The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-17 00:00:00

shone bright in history, and that whenever battles
had to be fought in defence of our Sovereign and
our homes, the army and navy had made common
cause. (Cheers.) The only rivalry between them
had been one in which the struggle was to see
which would do most for England. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing " The County
Members," said that, in the first place, they had to
thank the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Henley) and
his hon. and gallant colleague for their attendance
there that day. He need not inform the meeting
that agriculture and the condition of the farming
classes were admittedly one of the most important
questions of the day. (Hear, hear.) By a rule of
their society, politics were strictly forbidden on
occasions like the present ; but, without entering
On political topics, he could refer to the services
performed in Parliament by the right hon. gentle •
man who had so long and so faithfully represented
Oxfordshire in the House of Commons, (Hear,
hear.) They were all aware of Mr. Henley's great
ability in dealing with social topics. The right
hon. gentleman was not content with applying
himself to the general principles involved in any
measure submitted to Parliament, but made him-
self master of all the details. (Hear, hear.) For
that reason his assistance in the consideration of
any measure affecting the farming classes was of
the highest importance, and the agriculturists of
Oxfordshire thoroughly appreciated his valuable
services. (Cheers.) For himself, he could assure
the company that he felt the greatest pleasure
in giving them the toast of " The County Mem-
bers," in associating with that toast the name of
the Right Hon. Joseph Warner Henley. (Cheers.)

Mr. HENLEY, M.P., rose amid cheers that were
renewed again and again. The right hon. gentle-
man said—Gentlemen, I hardly know how to
return you my thanks for the great honour you
have been pleased to confer on my colleagues and
myself, and for the reception Which you have been
pleased to give a toast with which the chairman
has been pleased to associate my name. (Cheers.)
The right hon. baronet has been pleased to make
particular mention of my name. (Cries of " You
deserve it !" and cheers.) I can only say that I
have had an opportunity of serving the county for
a longer period than my gallant colleagues; but I
have no doubt that if they be afforded the same
opportunity as myself, they will show themselves
quit:: as zealous and faithful in the discharge of
their duties as your representatives as I have endea-
voured to prove myself. (Cheers.) I heartily con-
gratulate my friends in Woodstock on the meeting
of this day, which was a most creditable one for a
newly formed society. The utility of such associa-
tions has become so manifest that we find them
spreading over every county. When the example
of establishing one has been set in a county we find
it quickly followed, and several others founded
within a very short period of time. The specimens
of gaiden produce shown in Woodstock to-day are
very creditable to the labouring class of agricul-
turists. Allusion has been made to the supposed
benefit—l will say the actual benefit—which
societies like this have been to that class. I am not
one of those who would exaggerate the advantage
of agricultural associations to that class. I believe,
nevertheless, that they have been of advantage in
that way. I hold that those who, like myself, can
look back for a good many years, cannot but see
an improvement—a great and manifest improve-
ment—in all that relates to the conduct of that
class of the community. I do not attribute that
improvement to those societies, but I am of
opinion that the improvement in the habits of
the labouring classes which the circumstances
of the country generally have contributed to
produce has enabled the agricultural labourers to
take advantage of those societies—has put them in
a position to come to those associations and see what
is best to be done. (Hear, hear.) The question of
the rate of remuneration which the agricultural
labourer should receive from those who employ him
is one of great interest and great difficulty, but I
am one of those who believe that it must be settled
by the relation of demand and supply. (Hear, hear.)
I believe that any attempt to settle the question by
artificial means must prove hopeless. If you get six
men to do the labour of ten, what are you to do with
the other four ? You must divide the money among
them. I shall riot go into the minutice of this large
question, but you may depend on it that supply and
de-eland must regulate the price of labour. (Hear.)
I meet congratulate this society and the county at
fart e, not only on the increased interest taken in the
dwellings of the humbler classes, but also on the
feelieg which makes these classes themselves wish
for a better description of dwellings. And depend
upon it, if they wish for it they will have it. Like
everything,a
else, if they are content to pay better
price for the thing, they will have it. (Hear, hear.)
Some benevolent persons may, through benevolent
motives, wish to erect a better description of dwel-
lings for the labouring classes, but that is not what
will bring the desired object about. What will do
it will be the desire on the part of the labouring
elAsses themselves to be better accommodated. Many
old pc rsons like myself remember the old cottages,
without any upstairs, and with an earthen floor.
Well, thank God, they have almost entirely disap-
peared. You may now ride a horse to death with-
out seeing one of them. (A laugh, and hear, hear.)
We may say that they have ceased to exist ; and
why ? Because people do not like to live in them.
When people do not like to live in them they dis-
appeer. (Hear, hear.) The first move in the way of
irnprbvement was to build two rooms upstairs, and
now everybody who goes to build wishes to have
thr, 0 rooms upstairs. That is an improvement
Leh jhave
lived to see in my time ; but such im-
e
can only be effected gradually. It is
prow men to
impossible that cottages can be swept away whole-
sale in order that
three rooms may be built where
have been only two;
but in the natural course of
events the cottages of labourers, like our own dwEll-
-Inge, fall into decay, and when new ones come to be I
erected they will be of an improved description.
(Hear, hear.) It is not only in the cottages of the
-poor that the improvement is taking place; we see
:it in our own houses also. And so it will ever be;