The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-05 00:00:00

THE ?)ERBY AT PRESTON.

The North 1 ane ►shire Agricultural Show added
to the attractions ct th Preston Guild festivities on
Wednesday. Tne 13 inner of the association, at which
lord Derby pt esided, was held in the afternoon.
By a rule of the se,3ociation, politics are excluded
From all their meetings.

Earl DERBY, .n
proposing the health of his Royal
highness the rriDee of Wales, observed that the
prince had alre'a dy s -u3n more or the world, more of
distant countries, c.o.'` E..:.died their habits, and
laws, and 'institutions, than many men of double his
age. During his tour in the North American pro-
vince,a, in a position of the greatest possible diffi-
cul.ty, he conducted himself with the tact and dis,
c,retion which would be rarely found in men of
more advanced years, He had since then endea-
voured to improve himself by diligent attendance
at the learned universities, as well as by foreign
travel and foreign observation ; and those who had
had the test opportunity of seeing and knowing his
royal ',Ugliness in private life all speak of him as
one eminently calculated to excite the most affec-
t:,enafe regard, mixing the frankness and cordiality
'of an English young gentleman with all the dig-
nity which he never forgot was due to his royal
birth and station. (Cheers.) It had been stated—he
night almost say it had been more than reported—
for it had been announced that, following the exam-
ple of his illustrious parents, his royal highness's
naarriage was likely to take Place at an early
period; and, if report spoke truly, he was about
to be united to a princess of a family and of a
country which had many ties with ours, and be-
tween whom and us there were many points of
union—a princess moreover who, if report spoke
truly, not only could boast of great personal beauty
and accomplishments, but was of a character likely
to render her worthy to share his future inherit-
ance of the British throne. (Cheers.) He (Lord
_Derby was sure their best wishes would attend his
al Highness in every state of life, and if he
the President) might venture to offer an expres-
sion in favour of the prince's apparently approach-
ing marriage, it would be that he might be destined
to enjoy as complete happiness in that state as fell
for two-and.twenty years to the lot of his illustrious
parents ; but that the date of that happiness might
be infinitely longer prolonged than, unfortunately,
'theirs was. (Loud applause.) He proposed " His
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the rest
of the royal family."
The toast having been duly honoured,
The noble lord again rose to propose a toast
which he said he was sure would call forth the warm
acknowledgment of every man who was a lover of
the independence, the honour, and the glory of his
native country. (Hear, hear.) He was about to
propose the health of those who, by sea and land,
in whatever difficulties, were prepared to maintain
her glory and independence in every circumstance
in which the valour, the steadiness, and discipline
of troops should be called into action. (Applause.)
He was not about to separate the navy from the
army, the army from the militia, nor the militia
from the volunteers, but would propose them as
one great united whole—one great arm, put toge-
ther with great skill for the accomplishment of
one co:nmon object, the common object being the
co-operation of each and all according to their
several stations, and none encroaching upon
the province of the other— in maintaining
the independence and honour of the country.
(Cheers.) Taking this view of the subject, and in
order to save time, he should call upon a distin-
guished officer to answer them all, and he was happy
that in so doing he could unite the obligations of
public duty with the gratification of private per-
sonal friendship. It was exactly fifty-one years
since first, as boys at Eton, Major-General Sir hs.
.-',carlett and himself—(cheers)—precisely contem-
porary in age and boarding in the same house—
were, in the language of Eton slang, "strong cons,"
which interpreted meant firm and constant friends.
(Laughter.) Their course in life, however, had been
different ; and the duties they had been called upon
to perform of a very different character, but he be-
lieved he could say for both of them that they had
each watched with interest and with satisfaction
the progress which the other had made in nntot.,
life. (Hear.) Eor many years, like many equally
distinguished, equally gallant and meritorious offi-
cers, his gallant friend had few opportunities of
showing that he was more than a good, steady, and
efficient officer, bat the trouble and difficulties of
the Crimea brought out the stuff of which his gal-
iant friend was made—(cheers)—there he worthily
won those honours and earned that distinguished
position which he now holds. (Applause.) With
regard to the navy, he would only say that it must
always be regarded in case of defensive warfare—
and God forbid that the time should ever arrive
when we should be engaged in any but defensive
warfare—(cheers)—but if we are to be subject to
the miseries of war at all, the navy of this coun-
try must ever be, as it ever had been, the first
line of defence, the main bulwark upon which they
must rely for the repulse of the first attack of
any invading foe. (Hear, hers r.) God forbid that
any such invasion sh paid take place; if it
should, they knew that ti_ey had an army which, as
it had carried cur colours to victory in distant climes,
would not be slow to maintain its own glory
iu repulsing any enemy who should endeavour
Of should venture upon landing on our shores.
(Cheers.) It was a great satisfaction to know that
that army, in case of nee o, would be supported by
bodies so numerous and efficient as those of the
eocient constitutional militia of the ancient consti-
tutional militia of the country, and that noble force
whichhad been in a comparatively short period
organised and established by the public spirit and
patriotism of the country,
and to which the country
owed so much, for the security which it
had against
ult.,: foreign insult, in the knowledge which foreign
countries had of the spirit which had raised and
supported the volunteers of the country. (Cheers.)
He was satisfied that neither the militia nor the
volunteers would fall into the mistake of supposing
that they were substitutes for the British anny.
They were an auxiliary, and a most valuable
auxiliary to the army, and whenever the time of
trial should come, he was sure they would not
forget what was due to the sister services, and that
they would, one and all, perform their duty to
their Queen, their country, and their God. (Loud
cheers.) He gave the " Army, Navy, and Volun-
teers."

Sir J. S CARLErr returned thanks.
Lord
STANLEY, hating given "The High Sheriff,"
The CTIAIRMAN proposed the toast of the even-
ing—" Success to the Royal
Agricultural Society." North Lancashire
His lordship said : I have
now to propose the toast o(fAtphpeleavtiesoe.i,n,
one of great importance. which is
ence which I had had during
years
the itts)t Thefort experi-
has enabled me to know how extremely diYme,
is to attract the attention of an assemblage Ifrom
,subjects of personal interest to one of a purely
business-like character. I am not so forgetful of
what I owe to your time and patience as to presume
upon keeping you with any array of figures or sta-
tistics on the subject of the toast which I am about
to offer. lam sure that those who are present, and
those who have taken a deep interest for many
years in the progress of agriculture in this country,
will not be altogether indifferent to the "Pro-
sperity to the Royal North Lancashire
Agricultural Society." (Applause.) I r egret
greatly that the state of the weather, from the
effects of which we have not altogether
been free even in this tent—(laughter)—should have
been so unfavourable as to have prevented me from
attending the society's show ; but I am gratified to
le;;.rn from the secretary, and I trust you will hear
the report affirmed by the judges, that in spite of
Ali the disadvantages, there has been no previous
occasion on which a more decided success attended
of the society than upon this occa-
he operations
tinn, of course I cannot speak of what might have
been the state of the society upon this day farther
than to refer to one important point, which is that
position is a very healthy one. We are
not only altogether tree from debt, which was not
the case 0. few years ago, but have already a I
respec-
table balance in the bank. (Cheers.) Although
do not know the precise number of implements and
stock exhibit
tor admission, this enabled to
ell to-day, or the precise amount paid
I do know, that I am