The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-30 00:00:00

desiderata on the present occasion. It would be presump-
tion in me to go into a critical review of what we all
witnessed with so much pleasure in Egerton-park; but the
most igLorant among us must have felt certain, whether
he regarded the exhibition of an implements, the
show of horses (which must constitute a most important
element in any meeting assembled at Melton Mowbray), or
of sheep or cattle, that this meeting might challenge com-
petition with any agricultural meeting which has taken
place during the present autumn. When I mention the
sheep, I cannot refrain from alluding to the remarkable
excellence of those sheep which I believe now go by the
name of the improved Lincolnshire breed, and which com-
bine the excellence of sheep destined for mutton and sheep
destined for wool. I do believe that those sheep-farmers
who are now paying increased attention to the improve-
ment of the Leicestershire and Lincolnshire breeds of sheep
are performing a great public duty, and are preparing the
ground for the increased and remunerative employment of
our manufacturing fellow-citizens in the north of England.
There is, however, one thing which I should wish to see in
addition to what I have had the pleasure of seeing on thib
occasion—namely, to see our agricultural friends of the
Loughborough district join with us, so that we might form
oc
friends
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of the Forestone great society for the whole county of Leicester. lam
convinced, v
dfrom w hatw
from what I have seen here, that if we could only persuade
u
sasiaaetttohe Sparkenhoe meeting, and
join with us we should be
able to present to England a society which would challenge
competition with all other societies in England, come from
whatever quarter they might. The showto-day has been most
successful, and must have been most gratifying to all who
witnessed it. I think it is impossible for us, connected
possibly with different classes, but all interoted more or
less in the success of agriculture—l think it is impossible
for us to assemble here to-day without a feeling of grati-
tude to the great Lord of the harvest who has so far blessed
our exertions for the past, and at the same time filled us
with trust and hope for the future. This is, indeed a grate-
ful sight. We meet here full of gratitude for the past, full
of hope for the future, animated by the kindest feelings one
class towards the other, and one and all of us rejoicing that
our lot has been cast in the fair and fertile fields of central
Leicstershire. Reverting for a moment to the occasion
which has called me upon my legs, permit me to assure you
that I most deeply appreciate the honour of representing
the northern division of the county of Leicester in Parlia-
ment, and as long as health and strength are spared to me
I shall be most proud and happy to devote my services in
representing your interests.

Mr. HARTOPP, M.P.,:also acknowledged the toast.
The Duke of RUTLAND gave as the next toast—" Suc-
cess to the Amalgamated Associations of Leicestershire
and Waltham." Having congratulated the society upon the
satisfactory character of the show they had had that day,
his Grace said he was anxious to say a word or two upon a
subject that had special reference to the society, as well as
to most other agricultural societies in England—naniely,
the rewards which they gave to the deserving labourers.
At a meeting at Buckingham the other day his right hon.
friend Mr. Disraeli, with that eloquence for which he was
remarkable, entirely demolished the arguments which were
generally urged against giving rewards to deserving la-
bourers, when he said that he saw no more reason why the
honest labourer should not receive a reward for his meri-
torious services than that the landlord and farmer should
receive rewards for producing the best beasts or crops of
roots. At a meeting held at Wokingham the other day,
Mr. Walter, one of the members for Berkshire, had brought
Mr. Disraeli to task for the remarks he had made, and said
the only argument that could have any weight in support
of the practice of giving these prizes was, that the labourers
had as much right to receive this sort of distinction as the
soldier had to receive the Victoria Cross for distinguished
conduct in the field. Mr. Walter, however, proceeded to
urge that there was a great difference and distinction to be
drawn in the two cases, because the soldier received the Vic-
toria Cross from the Queen of England, who was his mis-
tress, and not from an association. Mr. Walter went on to
remark that he should have no objection to make if the
labourers received their prizes and rewards directly from
their masters, instead of from an agricultural society. But
Mr. Walter forgot that when the soldier received
the Victoria Cross it was a -matter of duty upon the
part of the Government to award it, while the agri-
cultural labourer received his reward simply as a
matter of right and good feeling between the employer
and the employed. Therefore the one was a certainty,
while the other, unless it were given through the medium
of an agricultural society, would be an uncertainty, because
although there were many wealthy landowners and large
farmers who would be anxious to give rewards to their
labourers, there were others with smaller means who would
be prevented from doing so. Under these circumstances he
thought the arguments of Xr.-Waltet losfrall.- their force.
The noble duke next proceeded to congiatulate the farmers
upon the harvest, which he believed, from the information
he had been enabled to gather, would be nearly an average.
He was, however, deeply grieved to find that so dark a
cloud was resting upon the manufacturing districts in the
north of England. He entirely concurred in the observa-
tions which had been made by the noble lords on his right
and left as to the absolute necessity for some energetic mea-
sures being taken to relieve that distress. He thought
they sholtld take care, in the first place, that an adequate
and certain supply of food should be provided for the
people; and, in the next, they should direct their atten-
tion to the possibility of discovering some other raw mate-
rial which should take the place of cotton. He agreed
with Lord John Manners that such a substitute could be
found in flax and wool. With regard to the distfess itself,
in the steps which were being taken to relieve it he trusted
that nothing would be left to chance. He was sure that
every one present must have felt proud to witness the
noble and courageous bearing of the poor operatives of the
ehset
hetfsrtgni
hmaadnubfeafcatlurleningthdeimst.rictTshuneydemr
must
te
nheeceaysysaricallyamhiatvyewbheiecnh
subjected to great privations, and were even now upon the
verge of starving, and yet they bore their sufferings with
the most heroic fortitude. He was satisfied that, if the
time should come when local resources and energy should
fail, the whole of the country would be ready to come for-
ward and do all they could to prevent so noble and deserv-
ing a people from starving. The noble duke also adverted
to the fox-hunting for which the country around Melton
was famous. He complained that the custom of erecting
wire fences was greatly injuring sport, as they were ex-
tremely dangerous to the horses, and also to human life.
lie believed that if steps were not taken to put a stop
to this growing evil, the town of Melton would soon
lose the name it now possessed as the metropolis of the
hunting country.
The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm.
tiinduced
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Lord J. MANNERS, in proposing " The Health of the
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SIR I. PAKINGToN AT BIRMINGHAM.

BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY NIGHT.

This evening the Right Hon. Sir John Pakington,
President for the year of the Birmingham and Mid-
land Institute, delivered the introductory address
on the commencement of the academical year.
Sir JOHN entered the theatre of the Institute,
which was much crowded, a few minutes after eight
o'clock, accompanied by the Mayor, the Rev. Dr.
Miller, Mr. T. C. S. Kynnersley, Mr. Arthur Ry-
land, Mr. John Saffray, Dr. Heslop, the Rev. Isaac
Spooner, and other of the members of the Council
of the Institute. The right hon. baronet's address
occupied an hour and a quarter in the delivery, and
was enthusiastically applauded throughout. Com-
mencing with a tribute in glowing language to the
late Prince Consort, who laid the foundation stone
of the building in 1855, and delivered an eloquent
address on that occasion, Sir John passed on to an
elaborate discussion of the educational question, re-
ferring minutely to many matters of detail, pointed
out defects of system at some of our public schools,
and offered various suggestions in reference to the
course of proceeding at this institute. Towards the
conclusion of his address he alluded to one or two
other topics of general interest, and in doing so said,
The man who has studied the history of this
country is the least likely to undervalue our insti-
tutions. This is not the moment for me to dwell on
the warning which we may derive from the events
which are
passing in America ; but I may in per-
fect consistency with my present duty express my
belief that our suffering countrymen in Lancashire
would not have borne their sad privations with the
fortitude which has done them so much honour had
it not been for the effect which the increase of edu-
cation and refinement has produced en the habits
and feelings of the people. I may also congratulate
you who are engaged in the trade of Birmingham
that you have found in the extension of our commerce
with France some compensation for the decrease of
your American trade, and I trust you may never
be exposed to any trial so painful and seyere as