The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-01 00:00:00

NE Y :SI AItK E T

AND
CODMIZROIAL INTELLICTENCE.

CITY, Two o'CLocr%
The Liverpool Cotton Market yesterday closed
with an upward tendency, and prices of American
were nearly, if not quite id. per lb. dearer than
last week. Slrat and Egyptian were id. per lb.
dearer ; but all other sorts were unchanged. The
sales were 10,000 bales, 1,503 for export and a
small quantity on speculation, comprising 070
Pernam and Maranham, 6Ad. to 7/2d. ; SO Bahia,
51. to 61 ; 250 Egyptian, 50. to Bd. ; and 1,000
Surat, 3d. to 40. per lb. The Railway Share
Market was dull, closing at i s worst prices.
This being a holiday in the Stock Exchange and
at the Transfer Offices at the Bank of England,
advantage has been taken of the fineness of the lay
to abstain from business, and very few outside
batrgains have been entered into. Among the
quotations that have been mentioned have been
Consols, 87i 4 ; Turkish 6 per Cents., 781- to 79 ;
and the New Scrip, 31, discount.
The Vauxhall Bridge Company this day made a
dividend of 14s. per share, free of income tax.

NEWTON-ABBOT AGRICULTURAL AND
LABOURERS' FRIEND 'SOCIETY.

-- -
The seventeenth annual ploughing match of the society
took place on Monday, on Hennberough Farm, in the
occupation of Mrr. Beazley, near Newton. Operations
were commenced at an early hour in the presence of
many of the yeomanry f the district. The practice was
considered very good. Two other br,incbes of agricultu-
ral labour, thatching and hedging, were also prosecuted
on the ground, the latter with great vigour, and were
watched with considerable interest. Prizes are awr.rded
at these meetings to both male and female labourers for
length of agricultural service and for industry; also, to
tenant farmers fur ability and excellence in cultivation of
estates.

At four o'clock about 100 gentlemen and farmers
assembled at Beazley's Globe Hotel, Newton, and sat
down to a substantial dinner. Lawrence Palk, E-q.,
N.P. for South Devon, presided.
After the usual loyal and other routine toasts had
been drunk, "The Health of the Chairman" was pro-
posed, and received most enthusiastically.
In acknowledging the compliment, Mr. Palk said it
was now some years since he first had the honour of
dining with them on such an' occasion. They had often
had happy meetings, but he must say he felt extremely
flattered at seeing the large and important assembly then
before him. lie was aware he must not take the entire
compliment of supposii git to be the effect of his pre-
siding on that occasion, but he might take it as a proof
that he had done nothing to induce them to withhold
that confidence which they had reposed in him, and that
they were so far glad to see him_ (Cheers.) Deeply con-
cerned as the happiness and prosperity of this country
were in the whole question of agriculture, therenever was
a time when the question was of greater irnportarce than
it was at this moment, when we were engaged in a great
war, and he believed a war that was just, holy, and ne-
cessary. (Cheers.) There was scarcely a house in the land
in which it had not occasioned sorrowing and tears ;
but they were reconciled to their bereavements by the
reflection that those who fell fought for a great and glo-
rious cause. (Hear.) But, practically speaking, a'theugh
we did not see the " horrors of war," it introduced a
series of evils into this country, which it was our duty
to foresee and provide against. One material operation
of the war was to impede the introduction of foreign
corn into this country, and so to throw on the agricul-
turists the necessity of increasing the produce of the soil
to provide for the wants of the population. And here,
though politics were forbidden to be introduced into
their assemblies—and he was the last man who would
attempt to infringe that rule—he must make a passing
allusion to times gone by, when agriculturists were in
great di tress, and when they were coldly told by those
who had effected a certain great political change that if
they (the farmers) could not grow corn they had better
turn their attention to something else. (Hear.) He
was happy to say the energy of the agricultural interest
did not desert them at that critical time—they did not
turn away to other pursuits, but they devoted th, it at-
tention to the growing of larger crops, cr newer and bet-
ter methods. (Hear.) Another result of the war which
they would have to contend against was the great de-
mand it created for human life. From every part of the
country the young and active man, who in peaceful
times would have become a labourer on the soil or a
mechanic in the mill, was hurried off to the seat of war,
and consequently a want of labour had for some time
been felt. He had experienced it himself, and it had
been called very seriously to his attention. There was
another sad reflection be could not help making—it
seemed that the farmer bad not now the control over
his labourer which he used to have. He had been told
by many agriculturists that if they complained of the
conduct of a man, or said a word to him, he demanded
his day's wages, away he went and left the employer in
a disagreeable position. He was satisfied that much
of the damage that was supposed to be accidentally
done to crops and plant of the farmer was due to the
negligence of idle boys. In olden times there was a
system—he did not pretend to say it was faultless, but
it was attended with most excellent results—he meant
the system of apprenticeship. The boy was carefully in-
structed in his duties by the farmer, while the girl was
probably brought up under the eye of the mistress of the
house, and both became useful members of society ; but
he regretted ti say there was now a system which he
hoped was not prevalent, but which bad lately come
unduer his notice, and which would be most unfortunate if
it became general—he meant the system of taking and
dismissing servants without a character. This was a
serious matter; for it appeared to him that the character
of every man, whether he was the servant in the farm,
or one who served his country in the senate— was dear to
him and should be given to bun. If they withheld from
the honest servant the character which he had richly de
served, what recompense did they offer him ? Was not
the wages that the servant earned, nor the home that
the master gave, which was most highly prized, but the
hope of rising in his station—a hope which should bean in-
ducement to everyman and woman to do well, and which
should be encouraged. Another question which had
lately attracted much attention amongst those who wished
well to the agricultural interest, was that of education—
one worthy the attention of every man who had the
well being of his fellow-creatures at heart. The time
was gone by when men would be contented with what
they saw immediately around them- The facilities of
railroads induced men to travel, and the cheapness of
literature gave them a taste for research. It was to the
cheapness of literature, the opportunity of mixing with
practical men, and of seeing different customs in diffe-
rent countries that the marked improvement in Devon
farming was to be attributed. They had introduced a
very superior system of cultivation into this county, and
many of the improvements they had seen practised in
other countries. But, reverting to education, he much
regretted that no general measure bearing on it had yet
met with the approbation of the Legislature of this coun-
try. He recollected attending night after night in the
House of Commons, and listening to debates on the ques-
tion, but, like many men of greater experience, he did at
last reluctantly confess in his own mind that the ques-
tion of education was the most difficult that be had ever
attempted to grapple with. It aas difficult because
there were so many circumstances tint bad effect on edu-
cation. Besides the separation of houses in agricultural
districts, there was the greater obstacle of young child-
ren being early called to labour and made assistants in
the support of themselves, and it would probably be
difficult, if not unjust, to enforce education under these
circumstances. Still, little by little, the question of edu-
cation would press itself on the attention of all, and pos-
sibly some plan would at last be devised by which, if
education should not be rendered compulsory by law,
it.should be rendered oompulsory through the public ap-
preciating the benefits that would flow from it. So much
had the necessity for education impressed the minds of
those who took a lead in the legislature of this country,
that they would see a noble lord (Lord Ebrington),
whose antecedents were certainly not very particularly
associated with the agricultural interests—had at last
arrived at the decision that education would he a great
boon to the agriculturists, and that agriculture was a
science worthy of support and assistance. He had, there-
fore, offered a prize, which he (Mr. Palk) hoped would
be well contested for, to the farmer's son who was most
proficient in history, geography, and mathematics. The
noble lord had undoubtedly given this prize
rize with every that it might stimulate the risingindustry of the
eons of agriculturists. Whether the subjects that had
been selected were the best adapted to agriculturrists
he would leave to more practical men .to determine; but
this he knew, that the knowledge of history would
do any one harm, that the knowledge of geography mightnever
be very beneficial to agriculturists, and that an
ac-
quaintance with practical mathematics
twoeurledgionircoluout
kind of information bearing on many of the
ts
of the farmer. (Hear.) He hoped on Thursday next
to have the honour of meeting a large body.of agricul-
turists in his neighbourhood, to show them a system—
largely adopted in other counties, but not carried to
such an extent as he had attempted to carry it—a system
of meadow irrigation. For the last 6or 7 years, with
the assistance of a tenantry, who, he believed, bore a
richly-deserved reputation in this county, he had been
remodelling some valleys, and turning orchards, hedges,
lanes, and horrible holes, so he called them, into what
had now become green and fertile meadows ; all irri-
gated under a system that made the most of the running
water, the atmosphere, and the sunshine. (Applause.)
In conclusion, ho asked the society why they did not
give prizes for landlords as well as for tenant-fanners
and labourers ? (Cheers.) He would most gladly com-
pete. Perhaps they would tell him that they already
gave a high prize for landlords, and he admitted it, for
where the landlord endeavoured to do his best for hit
tenantry, there they would find the best and most enter-
prising of tenants. (Loud cheers )
Other toasts were proposed and responded to, and the
chairman soon after retired ; the meeting, however, did
not break up until a late hour.

THE BOILER ExPLosioN ATWALKER —lt was intended
that the adjourned inquest on the bodies of the persons
killed by the boiler explosion at the Walker Iron-works,
near Newcastle-on-Tyne, should have been resumed on
Tuesday afternoon, but in consequence of the illness of a
juryman it wax further ailjnornori for a fortnight. Since
;,• :t r
t., • • -
the time of the explosion. This makes eight persons who
have died. That portion of the Walker Ironworks where
the explosion took place ie fast being put into repair.