The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-11 00:00:00

THE SMITHFIELD CLUB CA7TLE SHOW
DINNER.

The annual d'nner of the Smithfield Cattle Club took
place last evening at the Freemasons' Tavern, when covers
were laid for about 150 gentlemen.
Lord Feversham, the president, occupied the chair, and
was supported on the right by LordWalsingham (president
elect for 1863), Lord Tredegar, Lord Beruers, Sir John H.
Maxwell, Sir Walter Stirling, Captain Brereton, Mr. H.
Wilson, the Rev. Mr. Upshir, Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Mr. Gib •
lett, Mr. John Clayden (chairman of the Agricultural Hall
Company), Mr. Overman, Captain Tennant, Mr. Knowles,
Mr. Baker, Mr. Fitzroy, Mr- Torr, Mr. B. Gibbs, Mr. S.
Sidney, and other eminent agriculturists.
" The Health of her Majesty" was proposed, and drunk
with the greatest enthusiasm by the company.
The noble CHAIRMAN, in proposing " The Health of his
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the rest of the
Royal Family," referred to the recent honour done to the
club by the visit of his Royal Highness to the show at its
new home at IslingtonAgricultural Hall. His Royal High.
ness was not only pleased to express his high grata.
cation at the efforts of the club to improve that staple com-
modity of the food of the country, meat, but declared his
intention of becoming a life member of the Smithfield Club.
(Cheers.) He hoped, and had no doubt, that when pro-
posed his Royal Highness would be elected by acclamation,
and not in the ordinary course. They had also the honour
of a visit this year from the Commander-in-Chief, the
Duchess and Princess Mary of Cambridge, and other mem-
bers of the Royal family, who all expressed themselves
highly gratified with the show as well as the general ar-
rangements. (Hear, hear.) This was a great gratification,
and showed the esteem in which the club was held by the
highest circles.
The toast was drunk with great applause.
The next toast was " The Army, Navy, and Volunteers,"
to which Sir J. H. Maxwell responded for the Navy, Capt.
Brereton for the Army, and Mr. Fitzroy for the Volunteers.
The noble PRESIDENT said he had now to propose the
toast of the evening, " The Smithfield Club." (Cheers.) It
was not necessary for him, in proposing that toast, to go
into the foundation and history of the club, but he could
not help offering his earnest congratulations on the altered
condition and improved circumstances under which the club
met on the present occasion. (Hear, hear.) In fact, the
year 1862 would ever be remembered in the annals of the
club, as it was the year which had seen the foundation and
inauguration of the Agricultural Hall. (Hear, hear.) It
was a noble undertaking, well conceived, and admirably
carried out. To his noble friend on his left (Lord Berners)
to another valued member whose loss they all deplored, the
late Mr. Jonas Webb, and to other gentlemen connected
with them—to their able architects and contractors, and to
a most indefatigable secretary, Mr. Sidney, were they in-
debted for the production of that noble building, in which
they were enabled to hold their show for the present year.
(Hear, hear.) It was a handsome and commodious struc-
ture, admirably adapted to the purpose for which it was
intended, and in one of the most admirably situate and
central localities of the metropolis. (Hear, hear.) Having
said this much about the building, he would now refer to
the show. They had this year a larger show of implements
of agriculture than was ever before exhibited, as well as a
first-rate show of seeds and roots—he believed all of the best
that could be produced in the country. (Hear, bear.) And
then, with regard to their show of stock, take it as a whole,
if it had ever been equalled, it certainly had never been sur-
passed. Their Devons, their Herefords, their shorthorns,
and even the cross-breeds of this year, as proved by the
silver cup having been won by a cross-bred animal, were
beautiful specimens ; and among the sheep there were their
Southdowns, the Leicesters, and those improving breeds,
the Cotswolds and the Lincolns, and the pigs, each class
respectively reflecting the highest credit upon the graziers
of this country. Of course, it was a matter of opinion as to
whether the breeds of cattle and stock in this country had
really improved. He had heard opinions hazarded that the
prize animals of the present day were not better than they
were 25 years ago. (Oh, oh I) All he (Lord Feversham
could say was that he was of a very different opinion.!
(Applause.) He (the noble chairman) could well recollect
the character of the animals exhibited when he first became
a member of that club, 25 years ago, and they were then
distinguished for the great and uneven lumps of fat they
exhibited in various parts of their bodies. Instead of that,
animals were now more evenly fed, there was a present
evenness in their structure, and anything like obesity was
diffused throughout the whole body. The object was clearly
attained by providing the largest quantity of the most im-
proved quality of meat—beef, mutton, and pork; and, that
being the case, the club had clearly fulfilled its mission—
namely, the improvement of the character and quantity of
the food of the people. (Hear, hoar.) There could be no
doubt that the pursuit of agriculture was both interesting
and useful, and, conducted upon right principles, might
always be made, financially speaking-, profitable. It was a
matter in which the great masses of the public took a deep
and daily growing interest. This was evident from the num-
bers of people who annually flocked to their shows. (Hear.)
Indeed, there was not a class in the community which did
not exhibit a deep interest in agriculture; but what would
tend still more to increase that interest would be that the
gentry of our land, when they attended these agricultural
gatherings, should confine themselves to the object for
which they took place, and not do the injury they did by
talking in their after-dinner speeches politics instead of ag-
riculture. (Loud cheers.) After again congratulating the
club on the improved state of its finances and general pro-
spects, the noble chairman concluded by proposing " The
Smithfield Cattle Club, and continued prosperity to it."
The toast was enthusiastically responded to by the as-
sembly.

The various awards of silver tazzas and cups were here
presented to the successful competitors, and their healths
were respectively proposed and drunk amid great applause.

Lord BERNERS proposed " The Health of the Chairman,"
in eulogistic terms, to which

Lord FEVERSICAM, in responding, again congratulated
the club on its improved position in every respect, and con-
cluded by proposing " The Vice-Presidents of the Club."
Lord BERNERS, in responding to this toast, referred to
the distress in Lancashire, and the gratification he had in
stating that most of the agricultural parishes throughout
the kingdom had already moved, or were moving, in aid of
the operatives of those distressed districts, He expressed
a hope that Government would take steps to provide against
such a calamity in future, and thought that the area of
liability of rating should be extended, that the law of settle-
ment should be abolished, and that the taxation should be
placed upon property, and not upon poverty.
The CHAIRMAN proposed " The President Elect" for the
ensuing year, to which

Lord WALSINGHAII replied.
The healths of the Judges, the Stewards, the Hon.
Secretary of the Club, the Chairman of the Agricultural
Hall Company (Mr. John Clayd en), and other toasts having
also been disposed of, the company separated.

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE.—The Fraserburgh
correspondent of the Northern Ensign gives an account of a
very marvellous escape made there by two men on Sunday
morning. About seven o'clock, a small boat, with two men
on board, was observed at the back of a dangerous ridge of
rocks known as the " Bushes," near the harbour. There
was a heavy sea running at the time, and no hopes were
entertained of the men being able to reach the shore. A
pilot-boat crew, at great risk, ventured out and succeeded
in bringing them safe to the harbour. They proved to be
the crew of the small sloop Happy Return, of Dundee,
Captain George Henderson, from Newcastle to Spey with
coals. When about seven miles off Fraserburgh, the vessel
sprang a leak and became unmanageable. The two men
then betook themselves to the small boat, with nothing but
their wearing clothes, and had little more than reached the
punt when the sloop foundered. They laboured to reach
the land under a heavy sea for several hours, and at last
succeeded, making an escape which is truly wonderful.
They were sent home on Monday by Mr. Couper, agent for
the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.
ELOPEMENT IN THE EAST RIDING.—A strange
story has been current in trie Wold district during the past
few days. A farmer of middle age has eloped with the
young wife of a neighbour in the same village. Mr. it., it
seems, is a married man without family, and pretty well off,
and the lady with whom he is stated to have elaped is said to
b much younger and very pretty, though occupying an
;erior social position, and has two drawbacks in the shape
of -;hildren, Mr. R. and Mrs. T. are stated o have
visited Melton on Saturday week; and tt
been dg ecofnrvomt.tnhe
fact that the gentleman has,
have intendedg
seems to have
his
elopingp r property e
together.rt y into cashas opportunityludicroussi nee
incidentha reoffered,
tutnrnjuinrgy
ifnrotmhel\flaacleto,nfrethme
gentlemanhastened
accidentalthireseerievseodlaatnion.l returning
which blood flowed freely; and, on reaching home, the
husband of the pretty wife found that his partner's face
was also stained with blood, but for which she had no
wound toinccount. The husband's jealousy seems to have
been aroused, and a quarrel resulted, followed in a day or
two by the simultaneous disappearance of Mrs. T. and Mrs.
who have taken with them the two children. All seem
to have gore off in a hurry, taking no luggage, and for a
while lulling suspicion. Mr. It. is, however, believed to be
well supplied with cash. The husband and wife of the
fugitives have instituted a fruitless search after their re-
spective partners, but no trace of them can be get beyond
Melton, whence they seem to have departed no one knows
whither.—Manchester Examiner.
No REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED.—Otho's late
kingdom seems to hang quite heavy in the market. No
one will make the least bid for it. We should recommend
its being carried to some marine store dealer's, where
they write up, " The Best Price Given for Grease."---
Punch.

INFALLIBILITY OF THE FEMALE ►SEX.—The
ladies have a belief that Parisian corsets wear much longer
than any other ones, and the dear creatures are right, as
they always are, for we beg leave to point to the occupation
of Rome by Louis Napoleon's army as an incontestable
proof of how exceedingly lasting French stays are.—
Punch. _ _

Importing tea without colour on the leaf pre-
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kinds. Horniman's Tea is uncoloured, therefore always
g 024 3A 5014 in packets by 2,2Bo.agents.