The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-18 00:00:00

WEST SUSSEX AGRICULTURAL

ASSOCIATION.

_ SHEEP SHEARING.
Although -the humbug of agricultural associations is
pretty well exploded, they are nevertheless kept up in
certain localities, where here and there an honest far-
mer is beguiled of his guinea to reward the Squire's
shepherd or housemaid for his or her faithful services,
and to keep up the delusion that the rent receiver's and
rent payer's interest are one and inseparable. Of
course. Goodwood will be the last place to discontinue
this crafty trick. But, nevertheless, the interest of these
meetings flags, and the managers of this drooping con-
cern, like the managers of sinking and dying out theatres
resort to all sorts of shifts and meannesses to induce a full
attendance. The novelty of a bishop presenting a Bible
and a Prayer-book has worn off, the flowry speeches of
eloquent archdeacons have lost their attractive power,
and so a rumour was industriously set afloat that Lord
George Bentinck and Mr. Disraeli would certainly
be present at Goodwood Sheep Shearing (which
took place on Tuesday week) to dispel the usual
dulness by malt addresses to the tenant farmers.
The bait took ; there was a goodly attendance of eager
agriculturists to see and hear the new Tory lions : and
as they who gave rise and encouragement to the trea-
cherous report feared that disappointment might stir up
angry feelings in the breasts of the disappointed, the
smiles and graces of illustrious ladies were cunningly
introduced and called into action to turn aside the wrath
of the bamboozled and beguiled diuner-eaters. There
was only one feature at the dinner worth recording ;
and that is emblazoned with such consummate art by the
Times, whose notice we shall presently lay before our
readers, that we shall not here say another word about
it. The :lhairman—now universally recognised as " a
dull, blunt Duke "—repeated his old dull speeches, all
the members of his family were grossly flattered, and
the honest farmers and industrious labourers were
smothered with the hollow praises of " farmer's friends,"
who extort from them the uttermost ferthing in rent,
and think their day-long labour rewarded by 65., 75., or
Ba. a week. The after-dinner scene was a barren waste;
not so the following description of it which we borrow
from our talented contemporary the Times:—
" The labourer is still the theme of eloquence at agri-
cultural meetings, where his importance is energetically
urged and his condition spoken of with affectionate in-
terest. To hear the speeches of protectionists at their
dinners, where the labour is never omitted as a toast,
and is sometimes tolerated as a guest, one would ima-
gine that the humble cultivator of the soil must be
better provided for than the members of any other class
of industry. Goodwood on Tuesday was the scene of
one of those annual meetings which are held in many
parts of the country for the purpose of giving the wor-
thy labourer his reward, in the shape of ten-shilling
prizes, for the twelvemonth's stock of virtue he may
have exhibited. The Duke of Richmond was in the
chair, supported by a Bishop, an Archdeacon, an Ho-
nourable and Reverend, and an M.P., besides a num-
ber of clergy and landowners of the district ; while, to
do honour to the humble hero of the day, the Duchess
of Richmond and the Ladies Lennox were present in a
side-gallery. There is something very beautiful in
the idea of the master sitting down to the same
meal with his men, and the presence of a galaxy
of godliness is highly appropriate to such a truly
Christian act as the feasting of the employed by
the employer at his own table. The charm, how-
ever, of the proceeding is speedily dissipated when we
find that at such a very early stage of the business as the
first toast, after the healths of the Royal Family having
been drunk, the labourers had entirely expended their al-
lowance of beer, and were compelled to keep up their
enthusiasm as well as they could, with empty mugs, to
the end of the entertainment. When the Bishop of
Chichester was toasted, the gentlemen present pledged
him in a bumper ; but the labourers were forced to
gesticulate with nothing to drink, like the happy
peasantry' we see on the stage, tossing off copious
draughts of mere atmosphere to the long life of their
Prince. The whole proceeding, however, was of the
same false, unsubstantial, and dramatic character as the
phantom libations of the humbler portion of the guests.
The Duke of Richmond's speech was crammed with clap.
traps, which would have told admirably on the audience
at a minor theatre, but which could not for a moment
stand the test of sober criticism. He talked glowingly
of the honest, meritorious, and industrious labourer,'
and added, that one man who felt a deep interest in
the welfare of his employer is worth a hundred of those
who only worked for the sordid consideration of their
daily pay.' There is something absolutely comical in
the idea of taunting a poor wretch who gets perhaps
eight shillings a week with the sordid considerations
of their daily pay.' Archdeacon Manning adopted the
same truly comic conceit, and reiterated the Noble
Chairman's sentiment, that one man who worked
from affection was worth a hundred who worked merely
for lucre.' This high disdain for filthy dross ought not,
we think, be exacted from labourers at eight shillings a
week, who certainly, if they are actuated by the sordid
love of lucre imputed to them by their employers, have
very little to gratify their avaricious appetites. Well
may the working man entreat to be saved from his
friends, when those who assume that character call upon
him to work from afft ction, and to show an utter con-
tempt for pay. Surely he already accepts the minimum
of wages on which it is possible to exist. We have
heard of things being so dear that they are not
to be had for love or money. The toil of the la-
bourer is au article that has hitherto been paid
for by a little of both ; but it would seem that his'
friends the protectionists would like to obtain his ser-
vices purely for love, without having to expend any
money at all. Simple as the labourer is, we do not)
think he will be persuaded into a belief that such a pro-
position ma be k his keDiallg We 'nada i,f it has