The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-27 00:00:00

ployment may be made most profitable to yourselves,
Well, you consider what kind of food is the food
which you can dispose of with the grea`est use to
your fellow-subjects,and the greatest profit to yours
selves. Four years, gentlemen, as you are aware,
and, of course, none St) well as yourselves, wheat
was the staple upon which farmers entirely depended
but I will venture, with all deference to those pre-
sent, to observe that that time, if not past, is rapidly
passing by. It appears to me that it is well worthy
of your attention, not hurriedly, but quietly, and
after great observation of what is going on
—not only in this but in distant countries—it is
well worthy of your consideration whether wheat
,s still the staple upon which you ought to rest all
your capital and dependence. It evidently—to me
at least—has arrived at this point, that we can be
fed, that we are fed to a very great extent ; and
that we can be fed to a much greater extent by
foreign wheat. Now we know—we are obliged to
know—that the population of this country has in-
creased so immensely within the last 30 years, that
with all our exertions, all our capital, all our im-
provements, we are-,unahlo to find bread for that
population. We find we must not only use a
word our forefathers used, when they said
they " submitted" to importation, but we
are now actually thankful for it, because
we do not grow wheat enough in this country
—I mean within the three islands—to feed the
people with bread. Now comes the question to what
extent can that importation be carried. No doubt
to a great extent it will be ruled by demand and
price, and the figure at which freights can be ob.
tained. As to quantity, I believe that if the Amee
rican war were to cease, and may it please God that
it shall shortly cease, America could send any quan-
tity of wheat to this country. The question there-
fore for you to consider is, at what freight it can be
brought to this:country after it lea's es the American
shores. When you have got that figure, and the
average figure of what it is worth on the American
shore, you will be best able to judge whethcr this
hereafter can be, as it is now called, a wheat grow.
ing country or not. Now looking at the future—
looking at the position of the times, I am of opinion
that the farmers of this countryshould not any more
count on the growth of wheat alone, but that they
should look forward to the production of other food.
I need not remind you oa this occasion how much
other food has risen in value of late ; how much
dairy produce, sheep and cattle have risen in value.
Bear those points in mind; do not let yourselves be
surprised by a course of years of low prices of wheat,
and do not depend oa that particular staple for
carrying out the trade in which you have embarked.
Gentlemen, I must say that to a certain degree my
attention has been called to this from having been
twice within the last 12 years in an official situation
which enabled me to ascertain from her Majesty's
consuls abroad, and other pc rions officially employed
there, what was the state of things with respect to
the growth of wheat in those countries. I tell you
fairly that I believe at Chicago, in America, if even
no m the war ceased, railroads and canals would be
made, which wculd enable any quantity of wheat—
at least whatever quantity was required and was
remunerative to send to this country—to be imported.
Gentlemen, I hope I do not trespass upon the even-
ing too far. I have no wish to indulge in what were
called last year in some of the newspapers, "extra
Parliamentary utterances"—a rather grotesque ex-
pression, which I find has been dropped lately. I
(1,) not wish to bore you, bat met as an agricultural
body, and called together as we are called together,
for investigating the interest of agriculture and its
various chances, I have taken the opportunity of
thus addressing you. No doubt a great deal has
been said respecting the growth of food in this
country. I think it is one of the most important
subjects to which a Minister of the Crown or any
man can pozsibly direct his attention. Lois is a

time of peace, and I trust that peace will continuo;
I see no chance of anything but peace if we are
quiet, if we do not meddle, if we do not give too
much advice when unasked, if we do not effend
o'her countries, if we do not promise aad then re-
tract, if we follow in fact the feeling of the country,
and it is always public opinion which guides and
influences the Government. lam much mist%ken
if that feeling is not to mind our business cora-.
pletely and let others mind theirs. I remember a
story told by the late Lord Alvanley, and with all

respect to the noble lord at the bead of foreign
affairs I think it might b.! told him with E 0 121 e
point. The late Lord Alvanley said he was ac-

Taainted with a gentleman who was in eTery re
spect an excellent fellow, but that he had a habi

of giving advice when it was not asked, and of med-
dling with people's business constantly, and offer-
ing to help them when they did not want it, and
not being very ready to assist them when they did
want it. (Laughter.) Well, this gentleman became
rather unpopular with his friends, and ono of those
whose temper was rather shorter than the ethers,
after snubbing him several times, threatened him
if he bothered him again with his interference to
inflict upon him a castigation which certainly did
not hang over his head, but which he gave him to
understand would be of a very unpleasant eharac-
ter, and that he was very likely to be ejected in the
manner to which I have referred. Upon this the
gentleman went to Lord Alvanley and said " I e.m
placed in a very disagreeable position. I don't
like staying at home quietly, yet I don't like going
out to meet him. I don't like going into a room
where he is. What am Itodo ? I should bo very
much obliged to your lordship to tell me." " Sit
down directly," replied his lordship. (Loud cheers
and laughter.) Well, I should advise Lord John
Russell to sit down, and nothing more—to sit per.
fectly quiet, and I feel thoroughly convinced that
if_this were done in our Foreign-office we should
enjoy the blessings of peace for a long time. Under
this blessing agriculture in this and other lands
will prosper, and we shall not be mixed up with the
turmoils of other countries, and their several dies
putes. We shall enjoy those great liberties which,
thank God, we have enjoyed for nearly two cens
tunes. We shall look back with pride to the great
victories which our ancestors gained, and the great
empire they have conquered for us without any
reproach to ourselves. We shall certainly acquire
by our calm and dignified position the respect of
other nations, who probably will then come to us
for advice and assistance for themselves. (Loud
cheers.)

THE MANIA FOR COLLECTING POSTAGE STAMPS.
—lf there be an argument to be found anywhere
for the existence in human nature of acquisitiveness, per a
simple, without any imaginable good to be derived from the
object acquired, it is assuredly to be found in the new mania
for collecting postage stamps. One of the albums brought
into existence by this popular delusion is a sort of machine
for the promotion of irrational covetousness; a perpetual
suggestion of wants which are no wants, and of desirable
acquisitions which are not desirable. Of the eighteen
periodicals said to be published for the benefit of stamp
collectors, the shops in all the great towns which traffic
in old stamps, the immense expenditure of time and cor-
respondence, not to say money, which this mania has cost,
there is no need to tell. It is rather desirable, however,
to be forewarned that a rare American or Greek stamp on
your letter will probably ensure its being stopped in the
post-office, and that Messrs. W. H. Smith's pretty round
green and purple label's form temptations which your num-
ber of the Reafier or Spectator is very little likely to sur-
vive. I have know letter-carriers in Italy write to my
servant, after I had loft a town, imploring the return of
any which might come to me thr, ugh other channels.
Report says that the wives of certain directors in Italy have
the richest albums in Europe. The knowledge of the fact
would be infinitely consolatory, no doubt to those who have
endured agonies of suspense from the cessation of their
correspondence with absent relatives. I knew on) lady,
whose husband was in America last winter, and about
whom she neaturally felt great anxiety. Ho wzote, as it
proved, every mail, but fur biz weeks she never received a
letter. The stamps he used were probably peculiarly rare
and valuable. Truly, Sir Rowland Hill's magnificent in-
ventions ought nut to be turned into plaything
by _Francis Tower abbe.

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