The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-23 00:00:00

POLITICS IN DOBSETSHIRE.

BLANDFORD, SATURDAY NIGHT.
The annual meeting of the Blandford Agricul-
tural Society was held this afternoon, and premiums,
accompanied in most instances by great-coats, were
distributed to about 100 labourers who had distin-
guished themselves in hoeing, thatching, mowing,
ploughing, and other agricultural pursuits. There
were likewise premiums for long servitude.
The dinner took place at the Crown Hotel, and
was presided over by Mr. John Floyer, one of the
County magistrates, and formerly one of the mem-
bers for the county. There was a numerous at-
tendance, including the Hon. W. H. Portman,
Mr. H. Ker Seymer, M.P., the Rev. Lord
Sidney Godolphin Osborne, Sir E. B. Baker, the
J-lon. M. Portman (member for East Middlesex,
Canada West), Mr. C. Hambro', Col. Mansell, Mr.
J. J. Farquharson, Mr. Pa Boulay, Mr. Guest, Mr.
C. J. Parke, and many other leading men of the
county. Several clergymen, and many of the prin-
cipal agriculturists of the district were present. _ _

. „
The usual loyal and other toasts having been duly

proposed,
The CHAIRMAN proposed •° The Health of the
County Members," which was received with loud

cheers.

The Hor.. W. H. PORTMAN, M.P., said the ob-
ject which came home to most of them was the ter-
rible distress into which so large a portion of our
fellow-countrymen were now plunged. Many rea-
sons were given as to the cause of that distress.
Some attributed it to the war in America, and others
said it was owing to the reckless speculation of the
cotton manufacturers. Now, those who had read
Mr. Cobden's speech in Sussex a few days ago would
have seen a very true picture of the real state of
things in the manufacturing districts, and he be.
lieved it would remove much of the prejudice which
was felt regarding the assistance which it was sup-
posed they had not given towards those who were
sufferin gin the northern part of th e country. He gave
a most thrilling acccunt of the position of the smaller
proprietors of mills. He asked them to fancy what
would be the state of the agriculturists if all the
small farmers had their land out of cultivation, and
were unable to find employment for their servants ;
and yet this was the state of the large number of
manufacturers of the North. They had invested
enormous sums in the erection of buildings and the
purchase of machinery required by their trade, and
they had a very small sum in hand to meet any
pressing emergency. The large manufacturers and
millionaires, who formed but a small proportion,
might be able to withstand the shook, but there
were thousands of the smaller millowners who were
reduced to positive beggary. They had no money
to give, but they had given what they could. They
had done the best they could to keep their men em-
ployed, to assist in their education, and in every
way to show their sympathy with the distress
which they suffered. Nothing, he believed, would
tend to unite together all classes in this country
than the sympathy which had been shown towards
the operatives in all parts, and in this county as well
as others. He had recently read a speech made by
Lord Brougham in 1817, when there was great
distress in the cotton districts, not only in the
North, but throughout all England, and his lord-
ship then stated that it then took £20,000 a week
to supply them with the bare necessaries of life.
At the present time, however, it required no less
than £40,000 to provide them with the simplest ne-
cessaries of life. The people of this country had
come forward in the noblest manner, and he trusted
that, as the suffering was not unprecedented, we
should weather the storm, and that the cotton trade
might soon be in a flourishing condition. Mr.
Floyer had alluded to the compliment which had
been paid to our Royal family by the general de-
sire expressed by the people of Greece that Prince
Alfred should become their king. He, however,
hoped that his Royal Highness knew better
than to accept it, because he would be sure to
get himself and this country into " hot water;'
and he was much better off as a mid-
shipman in one of his mother's vessels than
he would be as King of Greece. (Hear, hear.)
The hon. member then offered a few words in de-
fence of the Highways Bili ; and, with reference to
the outrages by returned convicts, said he should be
prepared to vote for a complete revision of the
ticket-of-leave system, as he believed it had proved
to be a complete failure. He thought we must
still in a measure revert to transportation, although
it might cost the country a little more money.
(Hear, hear.) In alluding to • the speech of Mr.
Bright at Birmingham, he observed that it was the
most angry he had ever read, and it was Evidently
that of a man who was naturally disappointed at
the breakdown of his favourite hobby, to establish
a democratic Government, and therefore took every
opportunity to abuse every form of government
which existed in this country, and under which we
were the freest people in the world. (Applause.)
We had resisted the revolutionary shock of 1848,
and now we were quietly passing through a time of
great distress, while there were thousands of edu-
cated men who might, if so disposed, combine
together for mischief. (Hear, hear.) He thought,
therefore, that our form of government had been
proved to be most durable, the best and the freest
on the face of the earth. (Hear.) He would not
enlarge upon the war in America, but he believed
the swaggering language that was used towards
this country was all " gammon," and that they had
no intention of carrying out the threats they had so
freely uttered. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. H. KER SEYMER, M.P., also returned thanks,
and expressed his regret at having been absent from
the Blandford agricultural meeting for three years.
Two years ago he was travelling in the South of
Italy, and although he saw nothing in the agricul-
ture of that country from which the farmers of Eng-
land might derive advantage, yet he saw many
things of far deeper interest. He saw a whole
nation awaking after a sleep of centuries and assert-
ing for itself those civil and religious privileges
which we had so long enjoyed, and he, as an Eng-
lishman, could not but feel deep sympathy with that
people. It was sometimes said to him, " How is
it that you are a Conservative at home, and so
liberal abroad ?" The explanation was easy. Our
ancestors fought for and obtained those liberties
which we now enjoyed, and we desired to keep and
conserve them. We did not think that there was
any danger to our liberty from the encroachments
of the Crown or the aristocracy ; but, if there was
any danger it was from too rapid a spread of de-
mocratic principles. (Hear, hear.) All history,
ancient and modern, taught us the lesson that the
tee rapid spread of democratic principles invariably
tended, first to anarchy and then to despotism; and
therefore in this country we certainly hesitated to
make any great organic changes. (Hear.) But
how, different in Italy. Look at the miserable and
Tahnical Government which had existed in that
ntry and which the people had now succeeded
in throwinges;it over. Look at the Government of
ais,grace to the
a disgrace to the 19th century, a
men engaged in it. So also was the
Government oaf
witu
iii.ll:Sldenti. Who would not sympa-
such GovernaaanZa in their desire to get rid of
naa adopted no new-
fangled notions, no Governments? They
jargon of the French Itevol Lowe
about liberty,
the rights of man ; but
they had establishea ?la
co:nutstitutional monarchy ;
the first men of the
faanilics--were at the head ~l—thluen of historical
True,orm ous benefit
the country had already derivedc'eamovement, and
things had
from the change. (Hear, hear,)
of late gone 83 smoothly ; but whosef not
that p No doubt it. was the fault of the rnault was
the French, in persisting in the iniquitous Emperor of
(Loud cheers.) From the • Pa-
tion ot Romt. time that
Republic sent a body of troops to put
down the Roman Republic, from that time to the
present the Trench occupation of Rome had been a
case of the greatest injustice. We had as much
right to be in Paris or Vienna as the French had
to be at Rome, and the Italians knew it. (hear,
n o f a i l pares, and
hear.) Ho con versed with me
as theirti
perfect
nothing struck him so
much
men the tem-
understanding of the difference bet
wee
pope, They
poral and the spiritual power of t
were not prepared to abandon tLeir
and he confessed that at the present moment he
should be sorry if they were to do so, because in their
Present state of education they bad nothing better

to substitute, and were therefore likely to fall into
infidelity. They were prepared to maintain the Pope
in his spiritual power. but they saw no reason why •
he should abominably misgovern some hur dreds of
thousands of Italians. (Cheers.) Such ws s the pre.
sent feeling. Talk of intervention ; the only inter-
vention was the intervention of the French ; and
they might depend upon it that if the 'French went
out of Rome on a Monday the Pope and his Cardi-
nals would follow on Tuesday. (Hear, hear.) This
would not be accomplished by the King of Sardinia,
but the Romans would do the job for themselves.
It was, no doubt, a lamentable thing that Austria
should not govern Venetia so as to please the people,
but the Austrians had as much right to Venetia as
we had to Gibraltar. She held it by the sanction
of treaties, and, although it had never been governed
satisfactorily, yet she had a right to it, and naturally
held her own with a tenacious grasp, as we should
do in England. Under those circumstances, he did
not see that because a man was a Conservative he
was bound to support the rigid despotism of the Go-
vernments of the continent. (Cheers.) Having
briefly referred to the distress in Lancashire, and
contended that the agriculturists had shown by the
liberality with which they had subscribed towards
the relief of that distress that there was now no an-
tagonism between the agricultural and manufactur-
ing interests, the hon. member proceeded to allude
to the cause of the distress—namely, the American
war. He did not like to make much allusions to
Americans, they were so thin•skinned he might give
offence. (Laughter.) Still, if he did not feel bound
to speak of American matters in England, it was
not the fault of those indiscreet friends of America
who had been continually holding up that country
as a pattern which we were to follow. For a long
period there had been a certain class of politicians
in this country who seemed to think every-
thing English bad and everything American
good. Even to this day Mr. Bright talked of our
costly monarchy, and of our aristocracy being sup-
ported and living by patronage. He (Mr. Seymer)
did not know how much Mr. Lincoln cost, but how-
ever little it might be he was sure that he was dear
at the money. (Cheers.) People talked about the
army and navy in this country being a kind of out-
door relief for the aristocracy, and pointed out how
small a standing army was necessary in America.
All that we then could do was to prophecy, and say,
"Wait until the time comes, and see what will
happen. America is not bordered by these monar-
chies like England; but, supposing that a war oc-
curs, how will they come out ?" The case had oc-
curred, and we had seen how America had come out.
For himself, he believed that during the last two
years there had been more extravagance, more pe-
culation, and more promotion of incompetent men
to high office in the United States than there had
been in England during the last half century.
(Cheers.) However, we must not say too much, or
the Americans would be sending over a battering-
ram to destroy our whole fleet. (Laughter.) He
observed from the papers of to-day that there was a
" friendly" message from them, and that there was
some talk of patching up their differences to have a
"go" at the old country; but if they did so they
might have reason to repent their step. (Hear.)
He was not in the secrets of the Ministry, and there-
fore could not tell what legislative enactments would
be proposed next session. There was pretty sure,
however, to be a great deal of talk on the subject
of prison discipline. He did not know that legis-
lation was required, because he believed that if the
present system were differently carried out it would
answer the desired end. We had power to give
sentences, and to make those sentences efficient. It
was the system of the Home-office and of our inspec-
tors of prisons which had brought things to their pre-
sent state. God forbid that he should say a word
against any attempt to reform our criminals ; in this
Christian country such an idea was not to be tole-
rated, but at the same time we must not be de-
ceived with the belief that they were reformed be-
cause they were civil to the governor, and appa-
rently attentive to the chaplains of our prisons,
(Cheers.) He would say don't feed prisoners too
well, don't play with them, don't give them soups
and nutritious food, so that they may jeer at the
soldiers who guard them, and laugh at the indus-
trious labourers who cultivate our fields. (Hear.)
How could we expect crime to decrease under such
a system? However long a sentence might be, a
man knew that by a little attention to prison dis-
cipline there was a chance of his liberation before
the time appointed by the judge. It was a difficult
and a delicate thing to interfere with our judges,
but he would suggest thae they should take advan-
tage of the power which they possessed and give
longer sentences. (Hear, hear.) The next thing
was to see that they were carried out to the full
period of time. But it might be said, if you do this,
if you offer no reward for good conduct, how are you
to carry out your prison discipline in the early
stages ? A great deal more severe than it was. He
would have prisoners kept to hard work, which the
convict class do not like, and he would give them
plain food—certainly not such food as they got now.
(Hear, hear.) Then, if they behaved well, he would
to a certain extent relax the discipline, but under
no circumstances would he allow them to be re-
leased until they had served the whole period of
their sentences. (Cheers.) Another subject would
doubtless be brought forward next session, and it
was one on which he thought that legislation was
required. He alluded to the subject of medical cer-
tificates in cases of alleged insanity. (Hear.) He
did not think that, merely because a man rendered
his wife and family uncomfortable he should be
shut up in a madhouse, because the confinement
itself was likely to render a sane man perfectly in-
sane. The only remedy that a man or his friends
had was an action at law against the medical men,
hut even this was a very doubtful affair, because al-
though damages to the amount of £l5O were given
in a case the other day, there was yet a possibility
of that decision being reversed. He thought,
therefore, that legislation was absolutely necessary,
and that parties should not be left at the mercy of
two crotchety men, however high their position in
life. (Cheers.) The hon. member concluded by
returning thanks for the toast.
" The Health of the Rev. Lord Sidney Godolphin
Osborne" was then proposed by the Chairman, and
drunk with cheers.

The Rev. Lord S. G. OSBORNE, in returning
thanks, said that to get a return for the vast amount
of capital now sunk in the cultivation of the soil
there must be great moral courage and great skill
and industry. They did not, as their forefathers
did, farm upon the rule of thumb, but they went
upon certain fixed principles. Even the proceed-
ings of farmers' clubs were learned discussions, and
occupiers of land did not look upon a field as so
many acres, but, proceeding on scientific principles,
their aim was to restore to the land the powers
taken from it by the different crops. But the point
which had most struck him was that the farmers
had invested their capital upon a weaker tenure, as
a rule, than any other body of capitalists in the
world. (Hear.) It was a difficult question, but he
thought that when there was any change in a farm
the outgoing tenant should receive some compensa-
tion for unexhausted improvements, either' from his
successor or his landlord. (Cheers.) Higher de-
mamas would yet have to he made upon the soil, for,
while our population increased, the soil did not,
and by hook or by crook it must be made to keep
pace with the increased number of mouths which we
might have to feed. Referring to the distress in
Lancashire, Lord Osborne indignantly denied that
the agriculturists of the west of England had held
back their alms upon any ground drawn from the
strife of former years. As to the cottage question,
he said he was grateful for the increase which had
taken place in the number of cottages; but, at the
same time, more were required, if they were to work
their farms as they ought ; and they must not only
have more cottages, but they must also obtain a
higher class of men for their higher classes of work.
(Hear, hear.)
The health of the Hon, Maurice Portman was
then given from
the their, es a member of the Cana-
dian Legislature, which
was received with warm
applause,
The Hon. AL poit,rx4
x returned thanks, and ob-
served that from what the
the letters deference to the press,
and also from of
though be spoke with due -T , r
tier 4EL in the papers,
Goldwin Smith
and men of that stamp, it might
e,suppoaed that

Canada was inclined to separate from the mother
country, because for a certain reason—because the
Militia Bill brought in by the Government had
been defeated. That bill was introduced at a most
critical time. They all knew that in Parliamentary
matters the " outs" always wanted to be " in," and
it so happened that in this instance the Ministry-
were rather weak, and the "outs" took the advan-
tage of it to defeat the bill. As an instance of the
feeling towards England, he mentioned the manner
in which the whole population were ready to come
forward as volunteers to avenge the insult offered to
our flag in the Trent affair, and said that, backed
by our army and navy, they were fully ready to
resist any invasion by the once United States.
(Hear, hear.) The English inhabitants invariably
spoke of this country as home, and the subscriptions
they had sent for the relief of the suffering opera-
tives in Lancashire showed their sympathy with
England. (Cheers.)
Several other toasts having been given, the
Imeeting broke up.