The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-21 00:00:00

DONCASTER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

• IFrom the Durham .Idrcrtiscr.l
At the annual meeting of the above Society, held on Friday lest,
the show of cattle was inferior in point of numbers to any forma
exhibition there; sonic very beautiful animals were, however,
shown. and there is no doubt, that in future years, when en early
harvest does not interfere, as it has done this season, with [helmet.
and when food for stock is more abundant than at present, the
Doncaster Cattle Shows will again compete with the brat cabbie
Buns of the kind in the kingdom.
The judges on the present occasion, Meatira. %Veinier, %Vright,
and Bright, haring awarded the prizes, the Members of the Society
at.tl their friends adjourned to the Mansion-House (the use of which
had, as usual, been granted by the Mayor and Corporation), where
an elegant dinner was provided.
F. 0. EDMONDS' EA., the President for the day, took his seat
at the head of the
table,
having on his right hand Lord Milton and
Sir William Cooke, „Dart., and on his left Lord Althorp and J.
Fullerton, Esq.
The Vice Chair was filled by General Sir JOHN BYNG, and the
company around the festive bused amounted to between sixty and
severity.

After the removal of the cloth, the he-11th of the King, the Royal
Family, fcc.. and the usual agricultural toasts and sentiments. were
drunk, each giving rise to appropriate observations from the Presi-
dent and others; yet consid.•rable dulness seemed to pervade the
meeting, until the health of W. 11. Thomas. Esq., of Cli,sterlield,
a Nletither of the Scarsdale and High Park Agricultural Sc.
dicey, was proposed front the chair. The toast was drank with en-
thusiasm, and

Mr. Ttioates„ after returning thanks for the honour which had
been done him, took occasion to express his sentiments on the al-
teration which it was understood would be proposed in the next
Session of Parliament in the existing Corn bawl lie pointed
out, in clear and forcible language, the impossibility of the English
Comex competing with the foreign grower, if a free trade in corn
were permitted, weighed down as he was with the payment of high
Yenta taxes, and tithes, and expressed a hope that the Members of
the Legislature would look at the question in all its bearings, and
not be led away by the clainour of the manufacturing districts. or
by the opinions promulgated on the exchanges of our mercantile
towns, but afford to the agricultural interest that protection which
it had a right to expect and demaild.
Lord ALTHORP explained the plena proposed for the protection
of the agricultuiat by the imposition of certain duties on the im-
pnrtation of foreign corn, and declared his conviction that the
fan..er need be under no alarm. for should tl.e proposed alterations
take place, his interests would not be lost sight of.
Lord MILTON then rose, and at considerable length defended
the measure which was about to be brought forward for the altera-
tion of the Corn Laws. It was a question, he said, between the
Legislature and the landed proprietors, and one in which the tenant
farmer had little or no interest. Those who thought otherwise he
considered to be under a delusion. The tenant for fourteen years
' might be said to be in some degree interested, and the tenant far
seven years was still leas so; but the tenant at will had nothing to
do with the question, which, as he before said, lay between the
Legislature and the landed proprietors. In ease of any material
Alteration in the Corn Laws, the landlord and tenant at will, not
being bound to ere!) other, were at liberty to enter into fresh en-
gagements, and therefore the tenant had no cause for Complaint.
A reduction in the price of corn would lead to a reduction of rents,
and thus the landlord would ultimately be the sufferer; but he
Lord Milton) looked at the contemplated change in a more ex-
tended point of view than an merely between landlord and tenant—
he deemed it necessary to the pinaperity of the commerce of the
country. Foreign countries, which could not pay for our manufac-
tures in money, could barter with us in corn; and if a sufficient
duty were laid upon their corn to protect the British agriculturist,
the measure was one of policy, and ought to be carried into effect.
His Lordship made some further observations, with a view to con-
vince the farmers that the tenant at will hart nothing at all to do
with the question, and the tenants on leone very little, and then sat
down, these unpalatable sentiments having been hissed frequently
during their delivery.
Sir %V. Cooxit said that though he agreed with the Noble Lord
who had spoken, as to the propriety of en alteration in the Corn
Laws, yet he differed with him entirely as regarded the interests of
the farmer. lie consideted that the interests of the landlord and te-
nant were inseparably connected, and that they must stand or fall
together. He bed been absent from England sonic time, having
only arrived from the Continent last night, and had, therefore, not
given the subject that attention which it deserved ; but it appeared
to hint, elitt the importation of foreign corn, undr such a protect-
ing duty as would secure to the English grower a fair remunerat-
ing price, would be preferable to the present Corn Lows, as pre-
venting those great sudden fluctuations in the prices of corn to
which we were now liable.

S. WALKER, E.q. now rose, and proposed the health of Lord
Milton : no sooner, however, was the toast announced, than about
one-fourth of the company simultaneously rose, and left the room
without drinking it. His Lordship's health was drank by the re-
mainder; but the Noble Lard, evidently chagrined by the treat-
ment he hiul experienced (although some orbits friends tried good.
humouredly to persuade him that it was not through any disrespect
towards his Lordship that so many of the company had departed),
soon afterwards quitted the room.
The Chairman, accompanied by Lord Althorp, Sir W. Cooke.
Sir John Rpm, &c. &c. shortly afterwards retired, and E. D. De-
nison, Esq., was called to the Chair, under whose presidency a part
of the company were kept together in perfect good humour for some
time longer.