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

R. DISRAELI AI BUCKINGHAM.

At the North-West Buckinghamshire Agricul-
tural Association's annual meeting, held yesterday,
at Buckingham, Mr. Disraeli made 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 toe 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
inflnence 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 captious observa-
tions on the'past 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
(loyal 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
soil 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
e;.7,ricultural 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
%shy 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-
key to suppose that because a person who is allowed I
to have served a master faithfully for many years
receives a small sum of roeney, 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; anl 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
as 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-
mentsea and
agricultural t ikirTla classese dg e
oftilr,
fwe were
,[7,7figlit ndaililaybpsioltses:coissfsectdhd,
. There is one class
agricul-
tural their fonnders
the
of rewards to the I.lbouring classes of
tural world which I do not observe noticed in the
programme of the Nor <h West Bucks Association,
but which we have introduced in the south, and
which I think well 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, mycelt