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

ord Palmerston at Romsey,

RCMSEY, Thursday.
The annual 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;
an Mendrq afternoon, and was met at the door by
several members of the commit tee, including Messrs
purchase, Greesey, and Pannick, and the architect,
:Mr B. Olkley. The exterior and interior of the
Etchange were thoroughly inspected by hie lord-
ship, who expressed himself much pleased with its
whole appearance, and he signified his intention of
contributing £lOO in aid of the fu:,d raises for the
ezte•ation of the work.

In the course of the morning, Lord Pdlmerston,
secompluied by Mr Dutton, M.P., ad Mr &later-
-13 -ioth, passed through the eittle yard, gad made a
cicser inspection of the animals exhibited.

The tickets for the dinner were all disposed of
Isom., days ago, and many applicants for admission
were consequently much disappointed. Among the
guests were Mr Batton, M.P., the Hon. Spencer
CJwper, Mr Sciater.Booth, M.P., Sir C.Rawliason,
Gen. Mitchell, Mr Purchase, Mr G. S. Brinton, Mr
a Eidaile, Col. Tryon, Mr J. Reeves, the Mayor
(Mr Dyett), Mr Lordan, the Rev. Mr Broad, Mr
J. Dtiw, &c.
As soon as the dinner had been placed on the
table, Lard P - ALM EItSTON 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-
ciillity.
After the cloth had been removed,
Lord PALMERSTON said—l beg to propose to you
that toast which is the first to which honour is
done in every society of Englishmen, I mean " the
}I ealth of her Majesty the Queen"—(cheers)—a toast
which embodies the expression of that which is the
d.epest and warmest feeling of every Englishman.

The toast was drunk with all the honours.
Lord PALMERSTON Toe 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
':..otsteps of their illustrious parents—(cheers)
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 onr spiritual guides. I therefore propose to
you " the Health of the Bishop and Clergy of the
Diocese and the Ministers of every Religious De-
nomination." (Cneers.)

The to3st was acknowledged by the Rev. Mr.
BROAD.
Lord PALMERSTON—The next toast which I
have to propwe is " the Army, the Navy, the
Militia, and the Volunteers," I, could not be ex-
pzeted that man would pursue with diligence and
success the pursuits of industry if he were not as-
sured that he would reap in security the fruits
which that industry might produce, and I am happy
to say that our Army, our Navy, our Militia, and
our Volunteer do afford 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 Militia, 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 courvry against all who might thin't 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 Aisopp
far the Volunteers; and if there be any naval
(tad taalitia representatives hero I trust they
will become volunteers upon this occasion, and not
wait to ba called upon. (Oneers and hiughter.)
Gin. MITCLIELL and Lieut. ALSOP rEspond,d.
At the request of his lordship, Mr. OAKLEY, the
Secretory, rt-ad the list of przz

Lord PALM EUTON said—l now rise to propose
" Health of the Successful Competitors." Those
who competed not only deserve to obtain the priz:s
awarded to them, but they are doing great good to
the community by eetting an erimp!o to others,
who no perhaps, another yer, win from them
those laurels which adorn them to-day. (Cheers and
laughter) I beg to propose the " Haan of the
Successful Competitors," and may they continue
those exertions which have gained the prlz?,s just
announced by Ehe secretary. (Cheers.)
The toast having been responded to, the " Health
of the Uosuzcessful Competitors" was given by Sir
C. RAWLINSON, and that of "The Julges" by Mr.
sS,CLATER-BOOTEI.

Mr PURCHASE, ns chairman of the Corn Exchange
Committee, in appropriate terms, proposed the
itmlth of the noble President of the Romsey
Agricultural Society." The toast was received with
the greatest enthnsiA.sm.

Lord 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 moat gratifying to my
man to met 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 bo those in whose
neighbourhooe 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 et a distance can do, (Cheers.) I am
therefore peculiarly gratified at the expression of
goodwill and of kindness which I invariably re•
carve from the people of the neighbourhood of
Remsey. (Cheers.) I am glad and proud to meet you
upon the present occasion. It is honourable, I think,
ts the town and neighbourhood of Ronsey that we
eh.u'd have erected this handsome and capacious
building, to provide for that which was obviously
a great want in the accommolation 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,-
menication of knowledge, by one man 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-
posed to the wind and the rain. I do not mean to
say they are not stout fellows 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
rneltuwav their good qualities. (Cheers.) Bat, never.
thelese, it is very pleasant to meet in a comfortable,
spacious aparrnent like this, and I am convinced
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-
Pose that anything I could say would enlighten
their minds as to the praciice of the industry in
which they are engaged, but I think I may be per•
mitted to observe that this show to-day, both of
cattle and roots, is honourable to the progress of
grical7tiril industry in this neighbourhood, and
I trust we are tending to advance and to improve
year by year, (Cheer!) Although I do not pta tend
to lecture up o 9 enculture, yet there are titiega
which strike the eye end appeal to the umderst.and.
ing of
every 143.1.rian, however.little ho may be
acqueiated with the detani of
may b
agriculture,epermitted
and tb ere
are one or two things which
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
i progres-
sively added to the produce of the soil, and t has
reconciled itself even to those labourers whose cm. -
ployment may at first sight appear to diminish in
consequence of the introduction of machleery.
When the first threshing machines were introduced
there was a revolt, I may say, among the flail men
They thought that the thrashing machine would
take the bread cut r.)f their mouths, mid the thrash-

leg machines were destroyed in consequence of
jealousy of the flail men. The other day when I
was down in Herefordshire I was told by a farmer
that the labourers considered the flail too severe an
employment, that they would not thrash by the flail,
but only by machinery, Then comes the question of
ploughing. The steam plough is a recent and modern
• application of science to agriculture. I cannot help
thinking that it is destined to spread generally, so
as to be of the greatest possible service, and although
it may net be within the scope of the resources of
ell farmers to go to the expense of buying a steam
engine and its necessary apparatus,. why shculd not
persons procure the necessary apparatus and let it
out as they do thrashing machinery, and thus im-
prove the cultivation of the country. The great ads
vantage of the steam plough is that it ploughs deeper
than can be done by any other process, and anyone
knows that the deeper you go the more you will let
in the air and all other fertilising influences, and
thus increase the produce. Again, modern science
has lightened greatly the vehicles used in agricule
ture. We no longer see those enormous masses of
timber which were formerly drawn by horses in the
shape of carts and waggons, which in themselves
were heavier than the loads which they were intended
to convey,which it was quite unnecessary to mike so
large and heavy, which were not stronger by reason
of their weight, because their weight destroyed their
usefulness, and which were dearer. A great improve
ment has taken place in that respect. (Cheers.)
Many complaints have been made this year that
the crop of turnips has been scanty, not because the
crop of charlock has been scanty. (Laughter, and
odes of Hear.) I have seen a good deal of the variety
of colours that ornament our stubbles, and I think
if there is cne thing to which the energy of our
agriculturists may be devoted more than another it
is to the extirpation of these weeds, which draw
from the soil those elements of growth which ought
to be devoted entirely to corn, grasses, and other
useful things. (Cheers.) I will not detain you
longer, except to say that I am very proud of hav-
ing the honour to preside on the present oeca-ion.
I trust this is a fresh point of departure for RJI/3.
sey, and that we shall be able to mark this day as a
day of increasing progress in agricultural prospe-
rity in this district. (Cheers.) I now propose " The
Health of the Chairman and Committee of the Rom-
sey Corn Exchange, and Prosperity to that Instie
tution." (Loud cheers.)
The toast was responded to by Mr Purchase, and
Mr Cressey acknowledged the toast of the honorary
secretary.
Sir C. RAWLINSON then proposed " The Health
of the Members of the County"--mentioning the
names of the Hon. Mr Dutton and Mr Sclatere
Booth. (Loud cheers.)
Mr DUTTON, in responding to the toast, congrae
tulated the town on the possession of such a build-
ing as the Corn Exchange, and hoped its inaugura-
tion would be the inauguration of a season of pros-
perity to agriculture. At the present moment the
times were somewhat depressing. A short time ago
Mr Disraeli made a speech on agricultural matters,
the effect of which had been, according to the state-
ment of a friend of the right hon. gentleman, to
send down the price of wheat 2s per quarter.
(Laughter.) When it got down it had been kept
down, and he could not flatter himself there was
any prospect of its rising at present. (Hear, hear.)
Connected with this question there was another of
no less importance—the agriculturists were turning
their attention to the breeding and fattening of stock,
and he wished to congratulate all present on the
present exhibition, which was far above the average
in Romsey. (Cheers.) He believed that for the
fature the farmers would have to turn a good deal
of their corn into meat. Many large farmers, in-
stead of sending their grain to market, bed ground
it into malt, and sent it up in the shape of meat.
(Hear, hear.) Although he believed that wheat and
ell sorts of grain could be sent into our markets at
a lower price that we could grow it, still it was a
fact that English beef and mutton could not be sur-
I passed in any part of the world, and sent into our
markets at a remunerative price. (Cheers.) A 5 long
as our stock was kept up, he did not think we should
have much reason to complain, and if the Cnaccellor
of the Exchequer would grant a relaxation of the
restrictions upon barley, he had no doubt the farmer
would go on with e very prospect of success. (Cheers.)
Mr. SCLATER-BOOTH also responded to the toisi.,
and, in doing so, said that the eight years IN hich he
had represented the Northern division of the county
in Parliament had been characterised in the main
by a remarkable absence of party conflicts in the
House of Commons, and by a still more remarkable
absence of political acrimony among people out of
doors. (Hear, hear.) That was a happy state of
things. Although there were some discontented
people telling ns we ought to be uneasy because
there was nothing to be uneasy about, that was not
his opinion. He considered that that happy state
of quiescence was due in a great measure to the fact
that during a great portion of the eight years we
had been living under the mild and temperate sway
of the noble lord now at the head of her May
jesty's Government. (Cheers.) He said this without
the slightest affectation of wishing to present him-
self in the light of one of the noble lord's habitual
supporters. He sat in a quarter of the House which
yielded to no other in respect to Lord Palmerston's
character and position, and from which, one
way or another, his lordship had received, and no
doubt would hereafter receive, a considerable
amount of moral support. (Cheers.) Congratulating
the frequenters of Ramsey market on the accommo-
dation which had been provided for them, he begged
to assure the noble lord tat if he would visit
Basingstoke on a similar occasion he would receive
as hearty a welcome as that which had been
accorded to him on the present occasion. (Cheers.)
Lord PALMERSTON, in responding to the toast of
" Lady Palmerston," said—l beg, on behalf of
Lady Palmerston to return you my moat sincere
thanks for the manner in which that toast has been
received. (Cheers.) I beg now to propose the
last toast, and when I mention the word which re-
presents the toast I am sure you will feel that in that
one word more is contained than in any other word
in our language. The toast which I give you is
" The Press." (Cheers.) Permit me to say that
we who live in a free constitutional country know
' that the press is the true support of civil and re-
ligious liberty. (Cheers.) Without a free press
liberty of this kind would be but fleeting; with a
free press that never can be destroyed, and I may
say with regard to the free press of this country
that it is deserving the admiration of mankind for
the ability with which it is conducted, and for the
high and exalted principle by which it is animated.
(Cheers.) The press of England does honour to the
nation, and I am sure that all present will have
great pleasure in combining with me in drinking
" The Press," connecting with the toast the name
of Mr. Falvey. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. FALVEY briefly responded, and the company
then separated.