The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-11 00:00:00

MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY
AND THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST.

At the annual dinner given by the Marquis of Lon-
donderry to his tenantry in the county of Durham, on
Thursday last, his Lordship, in one of his addresses to
the assemblage, spoke as follows:
He must now call their attention to what he had stated
the last time they had met in that place. He had then
told them that he apprehended a great change in the
agricultural arrangements of this country. He told them
what had been his opinion ror years before—that no
Ministry of this country could long stand up against the
general feeling of the country i . n favour of a repeal of the
corn laws. These were opinions which he had stated to
his tenantry in Ireland seven years ago. At
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athe d
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how-
ever, there was issued from Edinburgh, by an individual
now a minister of the Crown, a letter which set the coun-
tryin a state of convulsion. That letter had such an
effect that the minister of the day thought it necessary to
take measures in consequence of the views then stated.
But it must be remembered that all great politicians—
public men of both parties—had previously declared their
belief of the absolute necessity of a repeal or modifica-
tion of the corn laws.—(Hear.) And as coming events
cast their shadows before, it was almost certain that Lord
John Russell's launching of that epistle would be the
signal of some corresponding answer from the minister
of the day. It was unnecessary to go into detail of the
measure which was carried in consequence. He did not
mean to say that the arrangement was the most satisfac-
tory and agreeable to that party which had always
strongly supported and assisted the Conservative cause,
and placed Sir Robert Peel at the head of it. He deeply
lamented—as he was sure they would all do—that there
had been a great deal of violent language, and a great
deal of what he would not call personal abuse, but some-
thing very like it. A great deal of exaggeration had
also been indulged in ; but they were there as tenant
farmers to judge for themselves of what had passed
(Cheers.) They had seen the much dreaded. measure
Carried into law. It was still in a state of trial, and they
had, up to this time, no right to say anything detrimen-
tal of that individual who had carried that measure into
effect. He much regretted the course which had been
taken by the agricultural Protectionists, as they called
themselves, in attacking Sir Robert Peel. Now he (Lord
Londonderry) had considered the question as closely as
he could—indeed, as he considered ever.) question which
came before him as a legislator—and he had come to the
conclusion, Sir Robert Peel was the Minister of the
country, and not of a party. Though haling been
bound in a great measure to that party for his holding
office, still he had become Minister for England, Scot
land, and Ireland, and was bound to act for the general
and not for party benefit. Those who stood out so much
ror agricultural protection were, after all, but a portion
of the great landed proprietors. The Duke of
Rich-
mond, Lord G. Bentinck,
and some great southern pro-
prietors, had been opposed to the repeal of the corn laws,
and had called the farmers together to oppose it. But
look on the other hand. Look to the north. The Duke
of Northumberland, the Duke of Buccleuch, and the No-
ble Lord present (the Marquis of Westminster) were ,
divided in opinion from the others on the question of a
repeal of the corn laws. But there was another consi-
deration. Notwithstanding the repeal of the corn laws,
times had never been more prosperous with the farmers.
Up to the last market day, prices had continued to ad
vance; and the farmers were generally in a muck better
condition than they were last year. He had him elf
had a proof of it, which was interesting to himself, that
day, for out of his whole tenantry both on the northern
and southern estates, there were but two had left any
arrears, and of these two one was about to leave.—(Loud
cheers.) That must be most gratifying to them, as it
was most satisfactory to him. He was happy to state
this, because it showed, so far from rents being dimin-
ished or lowered by the repeal of the corn laws, there
was no prospect of it, whilst he knew in mai y instances
they had been increased. These matters had unfortu
nately caused a split in the Conservative party in this
country, but be trusted that it ultimately would be healed
up. These were the opinions which be himself enter
tamed of the present position of the agricultural interest,
and he trusted they would agree with him—that they
would be unanimous, and all work together.—(Cheers.)

CiESAR BORGIA.—In the new historical romance,
" Caesar Borgia," by the popular author of " White
friars," the characters introduced are such as the gene-
ral reader is sure to desire to know, from their promi-
nent position in the history of the eventful times in
which they flourished. First among them is the famous
Pope Alexander VI., with his two equally celebrated
children, Lucretia and Caesar Borgia—then csmes the
illustrious Medici, the future Leo X.—the great Alfonso
of Este, and ancestor of our own Royal Line—the oft-
quoted classic among diplomatists, Machiavelli—the
immortal poet, Ariosto, andithe notorious satirist, Pas-
chino. Those characters that are purely imaginary,
will be found entitled to equal consideration, especially
the Jewish female apothecaries of the Ghetto at Rome
—the wizard Dom Sabbat—the simple-minded priest
Fra Biccocco—and the ruffian Castellain Migueloto,
which are drawn with singular power and originality.
The author has evidently lavished the best qualities of
his imagination on this admirable subject ; and the
work will doubtless be considered to exceed in talent and
interest either of his previous productions.
THE POTATO DISEASE.—Baron Liebig imagines
the essence of the disease to consist in the conversion of
the albumen, a usual constituent of healthy potatoes,
into caseine, a principle which, by its great instability
of composition, is supposed to cause the potato to pu-
trify rapidly.—The Plough.
SUFFOLK STAG HouNns.—The hounds which have
regularly hunted Suffolk for the last five yea's under the
very able and efficient management f Theobald Theo-
bald, E-q., are about to leave us for Cambridgeshire, to
be located at Drayton Lodge, near the town of Cam-
bridge. A pack so celebrated entering that beautiful
stag-hunting country cannot fail of attracting consider-
able admiration.—Essex Herald.

It is said that if the prevailing winds be easterly
about the time of the vernal equinox, a dry season will
follow ; if westerly or south-westerly, a wet one.--The
Flo*