The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-16 00:00:00

Lord Palmerston at Romsey.

ItcmsEY, Thursday.

The rt nnuar dinner of the Agricultural Association
took place this afternoon in the New Corn Ex-
change, under the presidency of Lord Palmerston.
His lordship paid a visit to the building, in the
erection of 'which he has manifested much interest,
on MondP.y afternoon, and was met at the door by
several members of the committee, including Messrs
Purchase, Gressey, and Pannick, end the architect,
Mr B. Oikiey. The exterior and interior of the
Exchange were thoroughly inspected by his lord-
ship, who expressed himself much pleased with its
xvho!e appearance, and he signified his intention of
contributing £lOO in aid of the fund raised for the
execution of the work.

Ia the course of the morning, Lord PAmerston,
accompanied by Mr Dutton, M.P., nd Mr &later-
Bioth, passed thrcugh the cattle yard, and made a
closer inspection of the animals exhibited.
The tickets for the dinner were all disposed of
eeme days ago, and many applicants for admission
were consfquently much disappointed. Among the
guests were Mr Dutton, M.P., the Hon. Spencer
Cowper, Mr Sciater-Booth, M.P., Sir C.Rawlinson,
Gen. Mitchell, Mr Purchase, Mr G. S. Brinton, Mr
G. Eidaile, Col. Tryon, Mr J. Reeves, the Mayor
(Mr Dyett), Mr Lordan, the Itzv. Mr Broad, Mr
J. Drew, &e.

A 9 soon as the dinner had been placed on the
table, Lard PALMERSTON rose and said—" I am
autt orised by the committee of the Corn Exchange
to declare that this Exchange is now open,"—an
announcement which was received with great cor-
diality.
After the cloth had been removed,

Lord PALMERSTON said—l beg to propose to yon
that toast which is the first to which honour is
done in every society of Englishmen, I mean " the
Health of her Alajesty the Queen"—(cheers)—a toast
'which embodies the expression of that which is the
deepest and warmest feeling of every Englishman.

The toast was drunk with all the honours.
Lord PALMERSTON The next toast which I
have to propose is "the Health of the Prince and
Princess of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family."
It is most gratifying to the people of this nation
that there is a Royal Family who are treading in
the footsteps of their illustrious parents—(cheers)
—and are destined, happily for this country, to be
a source of pride and satisfaction to the people of
these realms. (Loud and repeated cheers.)
Lord PALMERSTON again rose and said—We are
here, a society of agriculturists, and I ought not to
forget our spiritual guides. I therefore propose to
you " the Health of the Bishop and Clergy of the
D:ocese and the Ministers of every Religious De
nomination." (Cheers.)

The toast was acknowledged by the Rev. Mr.
BROAD.

Lord PALMERSTON—The next toast which I
have to propoia is " the Army, the Navy, the
Militia, and the Volunteers," It could not be ex-
pnted that man would pursue with diligence and
success the pursuits of industry if he were not as.
stared that he would reap in security the fruits
which that industry might produce, and I am happy
to say that our Army, our NAvy, oar Militia, and
our Volunteer do sand to the people of these
realms that security which human arrangements
can provide for them. (Cheers.) We are happily
now at peace with all foreign Powers—(cheers)—
but the continuance of that peace is not likely to he
less certain when it is known to all foreign nations
that the Army, the Navy, the Militis, and the
Volunteers of England are in a state of perfect effi-
ciency, and ready if called upon to defend the inte-
rests and to maintain the honour and dignity of
their country against all who might think fit to
assail them. (Loud cheers.) I beg in connexion
with that toast to call upon General Mitchell to
respond for the Army, and Lieutenant A!sopp
for the Volunteers ; and if there be any naval
and militia representatives here I trust they
will become volunteers upon this occasion, and not
wait to be called upon. (Cheers and laughter.)
Gm. MITCHELL and Lieut. ALSOP respond A.
At the request of his lordship, Mr. OAKLEY, the
Secretary, read the list of prlz,es.

Lord PALM ERSTON said—l now rise to propose
the " Health of the Successful Competitors." Those
who competed not only deserve to obtain the prizes
awarded to them, but they are doing great good to
the community by setting an example to others,
who may, perhaps, another year, win from them
those laurels which adorn them to-day. (Cheers and
laughter.) I beg to propose the " Health of the
Successful Competitors," and may they continue
thou, exertions which have gained the prizes just
announced by the secretary. (Cheers.)
The toast having been responded to, the" Health
of the Unsuccessful Competitors " was given by Sir
C. RAWLINSON, and that of " The Judges" by Mr.
&LATER -BOOT a.

Mr PURCLIASE, ns chairman of the Corn Exchange
Committee, in appropriate terms, proposed the
" Haalth of the noble President of the Romsey
Agricultural Society." The toast was received with
the greatest enthnsissm.

Lerd PALMERSTON, in responding to the toast,
said—l thank you from :he bottom of my heart for
the kind manner in which this toast has been pro-
posed, and in which it has been accepted by the
company which I have now the honour to see assem-
bled. It must at all times be most gratifying to any
min to meet with the expression of the goodwill
and approbation of his fellow-countrymen ; but,
perhaps, if there is any portion of his fellow coun-
trymen whose goodwill and approval he may be
most anxious to secure it must be those in whose
meighbourhooe he lives—(cheers) —who have oppor-
tunities of forming their judgment from seeing him
and from knowing what he does better than those
who may live at a distance can do, (Cheers.) I am
therefore peculiarly gratified at the expression of
goodwill and of kindness which I invariably- re-
ceive from the people of the neighbourhood of
ltunisey. (Cheers.) I am glad and proud to meet you
upon the present occasion. It is honourable, I think,
eto the town and neighbourhood of Ramsey that we
eh utd have erected this handsome and capacious
building, to provide for that which was obviously
a great want in the accommoiation of the town.
(Cheers,) Agriculture, like every other industry, is
promoted by the intercourse of man with man, by
the interchange of ideas, by the mutual intercom-
munieation of knowledge, by one nran telling others
what he has done, how he has succeeded, and how
he has failed. All these things tend to enlighten the
ideas and to promote that industry with regard to
which that intercourse takes place. Hitherto the
farmers who assembled in this town have been ex-
pesed to the wind and the rain. Ido not mean to
say they are not stout feliows who do not care for
the wind or the rain. The wind will not blow their
good thoughts out of them, and the rain will not
melt away their good qualities. (Cheers.) But, never.
Melees, it is very pleasant to meet in a comfortable,
spacious apartment like this, and I am convinces
that the erection of a building like this will tend to
the advantage of this interesting agricultural dise
trict. (Cheers.) Although I have had the honour
of presiding at this agricultural dinner, I do not in•
tend to take upon myself the task of talking to
farmers about farming. (Laughter.) Nor do I im.
agiae that anything I could say would enlighten
their minds as to the practice of the industry in
which they are engaged, but I think I may be per•
witted to observe that this show to-day, both of
clttle and roots, is honourable to the progress of
agricultural industry in this neighbourhood, and
I trust we are tending to advance and to improve
year by year, (Cheers.) Although I do not pretend
to lecture upon agriculture, yet there are things
which strike the eye and appeal to th© understand-
jog of every layman, however little he may be
Acquainted with the details of agriculture, and there
are one or two things which I may be permitted
to mention. In the first place, I believe that the
industry of agriculture is destined very much to in-
crease. The introduction of machinery has progres.
sively added to the produce of the soil, and it has
reconciled itself even to those labourers whose era_
ployment may at first sight appear to diminish in
ceniequence of the introduction of machinery.
When the first thrashing machines were introduced
there was a revolt, I may say, among the h ail men
Tuey thought that the thrashing machine would
take the bread cut of their months, and the thrash-