The Sun.
London, England, 1852-07-22 00:00:00

THE SUN,

metropolitan contests have been, the most remarkable
among3t them is surpassed in interes', as well as in
1 importance, by the contest for the metropolitan
' county—termnating yesterday with the re-
turn of both the Liberal ex- representa':ves, the
principal source of ddight in the victory
king the total defeat by B E2NAL OSBOXNE of
the Dsrbyite Marquis of BLANDFORD. There, is
something more in this, as we have already intimated,
than the success of a man, or even the advancement
of a party—there is the recognition of a great prin-
ciple by the most influential constituency in the
United Kingdom, and that great principle the prin-
ciple of Religious Toleration.
The struggle, which closed thus happily yester-
day afternoon, bad narrowed itself at last to a con-
test between the advocates of religious freedom and
the champions of sectarian bigotry. It is in this
respect that we regard the re-acceptance of
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE by the people of Middlesex
as a cause for earnest gratulation, infinitely more
than for the circumstance of the defeat of Lord
BLANDFORD being another feather in the cap of the
Opposition. The advantage gained
. by the gallant,
free spoken,
large-hearted BERNAL OSBORNE is
an advantage not so much over the. general
character as it is over the Orange-fanaticism of a cer-
tain section of her MAJESTY'S Government. By
choosing BERNAL OSBORNE instead of the Marquis
of BLANDFORD, the electors of Middlesex have not only
scouted the hypocrisy of a Ministry which enterg office
upon one principle and retains it upon another,
they have protested with noble and conspicuous in-
dependence against that red-hot No-Popery agitation
which led to a riot in Stockport, and very nearly
to an insurrection in Liverpool. The effect of

the course pursued in the first instance by
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE, and afterwards by the
electors of Middlesex, cannot, we believe, in this
respect, be lost upon the cooler and calmer judgment
of the population. When the excitement
very naturally produced by the contentions
arising out of the general election has sub-
sided, the significance of the decision thus
pronounced by the metropolitan county will be
more clearly recognised and appreciated by the ge-
neral community. It will then be perceived that the
result of the Polling on Tuesday, the 19th, and on
tihVe majorityedn
e sday, the 20'th of July, was evidence that
of the county voters of Middlesex,
after electing one Liberal candidate, in the person of
Lord ROBERT GROSVENOR, elected a second in the
person of Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE—because the con-
stituency were grateful for the eminent services per-
formed by the latter as their representative, because
they admired the consistency of his unflinching inde-
pendence, because they liked the keenness of his
slashing and trenchant rhetoric, because they con-
sidered him as one of those few Members who
could ill be spared from the deliberations of the
popular branch of the Legislature, because
they regarded him as at once a goad to the Govern-
ment and a spur to the Opposition, but especially be-
cause they saw in him an embodiment of the two
principles to the maintenance of which the Eagli,h
people are at heart, we believe, entirely devoted—the
divine and venerable principles of civil liberty and
religieus toleration.

A tradesman o► the city of London has rendered,
and is rendering, more important service to the cause
of agricultural improvements than the wealthiest
squire or mo3t extensive farmer in the kingdom.
kir. BlEcnr, of Leadenball•street, has undertaken
the task of proving to the owners and occupiers of
the soil that they are not absolutely ruined, but that
they may still earn their own bread without taxing
that of their neighbours—that they may have abund-
ance for themselves, without compelling their fellow-
subjects to endure privations, arising from a scarcity
of food even of the simplest description. It was a
thankless and unpopular office. Nothing was more
soothing to the bucolic mind than the notion that the
farmers were innocent victims, ruthlessly sacrificed
on the altar of free trade. They would not, if they
could, be saved. It consequently required no ordi-
nary degree of hardihood to run counter to their
prejudices, more especially when the daring innovator
had not been an agriculturist ab initio, cultivating
the soil in the mode which his father and grandfather
had pursued, and observing similar rules of rotation
of crops, manuring, feeding, &c., to those transmitted
by his venerable progenitors.

A retired tradesman might become a farmer, but
he was expected to be a prey to his servants and a
laughing-stock to his neighbours. If he could afford
"to pay for his whistle" he might do so; but the
idea of his becoming a public instructor (!), of teach-
ing the occupiers of the vicinity how their lands
should be cultivated (!), of pointing out errors in their
management (!), and showing how great savings
might be effected (! I), and farming rendered profit-
able (!! !), why the thing would be too ridiculousto
be seriously thought of, and, a fortiori, so would be a
similar attempt on the part of a man who still
retained a connexion with " the shop," and devoted
a considerable portion of his time and atteution to
trade transactions.

Mr. MECHI,_
however, was not discouraged by these
difficulties. He believed that the farmers Were mis-
taken, that they bad been to a certain extent spoiled
by a long course of monopoly, and that all
that was required was that their eyes should be
opened to the real extent of their resources, and to
show them what could be accomplished by zeal,
activity, skill, and enterprise. He felt that the same
qualities which bad entaed him to sneezed in
trade, and to acquire, a handsome indepAnftr,nce
thereat, would likewi3e
.succeed in agricultural
Pursuits. Capital was required, but that he bad, and
a
he felt that he could not employ it more beneficially
than in such a cause. He accordingly, in true
spirit of patriotism, devoted himself to the
task, and boldly entered on his new sphere of
dueiee, in cultivating what should be to all intents
and purposes a model farm, not merely for the parish
or district in which he resided, but for all England.
In order to accomplish this great desideratum it
was necessary to obtain publicity, to have
1 the attention of agriculturists directed to him-
self and his proceedings, that they might
know
how far the latter were worthy of imitation,
and see whether they would follow in the
path on which " the strop meke.r of Leadenhall-
street"
(as he was first termed in derision) had en-
tered. For' this purpose he offered his farm
general inspection, accounts., as
etio:vell es his farm itself, for
accurately ascertained, b
, that the remits might not only be
t!-:e very firthing. the enact cost thereof to
set fortb
The very best machinery of
every descriptien was
introduced, the price of each
article was clearly
whether of labour or othertvoTeether with the saving,
calcu-
lated' to effect. Every
exp,zl.4,Lewiithich it was caicu-
e in'ee of useful results was
P.° '
judiciously tested. In
some caees, of course, he had to e
'lcolinter failures
' and when stich was the ease he submitted
with un-
diminished g ood humour, not only to the peel,rn •
ary loss,
but to the undieseni sec' grins of the " Goode/loughs" of
the locality.
But when he succeeded, and he did a
• ify of catee, for as we have 't a °
in the motor :,,, B,a e , the
were judiciously tried, the
experimentsbenefit ••„f
was
freely bestowed upon all, his experience The
bitterest scoffer was allowed to profit by what had
been achieved at his expense.
Mr. MEcnr is no longer laughed at. Those vino
formerly sneered at, or openly scoffed him, now look
!on with respectful attention. They gladly partake
of his hospitality, which is displayed without stint
or limitation, and there they acknowledge that lie
exhibits therein the true English
spirit of the
farmer.
There is an annual gathering, at which men of all classes
attend, giving and receiving instruction on nil matters
connected with the cultive.ion of the Foil. Noble-
men and gentlemen of rank of
'
and station, ministers
friendly nations, members of scientific societies, pro-
fessors of agricultural chemistry, ,
v agricultural imple-
mentemakers, breeders of stock -
, and others celebrated
in any branch of agriculture,mingled with sturdy
yeomen, flock to Tiptree Hall, well
assured of
a cordial reception and hearty welcome fI'OIC I
the enterprising proprietor; and they a
mistaken, for it is accorded, and -re not
that in a
manner which renders those even who
for the purpose of fault-1 .1. d. at ° home
in( tug isnoEs -0 Part on
the best terms with their frienTy and kind-hearted
entertainer.

All honour, then, to Mr. Micia, who hag proved
hirn3elf a national benefactor in no inconsider-
able degree, and has eminently entitled himself