought not, to be obtained, unlets that body is treated
with that deference and courtesy on the subject which are
its due. (Chun.) I trust you will pardon me for these
' observations, sine', although we are stumbled for pl
this is in some sense a business meeting. Let me again
thank you for the honour you have paid use, and also to my
about colleague, Mr. Du Pre, to whom I shall not fail to
mention, when I meet him, the kindness with which you
have received him. I can assure you, both for myself and
for all my colleague', thu to be remembered with respect
and regard in usemblies like the present is the greatest
reward we can receive, and the inspiration of polio life
which never fells. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. DISIZAZLI afterwards rose to propose... Prosperity to
the Asociatloa." He sail!—l recoilect—and I hope there
an low present who an rocollect so far back (nearly a quar-
ter of a century)—tbe institution of the first agricultural
anadana in this county, at which I assisted. I recollect
Its ridicule and the line of depreciation which was extended
SWIM time, not only to asecciations of this mature but to all
beaks of men collected toroth.? In this somewhat desultory
ear, for soy purposes. Gentlemen, always remember that
emulation is the parent of satarptiao. It is impossible that
am eau meet together without feeling, however noble
may be the rivalry, some degree of simulation, and it is
that emulation which Maas to improvement. Think
what an important fact, in old limes, the minket-day
was to the farmers. It is market day that has kept the i
farmers alive. (Cheers.) He drives into the town, be meets,
In fellows, he eschoges ideas, anal hems that such an one,
has made such improvemeats, aqd has obtained such ad-
emerges, sod he is induced to *Mir into honourable and
beneficial rivalry with his neighbours. But what or is
tho tendency of these evecciatiossi which were forded 20
or 20 years ago, and which have *.es so mach increased ?
Their teadency is to multiply the i race of market day,
It
M take the agriculturist out ;of his Lino, to make him
feel how intportsnt is sympathy to s cues in all °picadors,
he make him feel that It is ooh by that these
is
opera-
ting man be sum loftily conducted, sal that ha era
est tar play to whieb he is mintiest. Thee Is na adios
of egebralturiste whose position has ael. le mig
bola advantaged by done seal Cjitkall. Nos gig=
tan a the cottage, who at chi, very menelr is corr.
niggling with pride to his family the aekielemouts of the
day, to Me Illavident °reenter of land who le aim medial I
lag the mesh of future tee:ails enterpriser. I foalsure'
nano impulse has been given to every elan Idol
not pretend that thou moieties should rest ea a higher
bade; it is on social considerations that I support them.
But odd considerations lead to scientific research, and the
more you keep together the more you will find energy of
mind eztibited, scientific enterprise increased, and a sense
of your it fiance and Credo» in moiety fostered. With
these feeling., very hastily end imperfectly upraised, I em
now to propose the tout entrusted to me, and, frightened
by the number of mars on the paper before roe, some of
them definite and some indefinite, I will vesture to give it •
shorter name, and propose "Peoeperity to the Agricultural 1
&iodation of your happy vall.:y." (Loud cheers.)
Mr. Sheriff blunt afterwards addressed the mectir g at
some lunch, complimenting the agriculturists of Bucks on
their show of roots, itc, bat urging the more extensive
adoption of machinery. His remarks were very cordially
received by the great body of the meeting; but there was
evideady a diaposition to questioa the value of some of his
suggestions.
st lb