The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-18 00:00:00

MIL _DISRAELI A 7 BUCKINGHAM.

At the North-West Buckinghamshire Agricul-
tural Association's annual meeting, held yesterday,
at Buckingham, Mr. Disraeli mace his first public
appearance since the prorogation of Parliament.
After the preliminary exhibition of fat stock and
agricultural implements the members of the asso-
ciation and exhibitors dined together in the Town-
hall, under the presidency of the Hon. Percy Bar-
rington, who was supported by the Duke of
Buckingham, Mr. Disraeli, M.P., Mr. J. G. Hub-
bard, M.P., Sir John Hay, M.P., Messrs. P. Gervan
Fitzgerald, R. P. Marsham, F. Beard, P. Box,
W. Lowndes, W. Smith Wolston, and about 200
others of the principal agriculturists and Tory
gentlemen of Bucks and the neighbouring counties
of Oxford and Northampton, the borders of which
the society embraces in its operations.
The health of her Majesty, the Prince of Wales,
and other members of the royal family having been
drunk, and the usual honours paid to the army,
navy, and volunteer force,
The PRESIDENT next gave "The County Mem-
bers," mentioning in terms of eulogy the political
services of Mr. Disraeli, and specially alluding to
his position as leader of the Conservative party in
the House of Commons.

Mr. DISRAELI, who was enthusiastically cheered,
said—l have the honour to thank you, sir, and gen-
tlemen, for the distinction you have conferred upon
the members for this county in drinking their
healths. I do so on the part of my absent colleague
as well as myself, and, so far as I am individually
concerned, let me thank you, not as the leader of
the Conservative party in the House of Commons,
but as knight of the shire for the county of Buck-
ingham, (Hear, hear.) This is not the first time
I have had the pleasure of meeting my friends at the
anniversary of an agricultural association in this
hall. (Cheers.) Many years ago, and often since,
I have had that gratification, but this is the first
time that I have had the pleasure of meeting this
society—an infant, but,as I am informed, flourishing
society. I have always been of opinion that asso-
ciations of this character exercise a most beneficial
influence upon every class and branch of the
great landed interest. (Cheers.) I had myself
the good fortune of being present thirty years ago
when the first agricultural association was esta-
blished in this county, and I believe I may say in
this country. I remember that it was at that time
very much opposed and very much criticised, and
even to this day there is an annual growl or
grumble on the subject, in which captions observa-
tions on thapast are occasionally revived. But the
complete and triumphant answer to the early hos-
tility these societies experienced, and to the criticism
which even now they occasionally meet, is their
complete success, and the fact that not only in this
county but in every county in England their num-
bers every year gradually increase. (Hear, hear.)
Originally we had here only one association, the
Royal Association; now we have at least half-a-
dozen, all of them exercising considerable influence
in their respective districts, and all of them stimu-
lating that emulation among the various classes of
the agricultural interest which we know to be always
productive of public benefit. (Hear, hear.) It has
been at times objected to these societies that the
rewards they offer to the labouring class in agricul-
ture are founded on erroneous principles. Now I
never myself could understand the soundness of
those objections. At the present moment the pro-
prietors of the soil—as have the proprietors of the
boil this very day—compete for prizes, and some of
them have this day gained those which were offered
by this society—as, for example, for producing the
best specimens of cattle. The tenant farmer does
not think it an indignity to gain a silver cup for
exhibiting the best crop of roots, and I do not there-
fore understand upon what principle the labouring
class are to be supposed to be insensible of that
principle of emulation which is the origin and foun-
dation of all that is excellent in man. (Cheers.)
Upon what ground, therefore, they should not be
called upon to display their skill, and receive that
recognition of public estimation to which the
possession of that skill entitles them, I cannot
understand. The hedger and the thatcher, and
the shepherd, surely have a right to compete fo
a prize, as well as the squire who wins a prize for
showing the finest bull, or the farmer who gains
perhaps a silver cup for producing the finest
root crop. I cannot understand on what sound
principle such an objection can be urged. On the
contrary, I believe that by developing a proper
principle of emulation in the labouring classes
you are stimulating them to the achievement of ex-
cellence, and giving them that increased interest in
their pursuit which is alike delightful to them as to
those who occupy a superior position in the com-
munity. It has been indeed objected that there is
one class of rewards given by these societies which
cannot be defended, that is, pecuniary rewards for
long services. There is an origin in all things which
often accounts for what may appear anomalous ;
and so here. When these rewards were first de-
vised, some 30 years ago, a long and faithful ser-
vice maintained in independence without appeal to
parochial relief was the exception and not the rule.
When these rewards were devised the pea-
santry of this country were in a state by no
means comparable to that in which they
are now. Owing to the misadministration of
the poor law they were in a state of compara-
tive degradation, and it was necessary to elicit
among them a desire of emulation, to show that
they could be independent of that maladminis
tration of poor law relief. That was the origin
of these prizes, and they have produced the effect
desired, and that that effect is most beneficial in
this county I can answer. Amongst the many
agricultural associations established of late years,
though, perhaps, in most of them the old programme
of prizes has been critically revised, and all objec-
tions urged against them duly considered, this is a
prize that might possibly have been modified; but
the reason why it has not been withdrawn, and put
an end to, is the most satisfactory one in the world.
It is that the class to which it is offered feels an
objection to the withdrawal of a prize which they
have been so long accustomed to receive, and have
learned to value. (Hear, hear.) And as one
great object among others of these associations is
to please the labouring class, there is no reason
why you should consent to a great change to
which they would apply causes very different
from those which would influence you in making
it, and which among them would occasion suspi-
cion and discontent. Therefore the result of the
practical experience of those who are accustomed
to dealing with this class is, that as these prizes
have been so long offered to the agricultural
labourer for meritorious services, it would, under
the circumstances, be most inadvisable and inexpe-
dient, and create discontent among those
we wish to
benefit, if they were to withdraw them, (Cheers.)
that is the real reason why these particular prizes
have not been withdrawn. But it is a great fal-
lacy to suppose that because a person who is allowed
to have served a master faithfully for many yea?,
receives a small sum of meney, that it is given to
him as a reward for that service. It is a public
recognition and not a reward, and as such it is
received; ant because it is a public recognition
of private merit it is valued by those who re-
ceive it, and that is the reason why we are
unwilling that this class of rewards should be
withdrawn. I venture to make these observa-
tions in vindication of the general principles of
these societies, having been one of their first
founders, and having seen in different parts of
the country so many of them arise, some as recent
Lie the present, which from experience and examina-
tion have followed pretty rigidly the original con-
stitution of these associations, and proving the
soundness of
.judgment with which those arrange-
ments were originally devised, and the knowledge
-I habits of the agricultural of the feelings an, classes
which their founders possessed. There is one class
of rewards to the Labouring classes of the agricul-
tural world which I do not observe noticed le the
programme of the North West Bucks Association,
but which we have introduced in the south, and
which I think welt deserving of attention—that is,
rewards to the cottager who keeps his cottage and
his garden in a manner that merits approbation.
(Hear, hear.) And I would propose, if agreeable
to the gentlemen who manage the society, myself

rto offer a reward next year with that object. In
South Bucks we have introduced such a prize, and
it has worked extremely well, and has h-id a very
good effect. (Hear, hear.) There has been a great
effort of late years, and a most successful one, I am
happy to say, to improve the dwelling , of the poor.
I should say, taking a general view—for upon these
subjects you must take a general view, or you can-
not arrive at any result—that in this country the
improvement that has taken place during
the last
quarter of a century in the dwellings of the labourers
is very great. In South Bucks a cottage with a
thatched roof can scarcely be found, and in the
northern part of the county no doubt you have all
been benefited by the example set in a neighbour-
ing county by the Duke of Bedford. The associa-
tion before us is carried on with great spirit, and
from your enlisting so much of the sympathy of
the youth of the country, there is no doubt that
that that spirit will be maintained; and I augur from
the operations of the society the most beneficial re-
sults to the district; and although the central
society does not at the present moment exercise
so much influence in the county as it did, that
is to be attributed, I am bound to say, not so
much to want of energy and resources on the
part of the association, as to the conviction
in every part of the county—which, although
not very large, is, from its geographical formation
very long—that it is necessary to make more local
effort than heretofore, and that a central society,
however well managed, can, after all, only exercise
an influence over a certain area. Therefore we see
in the extreme south of the county, as in the north-
west, societies have been established which work
admirably. (Hear.) Let me congratulate my friends
before I sit down on what I think I may venture
to say, so far as the country of Bucks is concerned,
is a very prosperous harvest. (Cheers.) It may
not perhaps througli every part of England, but I
hope I may say that those gloomy anticipations,
which were entertained in the early part of the
summer, have disappeared. As regards the county
of Bucks we have good reason to feel grateful to
Providence for the lot that has fallen to us. In the
south the harvest has been exceedingly successful,
and from what I have heard from my friends to-
day, I should hope that the contrast between the
north and the south of the county is not very
considerable. I think, therefore, we have reason
to be thankful for the bounteous in-gathering we
have experienced. But I cannot but be reminded,
when referring to this subject, of the contrast that
exists at the present moment between the agri-
cultural world generally and another great class
of the labourers of England. (Hear.) This is a
subject which I am sure must occupy the most
anxious attention of us all. (Hear.) It is impos-
sible for us to contemplate the condition of the
manufacturing population in the north of England,
at a moment when we ourselves are experiencing the
great blessings we daily feel, without a conviction
that the time may come when it may become
our duty to advance to assist our fellow-coun-
trymen. It is quite unnecessary, on this occa-
sion, to speculate on the causes of that unex-
ampled distress ; but it is a distress which we
must remember has not been occasioned in this in-
stance by any follies of their own or by any visita-
tion of Providence, but by the passions of men. I
would not presume, under any circumstances, to
offer any opinion as to the probable duration of
the terrible cause of their unexampled vicissitudes,
still I cannot but remember that at all times civil
wars have been very long wars, though all wars
in history partaking of the character of civil wars
—as, for instance, the thirty years' war, or the
struggle between Athens and Lacedamon, were
wars of unexampled duration. Wars that begin
for indefinite causes and without any precise ob-
ject, are the wars that generally last the longest.
(Cheers.) Hitherto the manufacturing population
of the north of England have, in their great cala-
mity, been sustained by the beneficial action of the
existing law, and by the natural and spontaneous
charity of those who are locally connected with
them; but if the war continues, it is impossible to
conceal from ourselves that there must be an appeal
to a more extensive area than those who are merely
locally connected with Lancashire and part of York-
shire. lam sure that if that occasion should arise,
the great landed interest, in all its classes, will re-
member what they owe to their suffering fellow-
countrymen, and that they will not, under the cir-
feumstances, only consider whether they were their
best customers, but will remember that they are
their brethren in misfortune—(hear, hear)—and in
so doing they will prepare not only to fulfil the
highest duty, but to experience the noblest gratifi-
cation. (Cheers.) In the present position in which
we are placed on this subject with America, I think
it is impossible as Englishmen to view what has
passed in this country without feelings of more than
ordinary emotion. Far be it from me to make use
of any expression, here or elsewhere, which might
be offensive to either of the parties, either here or
in America, that are embarked in that fearful and
almost unprecedented struggle which is now taking
place. But whatever happens, whatever may be
the fate of the United States, this may be said, that
they have certainly increased our confidence in the
energy of human nature, and that is a great ex-
ploit to have performed. (Hear, hear.) But, gentle-
men, I think we must all feel that their history has
taught us that for a powerful and enduring commu-
nity something else is wanting than confidence in the
•
energy of human nature. I think that Englishmen
cannot but remember at this moment that while
those who preceded us have achieved as great re-
sults as ever were accomplished in America, our
predecessors established this state and this society
on sounder and truer principles. (Cheers.) Happy
the land, gentlemen, where freedom and reverence
go hand in hand—(hear, hear)—and proud may
England be at this moment, when experience has
proved in so transcendent a manner that we have
solved the most difficult problem of politics, and
have combined, not only freedom with order, but
progress with tradition. (Hear, hear.) This has
been the source of our strength ; and although it
does not become us in an ostentatious manner to
proclaim it to America while we treat them with
respect in their fearful struggle, let us as English-
men be proud of the strong society of which we are
members, the strength of which can only be attri-
buted to the wisdom of the principles on which it
is established. (Loud oheers.)

Mr. R. B. MASHAM gave the health of the borough
members.

Mr. HUBBARD, MY., responded on behalf of him-
self and absent colleague, Sir H. Verney. He re-
ferred to the legislation of the last session, instanc-
ing the Highways Bill and the Parochial Assess-
ments Bill as successful and useful measures which
would be likely to benefit the country. He also
spoke of the proposition made by himself to the
House of Commons for the m ore equitable adjust
ment of the income tax, observing that whenever
argument was brought forward against it that ar-
gument refuted itself. Though his proposal was
defeated in the past session, he promised that hav-
ing entire faith in its soundness he would renew it
in the next. The cause of our excessive expendi-
ture was war; but although the expenditure was
high and the taxation was heavy, the country had
never
-een in a better position to bear it. The
national wealth was increasing at the rate of from
560,000,000 to £80,000,000 a year, and although the
expenditure amounted to £70,000,000 it was clear
the country
could afford it. It was true, we were
not at war, bat the apprehension of the possibility
of war was sufficient ground for providing against
it, and there was no saying
how soon the sus-
picion and jealousy with which
this country was
regarded in America might involve us in some way
in the conflict now going on between the Northern
and the Southern States. Last year
he had ex-
pressed an opinion that the struggle on
the other
side of the Atlantic Would not be a long one ; but
although he had been disappointed, he was disposed
to renew his prophecy, and he did so under tho con-
viction that the exhaustion of the Northern States
in men, money, and munitions of war, would
render it impossible for them much longer to con-
tinue the struggle. America was not like Switzer-
land, where all the people were soldiers, but their
troops were composed, for the most part, of Irish-
men, Germans, and other foreigners, whose ser-
vices would fail when the money failed. The South
had proved its power of self-govexament, and of,

maintaining its independence, and he trusted when
the fitting occasion should arrive, this country
would be enabled to recognise their independence
without involving ourselves in any quarrel with the
Northern States, with whom it was our desire, as
well as our interest, to remain on terms of friend-
ship.

The health of the Duke of Buckingham as high
steward of the borough having been given and duly
honoured,

His GRACE returned thanks, expressing the great
gratification he felt at being present and bearing
testimony to the great benefit associations such as
that conferred upon agriculturists of all classes.
Having watched the progress of agriculture for
many years, he was satisfied that in no trade or
manufacture in the country was progras more
needed, or in which so much progress remained to
be made. He spoke of the importance of adapting
machinery more extensively to agricultural pur-
poses, and pointed out the advantages the manu-
facturers had obtained from improvements in
mechanical appliances.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING TEE

WEEK.

(From the Repstrar-General's Weekly Return.)

The deaths in London from all causes in the
week that ended last Saturday were 1,138. If the
deaths from epidemic cholera in the thirty-seventh
week of 1854 aro excluded from the returns on
which the calculation is based, it will be found that
the average rate of mortality for the weeks corre-
sponding with last week in the ten years 1852-61,
gives 1,133 deaths, a result with which the actual
number very closely agrees.

Diarrhoea continues to decrease. The fatal cases
of this complaint declined from 123 in the third
week of August to 64 last week. Of this number,
59 occurred to children. A man died in Westmin-
ster Hospital of sporadic cholera, after 27 hours'
illness. The widow of a blacksimith died in West-
minster, at the age of 72 years, of cholera. A
tailor, aged 63 years, died at 4, Cartwright-street,
Aldgate, of Asiatic cholera, after as illness of three
days and a half. A labourer died at 3, Rich-street,
Limehouse, of cholera (9 days), consecutive fever
(6 days). Five deaths from diarrhoea occurred in
the sub-district of Christchurch, Marylebone.
There were 85 deaths from scarlatina, and 10 of
these occurred in the district of Pancras. There
were 4 from the same disease in the sub-district of
London-road, and the same number in Lambeth
Church, second sub-district.
The oldest person whose death was recorded in
the week was a female, aged 95 years.
Last week the births of 913 boys and 859 girls,
in all 1,772 children, were registered in London.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1852-
61 the average number (corrected) is 1,765.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.891 in.
The reading rose to 30.03 in. on Friday, and fell to
29.70 in. at the end of the week. The mean tem-
perature of the air in the week was 58 deg., which
is 0.5 deg. above the average of the same week in
43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher). The
highest day temperature was 73.4 deg. on Tuesday;
the lowest night temperature was 40.4 deg. on
Thursday. The range of temperature in the week
was, therefore, 33 deg. The mean daily range
was 19 deg. The range on Friday was 27.3 deg.
The difference between the mean dew-point tem-
perature and air temperature was 4.9 deg. The
mean degree of humidity of the air was 85, com-
plete saturation being represented by 100. The
wind blew almost constantly from the south-west.
Rain was measured to the amount of 0.36 in., all
of which fell on Wednesday. The mean of the
highest temperatures of the water of the Thames
was 62.1 deg. ; that of the lowest was 59.9 deg. In
the day the temperature of the Thames was 6.3
below, in the night 10.5 deg. above, the tempera-
ture of the air.

THE .RECENT FIRE AT THE LIVERPOOL

WORKHOUSE.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.

Mr. Driffield, the Liverpool deputy-coroner, re-
sumed the inquiry into this catastrophe at 11 o'clock
this morning.

Mr. Curwood, deputy town clerk, appeared to
watch the case on behalf of the Corporation, and
Mr. Bremner, solicitor, on behalf of the parish
authorities.

Mr. Carr, the governor of the workhouse, was
again examined. He stated that he was alarmed at
about ten minutes past two in the morning, and
immediately set to work in getting out the water-
hose. In less than 15 minutes the first hydrant was
turned, and the water began to play at the south
end of the building. Had no opportunity of seeing
to what height the water was forced in this instance.
Almost immediately afterwards another hose was
brought round, and the water was poured upon
the supposed seat of the fire, the male infants' school-
room. Two other hydrants were afterwards turned
on, and the hose was carried on to a point west of
the burning building. A very short time elapsed
before all the hose was in operation. No time was
lost, and two sets of men were working. At the
time of the fire there was a pile of clothes lying in
the infants' school-room not far from the passage
leading to the dormitories, and in the school-room
also was a cupboard (containing books, bonnets,
&c.), and a wooden gallery where the children sat.
When be first noticed the fire it appeared to be
coming from the direction of the cupboard and
the pile of clothes. Witness ran up the ladders
before the hose was brought round, and looked
through the dormitory windows. The fire had not
then reached the children, and they were lying in
their beds as if asleep; they were asleep in death,
for witness believed they must have been suffocated
before this time, as the smoke was so dense. The
dispensary and drug stores were under the dormi-
tories, and fearing the most disastrous consequences
if the fire extended to them, witness directed the
efforts of the firemen against this portion of the
building rather than against the church, conse-
quently the drug store was saved and the church
destroyed.

Miss Kennan, schoolmistress, was next examined
—She slept near the children's dormitory, and was
awakened on the morning of the fire by a strong
smell of smoke in her room. She told some of the
children to run through the establishment and
shout " Fire !" From the first she thought the fire
a very serious one, and gave the alarm to the go-
vernor. As she crossed the iron grid covering the
passage between the church and the dormitory she
felt it was warm, and when she returned from the
governor's house she found the heat had greatly
increased, and that dense volumes of smoke were
rising through it. On going upstairs again she
heard cries, but was not able to advance far into
the room in consequence of the densityof the smoke.
Creeping on her hands and knees into the room,
and feeling a child's foot, she took hold of it and
succeeded in rescuing the child—Jane Mitchell.
In endeavouring to go into the room again, to some
one who called her, she became insensible, and
knew nothing more of what had occurred until she
found herself lying at the front door below.
Major Greig, head constable of Liverpool, who
was next examined, said that when he arrived at
the scene of the fire, about three a.m., he found that
of water from the hydrants was weak,
andthe supply
thatin consequence of the low pressure (the
building is situated on very high ground) the water
could not be thrown direct from the hose as high as
the windows of the dormitory.
Mr. J. Hewitt, superintendent of the Liverpool
Fire Brigade, corroborated this evidence.
The Coroner having summed up,
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased
were accidentally suffocated, accompanied with a
presentment
on the insufficient pressure and defi-
ciency of the water supply.

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