The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-09 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 1865.

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The opposition to the Malt Tax, which has been
for some time increasing in force and extending in

action, is now becoming more and more prominent.
It is very evident that the agriculturists do not in-
tend to submit any longer with patience to an im-
post which presses upon them with very unnecessary
weight, and which naturally diminishes their profits
while it curtails their operations. We have long
been accustomed to hearing the abolition of the
malt tax discussed with animation at agricultural
dinners and rural meetings, and latterly the candi-
date for the suffrages of an agricultural district has
had but a poor chance if on the hustings he has not
been prepared to declare his unqualified and uncom-
promising hostility to the tax in any shape. The
matter has now, however, gone a step further, and
yesterday an assembly of gentlemen of position and
influence met at the Freemason's Tavern to consider
the question, being, as Sir FITZROY KELLY reminded
them on taking the chair, the first time that the
agriculturists of England had assembled in the
metropolis to discuss the best means of obtaining
from the Legislature the redress of a political gricv-
The attendance was very large, and belonged
to no one district or party exclusively, gentlemen
connected with the agricultural interest coming
from several counties, and farmers from all parts
mustering in considerable numbers. Besides the
learned chairman himself, there was on the platform
a goodly array of members of Parliament, including
the names of Sir E. B. LYTTON, Sir J. TROLLOPE,
Lord HOLAIESDALE, Colonel Noirru, and others, but
the real strength of the meeting lay in the large
body of agriculturists from different parts of the
country, who completely filled the room, and who
were singularly unanimous in their sentiments. It
is certain that the grievance of which they complain
is no imaginary one. So large a body of practical
men would not be carried away by a theory. They
would not trouble themselves to assemble in the
metropolis, and press their claims so strongly upon
the Legislature, if they had not some substantial
grounds for complaint. Though their claim to be
considered the most important body within the
QUEEN'S dominions,
as advanced by Sir F. KELLY,
may very reasonably be disputed, yet the agricul-
turists are of sufficient consequenceito
in our national
system to claim a hearing,
expect that their well-grounded
have a right to
plaints shall
receive prompt attention from the Legislature.
The grievance which they now bring forward with
so much energy and persistence is no new
one.
From the conclusion of the war in 1815 it has re-
mained substantially undiminished, having been
indeed increased during the Crimean war, after
which it returned to its former level. From 1835
to 1852—a pretty long period—the attention of
Parliament was not called to it, although in the
former year Lord CHANDOS, whom Sir F. KELLY
calls the tried friend of the agriculturist, but whose
exertions on their behalf during the passing of the
Reform Bill, had certainly not tended to increase
his popularity with the general public, tried to pro-
cure its repeal. In 1852, however, there was some hope
for the farmers, and it v(m proposed to reduce the

awe

1)ull and dreary as the debate was on Tuesday,
there were some points which are worthy of notice,
and conspicuously among these may be mentioned
that passage in Lord DERBY'S speech which referred
to America. The noble lord spoke with his accus-
tomed terseness and lucidity, and ably defined the
chief characteristics of the case. In this his re-
marks are certainly very different to those of the
members of the Cabinet and the supporters of the
Government generally. They seem to try to make the
same use of language that TALLEvRAND was averred
to declare to be its intention, to conceal their
thoughts ; and when we have waded through the
long lists of sentences, we are no wiser than at first.
Lord DERBY'S idea of the great war which now
desolates the Western Continent is most excellent,
and no doubt we shall see the realisation of it in the
future, as clearly as its graphic definition now ex-
plains the present crisis. In the first place, the
noble lord said that, though earnestly desiring the
close of hostilities, there did not seem much chance
of it at present. Mr. SEWARD, the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, declared three years ago
that in another month, in all probability, there
should be an end of the war ; but at the present
moment the hostilities are carried on with more
than usual " savagery." This recapitulation of facts
shows how mistaken was the judgment of those who,
over and over again, persisted in saying that the
conflict was but a transitory one. With equal force
Lord DERBY discoursed upon the probable settle-
ment of this unhappy dispute, and remarked that
the state of things lately occurring has embittered
and envenomed the contending parties to such an
extent against each other, that future reconcil-
ment will be impossible, and the only prac-
ticable result will be " the separation of
the two portions of the country, or the
entire subjugation of the one by the other." how
true was also the remark that the side which bone-
fitted most largely by the " neutrality" of her MA-
JESTY'S Government has not exhibited much " good
will or gratitude." Indeed the manner in which
the Washington Government have received the
zealous advocacy and constant services of Earl
RUSSELL and his friends have been the very reverse
of appreciatory, and it is another proof of the
fallacy of making uncalled-for sacrifices and unne-
cessary concessions for those who have neither the
spirit to be grateful nor the sense to be moderate.
It is a most mistaken course which our Foreign
Secretary is now pursuing, and it will tend to
nothing but confusion worse confounded in the
Meanwhile he seems to think that it is
reason to criticise the Federals at all, and that we

long run.

are extraordinary
amount i n
ofbtoou
them
to pay
in
e vaenr
y respeet .
some
ne
feel sr
eunrcee
is not desirable that others should follow in his
wake, however, and the spirit
of the Conservative
leader is therefore very welcome, for he does not
intend evidently to let the matter go by default, as
the noble lord opposite would wish to see it settled.
The two measures which have lately received the
sanction of the Senate of the United States, were
and the inconsistency
posed.
commented upon by Lord DERBY with just severity,
of their character fully ex-
The giving notice of the termination of the
Treaty
of
f they b
Reciprocity
o with
tr
eat Canada,y which
noticeoforce
ee
ono hftthee termination
lakes is restrained or limited, were, as he
justly affirms, adopted in a spirit of hostility to this
country. This sentence is the exact t xplanation of