The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-25 00:00:00

THERMOMETER.

This morning
This day at Two o'clock
Barometer-29.60 ; a rise of half an inch since yesterday.
Wind—South ; moderate, and fine.

Ns4.
-
"10 it

LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 1863.

Vecording to annual custom, the Royal Speech,
by which the two Houses of the I egislature were
prorogued last month, commended both Lords and
Commons to avail themselves of the customary
opportunity for promoting the goodwill, the loyalty,
and the patriotic ardour of the community, the
oppurtunity,that is afforded to them, every successive
auttemn, by the mere circumstance of their scatter-
ing back, each man into his own neighbourhood.
Stereotyped, so to speak, though this gracious re-
corn mendationifrom the SOVEREIGN undoubtedly is,
in the ordinary outline of the Royal Address,
whether delivered from the throne itself by the
Monarch in person, or from the foot of the throne
by the Royal Commissioners--it is no merely idle,
complimentary phrase, indicative of the SOTE-
REIGN'S reliance upon the loyal sivism of those
legislative leaders among her subjects. It is, on the
contrary, one fraught, in every syllable of it, with
a deep significance. And it is a recommendation,
moreover, which is sedulously acted upon, year after
year, in an parts of the country, at uncertain inter-
vals it may be, but most certainly thus at intervals,
by one or another, more frequently even, it might
be said, by twos and by threes together, of the more
conspicuous members of both Houses of the
Legislature. Already even, this year, before the
close of September, we have, and that very recently,
had occasion to remark how many have acted thus in
obedience to the SOVEREIGN'S direction, or at any
rate recommendation. The establishment of an
institution, the opening of a public park, the in-
auguration of a scientific association, the mere com-
parison of notes upon the last session of Parliament,
down in his own borough or county between a
popular representative and his assembled consti-
tuents—each and all of these occasions supply our
legislators with the desired opportunity for address-
ing themselves during the long recess or vacation to
their neighbours by word of mouth----and, beyond
that, thanks to stenography, to the general com-
munity afterwards, through the medium of the
newspaper press. Besides the occasions already
enumerated, however, there are others of a more
homely or more local character, during each succes-
sive autumn, occasions of which the foremost men
in Parliament are often enough evidencing their
patriotic readiness at all times to avail themselves.
There is the Harvest Home, for example. And
there is the Agricultural Meeting, the meeting
now in one locality, now in another of our
numerous Agricultural Associatione.

Of each of these home opportunities, as they may
be called, our impression of this evening will be
found elsewhere to efford, so to speak, a very apt
and noteworthy illustration, viz:, i❑ the report cf
the proceecirms in connection, here, with a Harvest
Home in Bucl:inghanishiro, here, with an Agricul-
tural Meeting in Hertfordshire. The llarvest Home
at Hnghendcn Manor eliciting another admirable
speech from the eminent man who is Lord of the
Manor down there, to wit, the right hon. gentleman
the representative of JOHN HAMPDEN'S country, and
beyond that, the Leader of Her MAJESTY'S Oppo-
sition. The meeting of the Hertfordshire Agricul-
tural Association down at Hitehin being presided
over and addressed at considerable length by another
right hon. chief from the front bench of the Oppo-
sition, also representative of his county, and, be-
yond that, one of the iery foremost among th
representative men of th ) ago. By how many
caracci titles, Sir ET;LWEIt LYTTOi is that, we

all know. Yesterday, however, although the
right hon. baronet was presiding over the agricul-
tural banquet at Hitchin in his capacity as Chair-
man, and doing so not only most efficiently, but
most effectively, it was rather as a country gentle-
man, as an agriculturist, as one individually en-
gaged and personally interested in the pursuit of
farming, that he spoke from time to time—but more
particularly in giving "the toast of the evening,"
as it is called, in delivering the speech of the night,
to his fellow-county-men of Hertfordshire. Towards
the close of that speech there were discernible, no
doubt, indications of its falling from the lips of one
who is not only a legislator, but a Statesmen and
an Administrator. But for the most part Sir E. B.
LYTTON restricted himself carefully to questions
especially appertaining to, or connected with, the
subject matter of his toast—the interests of
agriculture generally, but more particularly, of
course, the local agricultural interests of Hert-
fordshire. So earnestly, indeed, did he address
himself to the particular purpose he had in view,
that it might be said, even, that he sunk the Orator
almost equally with the Poet, the Dramatist, the
Novelist, or, in its widest sense, the chief among
the Men-of-letters of his time. He certainly
eschewed anything like oratorical artifice. He
spoke clearly and directly to the point. Not a
farmer amongst them but must have listened yes-
terday at Hitchin with the deepest interest to Sir
BULWER LYTTON'S speech as an agriculturist. If
startled and saddened by his reference in that
speech to the alarming calculation made very re-
cently at Hamburg by Professor GAUGES before
the International Congress of Veterinary Surgeons
there assembled from all parts of Europe, the
farmers of Hertfordshire must have been
none the less gladdened and heartened onward
in their pursuits, by Sir EDWARD'S reference to
another and a still more remarkable philosophic
agriculturist, Professor LlEBlG—that illustrious
LIEBIG whose genius, he aptly remarked, links
together Agriculture and Science, meaning, we pre-
sume, by science, that comprehensive portion or
division of it known as Chemistry. Professor
GAMGEE'S calculation here referred to as quoted by
Sir BULWER LITTON was, it will be seen,
to no less alarming an effect than that in
the six years ending in 1860 the value of the stock
which have perished in Great Britain and Ireland
is £24,500,600, whilst the quantity of stock which
has been imported from abroad within the same
period is less than #;1,500,000; so that the nation
has lost within that period four times the value of
stock which has been imported ! Professor LIEBIG'S
opinion in regard to another and, if we might say
so, yet more vitally important consideration in re-
spect to the whole scheme of agricultural pursuits,
more important, seeing that this one relates directly
to whaf is called with so much emphasis the staff of
life—Professor LIEBIG'S cheering and heart-glad-
dening estimate (as quoted yesterday by Sir
BULWER LYTTON, from the remarkable pamphlet
in which the learned Baron has just been recom-
mending the utilisation of the sewage of towns),
running to the effect " that in the continued pro-
gress of agricultural improvement in the three
kingdoms, England, Ireland, and Scotland will
grow corn sufficient to supply the wants of the
whole population without purchasing corn from
abroad !" That being the deliberate and
positive opinion but just now put forth
by the Great Philosopher. Quoting again
from that same philosopher—" a philosopher," as
he said," so disinterested and so profound," that the
opinion thus uttered by him assumes the simple
language of truth—what though couched in
words that, if uttered by a farmer, would be con-
sidered an extravagant compliment to his own pro-
fession—quoting once more from Baron LIEBIG,
Sir BUL\VER LYTTON impressively concluded his
speech, yesterday-, at Hitchin, by reminding his
agricultural audience that upon their calling, that
is upon agriculture, depend the welfare and de-
velopment of the whole human species, the riches
of States, and all Commerce.

The English are proverbially a long-suffering
people, yet it is strange how long they tolerate
some abuses which are continually thrusting them-
selves upon their notice. The discomforts of our
street conveyances have so long been prevalent that
we have almost ceased to notice them. Some time
ago indeed an attempt was made thoroughly to
reorganise the cab system, but thanks to the meet-
ing of the cabmen, and the consequent inconve-
nience experienced by hon. members, the bill was
hurried through Parliament in a very incomplete
and unsatisfactory state. A little later on we were
told to expect great things horn a change in the
management of the metropolitan omnibuses. A
rich and enterprising company were to buy up all
competitors, to provide new vehicles, to give in-
creased accommodation, with reasonable fares, and
never -failing civility. How tar these specious pro-
mises have been kept the public has long ere this
been able to decide. The result has proved, what
all experience does prove, that monopoly is a very
bad thing, on whatever pretext it be tolerated.
New vehicles we have certainly had, but the com-
fort of the passengers is not always the first object
considered in them, as anyone can testify who, on
one of the glowing middays of the late summer, had
the pleasure of riding—one of twelve—in a vehicle
made on the famous principle " How not to do it,"
with windows that do not open. We all resign
ourselves to temporary martyrdom, however, when
putting ouretvea temporarily under the dominion
of drivers and conductors. We try to believe our
instructors when we are gravely informed that the
Redcap is close to Highgate Cemetery, and listen
with dutiful submission when assured that King's
Cross is two minutes walk from the Euston-road.
But even English equanimity is ruffled and Eng-
lish patience begins to rebel when to all other
delays, inconveniences, and annoyances is super-
added a positive risk to life and limb. The sys-
tem of "nursing," so often complained of, and so
universally condemned, is attaining a degree of
recklessness in some parts of London, which imperils
not only the safety of the passengers by the orani-
nibus itself but of the passers-by. It is in itself
only another development of the monopoly which is
always to be depreciated, in whatever form of busi-
ness, trade, or commerce it appears. As some omni-
buses belonging to the old proprietors, who refused
to relinquish their oecupation, are still in existence,
it is the company's object to drive them off the field,
by absorbing all the passengers, and, as the best
and most sffectual means of doing this, the
" nursing" plan is cc:opted. In consists in two
omnibuses going, one before and one after the
enemy, so that if he attempts to hasten he is antici=
gated by the first, if he lingers he falls in with the
second. Then comes the racing, in which both
sides are of course equally to blame. It may be
very anstaiieg to drivers and conductors to get up
a speed that is absolutely dangerous in London
thoroughfares, and to dash on, utterly regardless of
the vain appeals of casual passengers, at a rate more
agreeable to themselves than to their fares or their
horses ; but the Taestion is, whether this sort of
entertainment is to be allowed at the expense of
the general safety ? It was only the other day that
a conductor fell a victim to this dangerous prectice,
and paid with his 149 the foacit of the, provalut