The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-14 00:00:00

Agriculture and Free Trade.

The Marquis of Normanby presided at the dinner given
in connection with the 32d runnel show of the Whitby
Agricultural Society on Wednesday last, and among those
who took part in the proceedings and addressed the assembly
were the Hon. IV. E. Duncombe and Mr Merritt, the Par-
liamentary representatives for the North Riding of York-
shire. The speeches were more or less complimentary, but
they were appropriate to the occasion, and had special re-
ference to the agricultural exhibition and society with
which they were associated. In the course of his remarks
when returning thanks to the toast of the two members,
air Duncombe, who formerly was opposed to free-
trade, acknowledged that agriculture had benefited,
along with tho general trade of the country, from
our present commercial policy. The hon. member said that
he could not but feel that the agricultural societies gene-
rally of this country had conferred considerable advantages
upon the kingdom at large, as they had been the means of
bringing together the best quality and breed of stock and
horses to be found anywhere, and they had also infused a
spirit of competition and emulation among the agricultural
body. These societies, too, were the cause why so many of
those valuable agricultural implements were produced, and
which had proved of such great use in the carrying out of
farming operations, and several of which implements were
seen in several instances for the first time at these agricul-
turals gatherings. They were told that in some parts of the
country complaints prevailed at the want of farm labourers,
but he did not know whether that complaint prevailed in
that district. He believed that there was a want of labour,
and that labour was scarce, and therefore it was fortunate
at such a time that science had been carried out in agricul-
tural affairs, and that they were enabled to make use of those
excellent machines whereby economy of labour was secured.
Upon a recent occasion in returning thanks for the same
toast he said that he thought agriculture was not indebted
to any Legislative enactments for the success which it ene
joyed ; and he believed that all persons present, whatever
might be their political opinions, or to whatever profession
they might belong, rejoiced in the general prosperity of
agriculture and in the increase of the wealth of the country.
In speaking of agriculture, he could say that that interest
was not jealous of the increased prosperity which had fallen
upon the great commercial and trading classes of this coun-
try. He believed that agriculture had derived benefit from
that general increase in the trade of the country, and ho was
of opinion that that increased trade might be attributed to
the commercial policy which had recently been carried out.
Trade had consequently become unshackled to a great exe
tent, some of its burdens had been altogether removed and
others had been much relieved; and therefore all the agri-
cultural interest asked was that the Legislature would apply
the same system of relief to the farmer, and endeavour to
take away some of those burdens which pressed particularly
upon the laud. Parliament ought to carry out fairly and
fully as respected agriculture the principle which had been
established in our commercial system. This was what they
asked for, they required nothing more, and ho thought they
had a perfect right to ask for such a concession. The pre-
sent were not occasions for the discussion of party politics,
but he thought they might allude to political questions in a
quiet way when they related to the welfare of agriculture,
and he believed no one who had that interest at heartwould
wish to exclude the subject at a meeting of that description.
He should endeavour, as he had hitherto done, to promote
the best interests of the great community which he repre-
sented in Parliament, not to look at one interest more than
another, his object in the House of Commons being to pro-
motethe prosperity of the various interests of the:oountry.