The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-11 00:00:00

ELY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
DISTRUST OF TWO COUNTY MEMBERS.

ELY, TIIIMIDAT, JAN. 10.
This being market day, the opportunity was
seined by the protectionists of Ely end he neighbourhood
of eliciting et a public meeting the feeling of the ishabitaati
of the county of Cambridge cm the question of protection to
agriculture.

The meeting was held in the Shire Hall Male pleas, and
by 12 o'clock the Hell was crowded with • goodly muter of
Mount farmers and inhabitants of Ely and the neighbour-
Mtn. To be more precise as to the object' of the meeting
and Its tompositioa, we extract from the circulars. It woe :
"A Meetingmembers ot the Ely Agricultural Society,
and of the owners and occupiers of land in the south level of
the Fens, will be holden at the Shire Hall, in Ely, to re-
helve and consider a report of the committee of the society,
and also to consider the propriety of adopting measures by
petitions to the throne, or to Parliament, or otherwise, for re-
moving the difficulties under which the agricalturiate now
labour."
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said he
had bad frequent opportunities of attending meetings in that
hall, but he had never attended one or a more exciting na-
ture, or of greater importance than that over which he had
now the honour to preside. The time bed now arrivtd when
it was the duty of every person to give what assistance he
could to extricate the country from the difficulties which sur-
rounded it. He bad received listen from Mr. E Yorke rad
Lord G. Manners apologising for their absence, the former on
account of 111-health, and the latter on account of having to
attend a district mart martial at Maidstone.
The 82CRISTAitY baring read the report,
Mr. MOSELEY, of New Bans, tenant farmer, proposed
the first resolution :
" That the present deplorable position of the agricul-
turists, arising out of the tree a ,mission of foreign agricul-
tural produce into this country, calls aloud for immediate
remedial measures at the bends of the legisl dine, and that
this meeting concurs in the views of the committee of this
society, so fully .'pressed in the report this dry presented by
them, and adopts the report"
Mr. H. MARTIN, of Littleport, seconded the resolution
and it was cursed unanimously.
Mr. BALL, of Bs:await, one of the delegates from the
Central Protection Society, proposi d the second resolution:
" 'Lust an humble petition be presented to her Majesty
bee, etching her to direct the attention of the two houses of
parliani:nt to the depressed state of the agricultural interests
of this kingdom, and to recommend those tones t. re
consider the laws elf, cling the imp oration of foreign corn,
and also to tult.pt such measures as shall secure to all the
producing class,* of the communi•y just protection from
foreign comp,tition, and restore this c,untry to the state of
prosperity it enjoyed before the recent disastrous expe-
riments of free trams were made, and which have so sig-
nally failed."
Mr. LITTLE, of Li:tlefort, seconded the resolution, and it
wee carried rum COll.

Mr. AltC H Eft, solicitor and secretary to the association,
proposed the third resolution.
"That petitions to both h,sisss of pat) tunent, in accord-
ance with the st.ntiments of this twitting, ha signed and pre-
sented, and that similar petition. be sap, to the neight,.,ur•
lag towns and .illag.s for signature by the resident owners
and oecupien of lard."

H. 84;1 all Us it the farmers 'ought Iry equslity of taxa-
tion as respected the foreigner, and equally ut prytecti m as
respected mher classes of the Gommt i'y—could anything be
faint.? The farmer protes ed against being compelled to
II et f. reign prices, while he was obliged to purchase at
Britivi price., enhanced by British taxation. 'rho spa: he:
then alluded to the octrui which prevail,..l in Framer, Rol.
Nod, Belgium, and numbing, and coutended that as by
shi?ping to this country the torebreer avoided that octro:
duty, a similar duty ought to be finial oa foreign produce
wh,•n imported into (hunt Britsiu.

Me. aSPLEY, of Ely, second .d the resciatiin, and at the
same time said I. had but little hope from the prises% It. nee
of Commons, and stilt lees from the present mini_ try.
(Cheers, and " Turn 'em out.") Ihe country, however, had
now spoken out so plainly that it , oull Ea impossible for the
present ministry to hold office bye anutlisr twelve me. dr,
thin they would have &dissolution and a I rotectifinht House
of C salmons. (Cheers )

The rsolutio'n was carried unanimuugy.
Mr. 11l DDLIATONE then prvos, d, and Mr. 8311711 u-
m:ldea, the 4th resolution :

" That the petitions produced at this meeting be adopted,
and that Use petition to her 111.•jesty he tranunitted to one of
m .jestrs Secretaries of 8 ; ai.cl that the flail f
Hardoi kc be requtatid to ',me:A the petition ti the ruse
of Lords, and Lord 0. Manners the one to the these of
C.inimone."

" That a deputation he a, pointed to att.od in London cn
the anemhling of parliament, for the purp we of communT
eating perronally with the mcmh Ti Um the ecnnty upon the
me.ject of the petitions agreed to at this meeting, and of C.).
op•rating with the central protrctinn rocisty and cotamits e
of other protection secietier, in naching the proceedings in
parliament, and promoting the Brett objects which the pro-
te.tion societies in general hare iu slew."

The CHAIRMAN here intimated that Mr. Towneley
wish, d to address tee meeting.
Mr. TOWNELEY, M P., said if he did not feel the imt
parterre rf quntto n, aura the nt co !sit y tar protection to
na ire industry and aparieultute, he h batter perhaps hay.
t-sy. d away ; and perhaps some who had read the Cant•
bri. sfe Chronicle might think that at it was he had b.Att r
have reinstated away. That journal access. d him of vat no
for the navigation lass, which was true, of giving his general
support to the tree trade legislatoan of the put-era govern-
ment, of being some years ago in favour of a half-and halt
protection. and of now being a regular fete-trader. Upon
what authority the editor made that attack upon bins he
could nit understand, unless it wore that a ime other candi-
date for parlitant attar, h.tnoure was very auxione to take tis
place. (A laugh) Now, on his own behalf he mutt say
this: he never had flinched nor shrunk from any d.claration
he had made ; whe hi r the name were popular or unpopular,
b• did not scruple to avow himself still a ert ig. (Hoar ) But
that did not prevent him having the same deep feelings to-
w trele thosa who serrounded him, amongst whom and by whom
he lived ; and he begged them toned. stand that when their
interests were affect d, so in like manner, at least, were his
own. Again when the present prime minister proposed, in
lieu of the sitting Kale, • fixed duty, he (Mr. Townelcy)
voted spinet th.t proposition. In spite of the calumnies set
the Cenebeidge Chroutch, as to his "half and•half protec-
tion," that was the fact, and he del _d any man to gainsay
it. (Hear.) Ile had come is teat meeting with treat plea-
sure. The chairman had kindly sent hint tha report of the
committee, and he had read it with much ;devalue. It was
clear, temperate, and forcible ; sad certainly all the speeches
of that day would do credit to any place in the world. He
did not want to compliant at anyb-,dy—be did not want to
ask votes even; but ho would say thin, if remarks had been
mad, on Mr. Cobden he had richly deserved them, but these
remarks had been made with a temper and discretion which
did credit to those who uttered them. How desire, le
it would be if Mr. Cobden, instead of having recourse
to :mischievous eheervatione respecting interests to which
he did net belong, and of which he knew nothing, would
follow a similar course. (Cheers.) Much as be admired Mr.
Cubden's ability and perseverance, there certainly was 1.1.1
impertinence and presumption about him which he thought
no Englithmut would readily succumb to. (Loud cheers.)
He (Mr. Towneley) certainly had said at Cambridge, that
when the sliding scale was abandoned he did not think it ever
would return; still he asserted that to protec:ion they were
entitled, and he should feel that they had great reason to
comphin if their deep and pteseing wants were not attended
to and relieved. (Cheers.)
Mr. HCDDLESTONE then proposed to fill up the
blank in the resolution with the names of the three county
members—Mr. E. Yorke, Mr. Towneley, and Lord G.
Manners. (No. no.)
. . . _

,
A gentleman in the body of the meeting then proposed
that the petition should be emru,ted to Mr. Townley and
Lord George Manners.
Mr. TOWNELEY hoped that his colleague, Mr. Yorke,
would be associated with them. Mr. Yorke was as much in
favour of protection as he was, and they both agreed in
thinking that the sliding scale could not be restored. (A
Yoioe—" Tura 'em both out," and loud cheers.")
The CHAIRMAN also thought it desirable to include
Mr. Yorke. (No, no.)
Mr. Wool. then proposed, and Mr. BALL seconded an
amendment, to the effect that the petition be entrusted to
Lord O. Manners alone. (Loud cheers.)
This last amendment was thee put with the others to the
meeting, and carried all but unanimously, only three voting
against it.
On the motion of Mr. Hicks, seconded by Mr. Iloatocg,
it was then resolved, unless some measures for protection
were introduced before the Easter recess, to convene a meet-
ing of the associstioa, to pray her Majesty to remove her
present advisers, and to dissolve parliament.
After the usual compliment to the Chairman, the meeting
broke up.

ROYAL FREEMABO24B' SCMOOL FOR FEMALE CHlL-
nham.—A quarterly g I court of this institution was
held yesterday at the Sfliool-house, Westminster-road, to
Plate approved candidates on the list for the election in
April, and for other business. W. F. Bastion, EN., pre-
sided. The charity was establishel in 1788, by Chevalier
Ruspini, for the purpose of maintaining, clothing, and edu-
cating female children, daughters of brethren belonging to
the Society of Free and Accepted Masons. who, from pros-
perous circumstances, have become so reduced as to require
its aid, and for protecting and preserving them from the
dangers and misfortunes to which distressed young females
are peculiarly exposed. Althuugh it is support' d entirely
by voluntary contributions, no his than 616 children hare
been admitted into the school since its foundation, the report
stating " most of these have been returned to their
friends, some have been apprenticed or provided with
situations, and all have become good and useful members of
society." The minutes of the previous meeting having
been confirmed, and the accounts, which showed that the
funds were in • flourishing and sati,factory state, having
been passed, the secretary intimated the decease of Lou a
Hayes Petit, Esq., one of the vice-presidents, and a meet
active member of the charity. Mr. Beadon was unani-
mously elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by his death.
There were tour vacancies for children in the school, and
only six candidates, who were all approved of by the
meeting, and allowed to stand for the next election.
Before breaking up several of the subscribers visited the
children, who were arranged in the school-room, and pre-
sented a picture of health and neatness such as any institu-
tion might be proud of. Although none were above sixteen,
the penmanship would have startled the most rionced
caligraphist, and the needlework of others e the but
efforts of clever matrons, whilst their panel education
seemed to be of • kind most useful to thorn In the sphere
of life M which they are most likely to more