The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-22 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPT. 22, 1865.

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Yesterday afternoon Mr. DISRAELI presided at
the annual dinner of the Royal and Central Bucks
Agricultural Association, and made a very interest-
ing speech on the occasion. The right hon. gentle-
man does not pass over agricultural subjects as if
they were beneath his notice, as some distinguished
politicians are too fond.of doing. On the contrary,
he attaches particular importance to them, and al-
ways takes pains to investigate the circumstances
which will the most conduce to the prosperity of those
immediately around him, and also affect the interests
of the community at large. The present time is rather
important respecting agricultural matters, for by
the recent affliction of the cattle much damage has
been done. Mr. DISRAELI referred to his remarks
last year when he cautioned his hearers against being
too ready to jump at conclusions, and inferring that
things must be bad all over the country because
they are so in a particular district. The harvest is
a fair one, but, as the right hon. gentleman truly
remarked, tha't is not, as usual, the predominant
subject of anxiety in men's minds at present. They
are filled with disturbance on account of the " my-
sterious plague" which has occurred and occasioned
such terrible ravages in all parts where it
has fallen. The leader of the Opposition
was able to pay a tribute to the mem-
bers of ller MAJESTY'S Government for the
zeal which they had displayed in organising mea-
sures to mitigate, as far as possible, the effects of
this calamity, so inscrutable in its character, and
so deadly in its consequences. At the same time,
as he wisely mentioned, it would be well if other
plans were adopted besides those already put into
Practice. For instance, there is a class of men who
make profit of this distress, and go about the
country buying up tainted animals, and thus cir-
culate the disorder to a great degree. Mr. DISRAELI
states, with perfect accuracy, that it would be most
expedient if " such conduct were acknowledged by
the law as offences against the realm, and made
subject to a penalty:,

The right hon. gentleman paid a high compliment
to the farmers of Buckingham for the manner in
which they had come forward to meet the evil that
had fallen upon us. They organised societies and
prepared themselves for the emergency
in a way
which showed that they possessed firmness of
purpose and resolution to no mean extent. At
the same time if the pest does afflict the county,
Mr. DISRAELI thinks it will be advisable to have a
general meeting convened, and treat the calamity
aS a national and not as a local vi6itation.
doubt this would be a good plan to pursue, as by
that means the affair would be divested of indivi-
dual prejudicco and not partake of a class gather-
ing, but be a general rlyesentative assembly 01
the wants and desires of the inhabitants of the

county.

In the course of some subsequent remarks whicl,
Mr. DISRAELI made at the termination of tht
meeting, he alluded to the recent orders given by
the Privy Council, and declared that in his opinioi,
this plague was not of recent origin. On the con-
trary, said the right hon. gentleman, " I thought
had read in the third ' Georgic' of VIRGIL, unfor-
tunately a long time ago, an account which in th(
minutest details touches this question my idea
was that, as her MAitsrY's Ministers are obliged tc
remain in London, at least some of them, and soul(
of them being men of classical habits and tastes, they
had given us a free translation of the third Georgic,