The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

THE DINNER.

The dinner was held at the Crown Hotel, where about
150 gentlemen sat down, under the presidency of Mr R.
Wilbraham, of Odde Rode, near Congleton. Among the
gentlemen present were Lord Crewe. Sir P. de M. Grey
Egerton Bart., M.P. ; Messrs. P. S. Humberston, DI. I'. ;
R. Barbour, Wilbraham Tollemache, and E. D. Broughton,
and the Revs. A. F• Chater, and H. I. Blackburne.
After the usual toasts, the Rev. A. F. Chafer, vicar of
Nantwich, responded for the bishop and clergy, and Mr
Humberston for the army, navy, and volunteers. Mr
Dutton, of Stanthorne, proposed the health of the Lord
Lieutenant and the maaistrates of the county. and said he
hoped that the rumour would prove true that the Lord
Lieutenant (the Marquis of Westminster) was about to be
raised to a higher position in the peerage, Mr W. Tolle-
mache responded.
Lord Crewe proposed the members for tho county. Sir
Philip Egerton, in responding, said he entertained the opi-
nion a few years ago that the multiplication of small socie-
ties might damage the central society, but he had changed
his opinion. That multiplication of local societies had had
the effect of materially strengthening the county society.
They excited an interest in districts where the county
society could not penetrate, and induced farmers to come
forward and compete in the larger society. Yet he thought
the small societies were too formal in their organisation,
having patrons, presidents, and so forth. They should
rather follow the example of those societies—like those of
Over and Tarporley—which held monthly meetings,
when discussions were held on farming topics. He
wanted the Cheshira farmers to throw away some of
their modesty and come forward to communicate infor-
mation to their brother farmers on agricultural subjects.
There had lately been an incursion upon Cheshire, and
barons and squires, from another county, encouraged by
their success last year, had been having a great gathering of
cattle at a Cheshire county town. That had had no (fleet,
however, upon the show of that day. (Hear, hear.) But he
hoped that there would ba no more raids from Lancashire,
and that Cheshire gentlemen would support their own
Society. At the Agricultural society's meeting to take place
at Gnat Budworth, •;,ir Harry MainWering was going to
give a cii,sertat ion on the six curses of Cheshire. (Llugh-
ter.) Sir Harry's notions did not tally with his. He thought
the greatest curse to a farmer in Cheshire was the plcuro
pneumonia; and anything that would alleviate or remove
that• dreadful disease would be the greatest benefit that could
be conferred on the ferrets of Cheshire. (Hear, hear.) lie
considered that the disease result, d more Item external than
internal influences. Th: 11 ac: ua ions between warmth end
cold,wet and dt yrtess, had much to do with the disease ; and
one of the most important points to be discussed by dairy
farmers in Cheshire was the best mode of wintering stock
upon clay farms. This was a landlord's as well as a tenant's
question. (Hear, hear.) He believed that much depended
on the construction of the buildings. He would like to see
the Royal Agricultural Society propose a prize for an essay
on the subject of the wintering of stock. (Applause.)
Mr lII7MBERSTON, in acknowledging the health of Lord
Combermere, said he had seen Baron Marochetti's statute
of the figure of the venerable and gallant field marshal
which is to be placed in front of Chester Castle, and ho
considered that the Baron had produced a most excellent
likeness. He expected that within a year the statue would
be erected. During the past session Parliament had not
been unmindful of the cattle disease. Two bi'ls directed
against that disease were introduced and referred to a com-
mittee, which took some most important and valuable
evi-
dence. The conclusions arrived at were that the disease
was now mitigated in form ; that for the last year or two it
had been on the decrease; and that the right course to take
with fat stock was, to kill an animal as soon as it was
attacked (when it would not be injured for food), and to
separate infected animals at once from the healthy por-
tion of the herd. The latter should be kept in good con-
dition. Of course the killing of diseased animals would
entail a certein loss, but he believed that such a course
would generally be the means of saving the whole stock.
One of the bills was reported to the house, but the Irish
members objected that some of its clauses were too stringent
and it was thrown out. Some of its provisions were, how-
ever, very valuable. Such were, that no man should know-
ingly take an infected animal into a fair—(hear, hear)—
that every care should be taken in driving such animals
on the road, and that a penalty should be imposed for
placing such cattle in unfenced fields or on commons. He
thought there was little doubt that the bill would be in-
troduced again. Another bill related to the importation
of cattle, the idea being that the disease did not exist origi-
nally among home-bred cattle.

The CIIAIRMIN gave " Success to the Cheshire Agricul-
tural Society." He said that, notwithstanding the recent
invasion ci the northerners, the meeting of that day had
been a complete success. The receipts at the gates had been
£24o—(applause)--against £206 last year, which was an
advance from £l6O in the previous year. Not only had the
number of visitors been larger than ever, but the interest
taken in the welfare of the society had been greater than
ever. This was mainly owing to the reception given to the
society by their Nantwich friends. (Hear, hear.) The com-
petitors would see that a good deal of change had taken
place in the form of the premiums, At the annual meeting
it was resolved to give a champion prize for cheese, and to
increase the prizes for the best cultivated farms and for
horses; those were changes in the right direction. But he
did not think that the reduction in value and the increase
in the number of prizes for stock was likely to attract the
winners at the local shows to send to the parent society.
The result had confirmed his impression, as the show of
cheese had never been equalled, while the cattle entered,
though good, were not in an increased number. He con-
cluded by proposing continued success to the society. (Ap-
plause.) There were several other toasts, chiefly of a local
interest.

Mr D. A. H. Lighten, who recently sustained
severe injury by a fall on board her Majesty's ship Bri-
tannia, is doing well. Good hopes are entertained of his

recovery.
A NOVELTY IN SOURNALISAL—French ingenuity
has just devised a means of producing a newspaper
which is to be distributed gratis, to contain no advertise-
ments and yet to
give a profit to its proprietor. The pros-
pectus of the Journal des Abonnes appears in the Figaro,
but is by no means intended as a joke. The paper is to ap-
pear twice a month, and to consist of 32 quarto pages. ltis
to contain a Parisian chronicle, reviews of books, articles on
the fashions for tho ladies, works of fiction, travels, &c..
Also caricatures, autographs, and occasionally music. The
paper is to be white, the print good, and is to be distributed
gratis—to all persons, its projectors adds, " who commis-
sion me to subscribe in their name to a daily paper, to ono
of the principei French reviews, or to a
the
elc
eel,,:aly)eililiribael:raNvtcadi
pal r.'' While that subscription lasts, h
receive the journal des Abonnes, whose proprietor's profit
is to consist of the trade allowance made to him by the
papers to which he is commissioned to subscribe
M. de Villemessant, the director of the Figaro and
of ono or two other journals, announces the ap-
pearance of the Ist number of the new paper for
the Ist of October. lle reckons on an enormous number
of subscribers upon the terms ho proposes, but even then
ho would not see his way to a profit if he did not expect
the custom of a great many persons who take in several
Pipers. The speculation seems a hazardous one, but he
counts Confidently on its proving leufilneratiVe.