The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-05 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

On the order of the day for going into committee upon
this bill. - -

The Earl of DERBY said he wished to call their lord-
ships' attention to one or two points in the bill which he
thought very objectionable. It would be in the recol-
lection of the house that on the second reading of the
bill he stated his concurrence in the general objects of
the measure. He had, however, considerable doubts as to
the efficiency of the machinery proposed to effect those
objects. He had received many communications from
various quarters upon this subject which tended greatly
to confirm him in his impressions. He bad certainly
received letters from some farmers, containing objec-
tions to the principles of the bill, but he thought, how-
ever, that considerable misapprehension was entertained
by such parties as to the operations of such measnre, for
be entertained no doubt whatever but that the objects
in view, if attainable, would be eminently beneficial.
He wholly objected to the employment of the poor-leer
board in collecting the information. That board, he
thought, was established for a totally different object,
and were unfit for the discharge of such duties. As
some prejudices existed in different parts of the country,
it was of course desirable to remove everything objection.
able from the bill calculated to remove those prejudices.
He would propose that the information sought f it should
be obtained through the petty seseions, whose courts were
scattered throughout the country. Those courts possessed
a peculiar facility for obtaining such information as to the
local circumstances of the various agricultural district.
He also thought that the measure ought to be amended
in respect to the mode proposed for sending out for re-
turns, end for their return. He was of opinion that the
Board of Trade should give due notice of the informa-
tion required by the issue of a circular at particular
periods of the year. The Board of Trade should give
an estimate of the average crops and their average value.
The schedules also should be more simplified by the re-
duction of columns. They should be as simple as
possible. The noble earl then stated some other ob-
jections to the bill, and said he thought it better to state
his opinions candidly before proceeding to consider the
bill.

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY thought the Poor-
law Board and the Board of Guardians were the most
efficient machinery that could be proposed to procure the
informatio❑ sought for under the bill. The magistrates
at petty sessions were by no means so well
calculated to carry out the provisions of
the bill as the Poor. law Board. (Hear.) He was
very anxious to get the returns as early as possible, and
therefore he thought that the Ist of June should he fixed
as the day for receiving the estimate of the crops planted ;
but if their lordships wished he should not object to the
Ist of July being the day fixed on which the guardians
should for ward their returns to the Poor law Board. He
thought it very desirable that means should exist by
which it could be learned what sort of a crop had been
grown in certain years, and also whether the crop was
light or heavy. If the provisions of this bill were fully
carried out, this information would exist in the early
part of November in each year after the passing of the
act. The noble lord concluded by stating that in com-
mittee be should feel great pleasure in explaining to any
of their lordships the other portions of the bill.

After a lengthened discussion, in which the Earl of
Ilardvvicke, the Earl of Malmesbury, the Earl of Elles-
mere, Earl Grey, Lord Ovcr;tone, and L•)rd Stanley of
Alderley took part, the house went into committee on
the bill,

On clause 1, the Earl of DERBY moved, as an
amendment, to leave out of the claw', the words " Poor-
law Board," for the purpose of substituting the " Beard
of Trade."

Lord FEVERSHAM should support the amendment,
although he was entirely in favour of the principle of
the bill.

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY and Lord BER-
NERS supported he clause.
The committee divided upon the original question, and
there appeared—

Contents lB
Non-contents
Majority —s

The amendment was consequently negatived.
On clause 2, on the motion of the Marquis of SALIS-
BURY, it was agreed that the returns should be made
uut later than the Ist of September.
The clause was agreed to, and clauses 3,4, 5, and 6
were agreed to without opposition.
clause 7, after a few remarks from the Earl of EL-
LENBOROUGH, was then agreed to, as were also
clauses 8,9, 10, and 11.

Oa ela-use 12, the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH com•
plained of the expense of carrying the act into effect,
which would not he less than 1011,000/. a year.

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said he believed
the expense would not exceed 25,0001 per annum.

The clause waR then nn.e.ari tn. -
utauses and Romanies.
Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a third time and paused:
—Doddington Rectory Division ; Lancaster Gas ; Lin-
coln Water ; Milford Junctio❑ Railway ; Weymouth
and Melcorube Regis Gas.

Sir JOHN PAKINGTON presented a petition from
Australia, praying that her Majesty would be pleased to
direct that a postal communication be established be.
tween England and the colony, by the nearest route,
and at a speed of not less than ten knots, or nautical
miles, per hour.