The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-21 00:00:00

LONDON, MON DAY EVENING. ULY 21, 1856.

ED RING E'S CLUB.—RACQUET and TENNIS
COUR TS, Hans-place, Belgrave-square.—The Racquet
Courts of this Club will be completed and OPEN for PLAY on
Monday, the 2 3th inst. Gentlemen desirous of becoming members
are requested :to communicate with the secretary, at the club, who
will furnish ovary Information.

ALBERT LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY,
zi, Waterloo-place, Pall-mall.
Notice is hereby given, that the HALF-YEARLY DIVIDEND
to the 30th ultimo, after the rate of Seven per cent. per annum, Will
be in COURSE of PAYMENT to the Shareholders on and after the
10th July instant.

9th July, 1356.

HENRY WILLIAM SMITH,
Actuary and Secretary.

THE GENERAL LIFE and FIRE
ASSURANCE COMPANY.
NOTICE IS lIP.REBY GIVEN, That the Thirty-sixth HALF-
YEARLY DIVIDEND, at the rate of Six per cent., declared on the
16th instant. 'is payable to the Shareholders, at the Office of the Com-
pany, 62, K 1 ng William-street, London-bridge, between the hears of
ten and four 'l4y order of the Board.
July 19, 1855, THOMAS MICE, Secretary.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, Gray's-inn-road
Patron—The QUEEN.

Founded 1828.
All poor persons are admitted patients on their own application
alone ; no Governor's letter is required.
Durins the past month the following number of sick poor received
the benefits of this Charity, either as out or in-door patients, on
their personal application :
Week ending 7th June 2,402
Ditto 14th June...—. •• • • 1,986
Ditto 21st June.. •••• .• • • 2,324
Ditto • 28th June .•.. • • 2,132
29th and 30th June .....
...... 501
Total in June....., .. , .
of w-hich 3,246 were new cases, the remainder (still under treat.
watt) having been admitted previously.
"Heavy expenses are inevitably incurred in affording such exten-
sive relief. The Committee, therefore, earaestiy entreat the aid of
the-publie. -- • ---

•
The management of the Hospital is in the hands of 30 Governor%
yearly elected from the general list of subscribers,' at the Annual
General Meeting in January. A Board is held every Thursday, at
4 o'clock (Rev. J. B. Owen, Chairman), to conduct the business,
when any subscriber may attend, if so disposed, the Board being at
all times desirous of receiving suggestions or giving explanation.
The Hospital is not endowed, but is wholly dependent on volun-
tary contributions and leoacies, which are received by the Treasurer,
John Masterman, Esq., M.P., Nicholas-lane ; also by Messrs. Coutts
and Co. ; Drummond and Co.; Herries and Co. ; Ransom and Co. ;
Prescott, Grote, and Co. ; Smith, Payne, and Co.;Glyn and Co. ;
Jones Loyd and Co.; Barclay and Co.; Denison and Co. ; Williams,
Deacon, and Co. ; Overend, Gurney, and Co. ; Nisbet and Co., Ber-
ners-street ; Mastesman and Co.; and at the Hospital.
Clothing tor the destitute patients will be thankfully received.
By order. J. B. OWEN, Chaplain.

to disturb it. lie hoped the union and sympathy be-
tween the two nations would be eternal, and that hence-
forth they would be rivals only in the field of, friendly
competition. He begged to couple with the toast the
names of Mr. Fisher Hobbs and the Hon. Mr. Cameron.
Mr. FISHER HOBBS returned thanks.
The Hon. Mr. CAMERON did not see why a Canadian,
who was as much an Englishman as any one present,
should be called upon to speak to the toast of " Foreign"
agriculture. .
Mr. MECHl—Foreign and Colonial. (Cheers and
laughter.)
The Hon. Mr. CAMERON was glad that the toast bad
been amended, because the colonists were Englishmen,
and not foreigners in any sense of the word. (Cheers.)
When the late war broke out, the Canadians offered to
the English Government their hands and hearts, and
when the Government would not allow them to send over
men, they did the next best thing they could ; they sent
over the means to succour the wounded, the afflicted, and
the distressed, and they felt that if the war shOuld con-
tinue, their country, which is a garden—a country which,
when the soil was first broken up produced crops like
those which they had this day witnessed—a country con-
taining a deposit of leaves for a thousand years . which
made a bed, so rich that. it would grow corn for twenty
years—they felt that if the ports of the Baltic were
shut against this country their own blood on
the other side of the Atlantic would feed them—that
those who had sprung from them who were their breth:
ren in language, in heart, in sentiment, and feeling, were
ready to send over such supplies as might be necessary
to meet the wants of the people of England.
COL SYKES then proposed the health of the Chairman,
whose name as an agriculturist was distinguished not
only in England but in foreign countries, (Cheers.) Mr.
Mechi bad laid out his money on infertile land; and was
entitled to the thanks of the community for the success-
ful efforts which he had made to render it productive.
He was sure every one present would cordially join in
wishing their worthy host every success in the projects
which he had in view, and in endeavouring to carry con-
viction to the minds of the farmers of the benefit to be
derived from the application of science to the common
pursuits of life. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. MEOHI, who was loudly cheered, responded to the
toast. He said if he were a vain man the way in whiCh
the toast had been received would spoil him. (Laughter.)
He was not actuated by any personal vanity in endea-
vouring to show how much land could be improved
by skilful cultivation. The great question to be consi-
dered was, whether the British stomach was to he filled
so as to enable it to maintain its independence. (Laugh-
ter.) It was a very serious affair that of the stomach.
Just imagine what would be the result of giving a fort-
night's holiday to the British stomach. (Laughter.) It
was very easy to • laugh, but every now and then the
country had been on the verge of scarcity. Wheat had
been at 20/. a load, which was a war price. Why was
wheat dear? Why was food dear when the corn markets
of all parts of the world wore open to this country ? Be-
cause England had not done ber duty. Without referring
to anything which he himself bad done, he was pre-
pared to say unflinchingly that if all the lands of Eng-
land were cultivated as well as his own farm, and a va-
riety of others which he could name, there would not
only be food enough but to spare, without any foreign
importation whatever. (Cheers.) He did not make this
statement without authority, but on a consideration of
the acreage of the country. He thought Mr. Cameron
would have told them that while England has no agri-
cultural statistics, Canada, that young and almost un-
taught country, possesses the most accurate statistics of
every bushel of corn that is produced there, It was a
very hard thing to get over old prejudices. He believed
that the agricultural fear which prevailed in this country
relative to a disclosure of their affairs was a perfect phan-
tom. It was impossible to do away with the farmers of
E❑gland, or to keep them humbled. Increased intelli-
gence gave them increased power. They ought not to be
afraid of lettingithe world know they are making a profit,
because if they were to declare themselves bankrupt no-
body would believe them. (Cheers and laughter.) He
saw around him a mass of wealth and intelligence which
convinced him that agriculture could not remain in its
present state. (Hear.) That influential meeting was
actuated by a spirit of progression, the full develop-
ment of which would render the country stronger and
more wealthy. (Cheers.) There were all sorts of doc-
tors present, and he wished that he could find out a
physic that would cure prejudice. (Laughter.) That
complaint was not confined to agriculture, and he begged
his friends around him not to consider themselves the
only class who were labouring wider prejudice. At one
time it was said that steam-boats and gas would never
answer—that railways were .impossible—and that the
electric telegraph was madness. This wae, a proof that
the complaint of prejudice was not an agricultural com-
plaint only. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Why was
the land of England poorer than it ought to be ? Be-
cause they were always taking from the land that which
was never brought back again. When that which came
from the land, and which found its way into the me-
troplis, and into the great towns and cities of the
empire, was sent back in another shape, the land
would be no longer poor. (Hear, hear.) There was
no reason to despair of improvements in agriculture,
when the steam-engine and the steam-plough were
at work in the fields. (Cheers.) Ile foresaw that the
present system of agriculture was destined to undergo
a complete change. "Forward" was now the English
agriculturist's term. They meant to go forward—they
intended to speed more money—to have less acres on
their farms, or, if not, they would borrow money to lay
out upon them, and find it a good investment. There
would be twice as many farmers in the course of fifty
years, and how could they obtain farms unless the pre-
sent ones were cut in half and improved ? (Cheers.)
Associations were now formed to take everybody's
money out of everybody's pocket. But where were
aericultural improvement companies to be found ? Was
it because the agriculturist was too proud ? When im-
provements were recommended, it was asked, " Where
is the money to come from ?" But the agriculturists
had never asked for it. They chose rather to have an
area of acres, which were proud acres, than to lay out
sufficient money upon those acres to improve them.
In conclusion be begged to express the pleasure
which he felt in seeing such a numerous and influ-
ential assemblage, and hoped that he should be
spared neatly years to give them a hearty welcome.
(Loud cheers.)
"The Labouring Classes," "The Ladies," and some
other toasts were then given, after which the visitors
proceeded to witness the operations of the steam plough.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND SOUTII-WESTERN.

In addition to the ordinary business of this company
on the 7th proximo it is proposed to submit for the con-
si,leration of the shareholders the creation and disposal
of a debenture stock to be applied in liquidation of the
corn ;.any existing debenture debt ; the leasing. jointly
with the London, Brighton, and Synth Coast Railway
Comp r,y, of the Wimbledon and Croydon Railway;
and the conclusion of arrangements for working and
maintaining the int,Tule'd branch railways to Lymington,
Blanclford, and Salisbury market, when completed by
their respective proprietors.
The number of miles run during the half-year by the
engines was 1,270,976, of which 924,385 miles were run
by the trains, and 346,591 miles by the engines in pilot-
ing, shunting, marshalling, and running empty. The
average weight of coke consumed per mile was 23 091 b.
The cost of locomotive power per train mile was 11.833 d.,
including 2.747 d, for repairs, and I'ol6d. for renewals.
The expenses of the carriage and waggon department
per train mile were 3'089d., mending 2•437 d. for re-
pairs, alterations, and improvements. The cost of
maintaining the company's permanent way, works, and
stations was at the rate of 1591. 16s. 11d. per mile for
the half-year, of which 24/. 17s. 9d. was for additions
and improvements, The coaching traffic charges
amounted to 11'596 per cent, of the receipts, and the
goods traffic charges to 22'397 per cent. of the receipts.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER-
HAMPTON.

A special meeting of the Worcester Chamber of Com-
merce was held at Worcester on Friday, Mr. E. Evans
in the chair, to consider the propriety of expressing the
concurrence of the chamber in an application made to
thedirectors of this company by the resident shareholders
for adopting Worcester as the bead-quarters for trans-
acting the general business of the company in future.
It was stated that the Guildhall would be placed at the
use of the company when required, and, after discussing
the matter, a resolution in favour of the proposition was
unanimously adopted.