The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-03 00:00:00

which is equal to a 5 per cent. dividend on £32,000, CENTRAL CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURE.
or more than £6,000 per mile of railway. •

The advantages of this system are obvious. The
landowner knows that his money is not spent in pre-
liminary expenses which may lead to no result. He
le not asked to sink money which, even if the line is
completed, may be unproductive for many years
while it is being constructed. The line is made at
cash prices, and those unfortunate shareholders
who know what contractors' lines cost will
appreciate this advantage. The bankers are secured,
as the money is advanced only as the works proceed,
and with the last advance the repayment of the
whole is secured. In fact, this scheme is, so far as
they are concerned, nothing more or less than
discounting the landowners' bills at six, nine, or
twelve months. Finally, the system makes
the landowners hearty supporters of the line. The

time is come when railways, if they are made at all,
must be made by the landowners. They used to be
the chief obstructives, and to fleece the shareholders.
They must now he the foremost promoters, and them-
selves the shareholders. They can well afford to do
this, seeing how great is the benefit conferred upon
an estate by the close proximity of a railway.

LATEST INTELL MENGE

(REUTER's TELEGrams.)

A meeting of the council of the Central Chamber of Agri-
culture was held on Tuesday at the Salisbury Hotel; Mr.
Smell Read, M.P., in the chair. It was arranged that the
annual meeting should be held on the Wednesday, in the
Smithfield Show week. It was resolved that the subject for
discussion at the February meeting should be—" The
best mode of providing for the future maintenance of tu_-7-
pike roads other than highways?'
Mr. READ said that by fixing the subject thus early the
country chambers would have an opportunity of discussing
the matter fully. _

Mr. GAUDNER (Kent) proposed "That in the opinion of
this Council the corn averages as at present taken aro fal-
lacious, and that the buyers' returns should be limited to
purchases from growers only."
Mr. SMITIIIN (Worcester) said that the buyers only
returned the best samples, so that higher averages were
struck than ought to be the case. Every purchase should
be returned if they wanted to get the true state of affairs.
He proposed that the growers make the returns.
Mr. CLAY seconded the original motion.

Mr. MAI' (Warwick) said that in his district he hadmacle
enquiries, and found that many persons did not make
returns, and told him they were not obliged to do so.
If they got the returns from growers, they would know
really how much corn they had. This was especially the
case with barley, which was largely used as food for the
cattle. If the landlords paid the tithe, there would not be

the necessity that now existed for the returns.
Mr. VARDEN (Worcester) seconded the amendment. The
subject would be always important, for if the tenant did
not pay the tithe, the landlord would have to do so.
Mr. DUCKHAM (Hereford) said it was the opinion of a
great number of people that growers should make the re-
turns; but he thought there would be a difficulty in doing
so. Many of the tenants would think that the return was
only an inquisitorial ono, and made for the purpose of
lightening the rent. If the present system was continued
buyers should return to the Inland Revenue the quantity
and price of all corn bought.
Mr. SIMMERS (Leicester) thought the buyers would
always take a fair average, as it would be against their
interests to give the higher or the lower rate.
Mr. Buncx (Worcester) thought the law ought to be put

•
in force. There was a penalty of £2O if returns were not
made monthly, and it was a misdemeanour to falsify a

return.
Mr. SMITH (Essex) thought if the average could be on
the assumed value of the present returns, or the area of
the towns extended, they would get a better return.
The CHAIRMAN asked why the provinces should make
the returns ? Should they have thirty or forty returns
instead of one ? and would the returns made by the pro-
vinces be more reliable than the present returns ? Unless
the farmer took his stale and inferior corn into the market.
it would no more get into the market than at present.
Mr. SMITHIN withdrew his amendment, and the original
motion was then carried nenz. con.

Mr. DUCKHAM commenced the next business by moving
the following motion :—" That, in tho opinion of this
council, all agricultural produce should be sold
by weight only." He pointed out the variations in
the weight of the bushel at different markets. When they

wanted information as to the price they had always to

work a rule of three sum. It was impossible to tell from
the papers the price of corn in any one town unless the
reader knew the number of pounds that went to the bushel
in the town specified. He thought that it would be more

convenient to weigh than to measure the corn. There was
such a difference in weighers that he would say that no
two men would measure a thousand bushels of corn alike.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. WILI.SON seconded the motion.

Mr. BowEx JONES (Shropshire) said his Chamber had
fully considered the subject. lie agreed with Mr. Duck-
ham's remarks.
Mr. PELL, M.P., said that in the Midland Counties the
system advocated in that chamber was practically carried
out. In that district they would not think of selling by
measure. If the law was to sell by measure, and the prac-
tice to do so was by weight, the two ought to be assimilated.
At Leicester there was 81b. more to the sack than at
Northampton, and yet the two places were well con-
nected by rail, In measuring they had to employ, as it
were, skilled labour ; there was great inconvenience and
expense; but with weight they did away with all that,

Those who advocated measuring would no doubt say by
that system a better idea of the value of corn could be
formed.

Mr. DUCKTIA3I added to his former remarks that he
would have it enacted that fruit also should be sold by
weight. Very often the buyers' measures were of a
peculiar size, but if weight was uniformly adopted a firm
and equitable system would be in vogue.
The CHAIRMAN said that the Norfolk chamber had re-
commended that 1411 r. should be the standard weight.
Much fewer mistakes would be made in weight than
measure ; but he did not see how all together weight could
he taken solely without regard to capacity.

The motion was then carried non. con.
The next motion was, "That the cental of 1001bs. should
be the standard."

Mr. Wur.tsoN, in moving that motion, thought both fax

fruit and cern, the cental would be a convenient measure.
Mr. WATSON seconded tho proposition. The merchants
of Liverpool had adopted the system, and it seemed to
give general satisfaction. lie was with those who wished for
a different measure for each kind of corn, as he believed it
would suit the farmers better.
Mr. VARDEN did not think the cental was applicable to
fruit.

Mr. PELL, ➢I.P., questioned if it would be wise to discuss
the minor products of the farmer. Violets, peppermint,
&c., were agricultural products, and how could they sell

them by the cental?
Mr. BOWEN JONES opposed the resolution, and denied
that the cental worked well in Liverpool. He would like
the ton to be the standard, as it was better known all over
the world than the cwt. He moved a resolution to that
effect. _ _ .

Mr. ANDREWS seconded that amendment.
Mr. SEWELL READ, M.P., spoke of the great difficulty in
unlearning old customs. He thought there were good and
scientific grounds for adopting the cental. The ton, he
thought, was too great in its proportion.
The amendment and original resolution were then put
to the meeting, and the latter adopted Vent. con.
It was then agreed that the resolutions should be sent to
the country Chambers and the Board of Trade.

The railway tunnel proposed under the Severn
will be 1,320 yards in length. If carried out, the distance
between the South Wales district and London will be shor-
tened to the extent of 171 miles, thereby reducing the cost
of coals alone to London by upwards of ls. per ton. The
time saved by the passenger express trains will be, at least
30 minutes, and ordinary trains 48 minutes.
The guardians of the Carnarvon Union, antici-
,ating an election of an officer, expressed a desire to do
so by ballot. Prior to the election the clerk communi-
cated with the Poor-law Board as to whether this moe.o
of election would bo valid, and the following answer
was received, signed by Mr. 11. Fleming, secretary :
" I am directed to state that in the opinion of the
Board it is very desirable that the votes of the guardians
in the election of an officer should be given openly, and not
in any secret mode. The board are not, however, prepared
to say that the election would be invalid if the votes were
taken by ballot." The guardians appeared satisfied with the
reply, and desired the clerk to make a special note of it to
guide them in future.
TIIE PUBLIC lIEALTIL—Deaths in London appetrr
from the Registrar-General's return to he on the increase,
the numbers registered in each of the last six weeks
respectively being 1,362, 1,395, 1,367, 1,305, 1,476, and
1,536. Scarlet fever and phthisis have been the most fatal
(lison,cs. Of the first the deaths in the last six weeks have
been 191, 23a, 216, 224, 233, and 229 ; and of the latter
140, 141, 155, 141, 11;0 and 175. The annual rates of mor-
tality for the last week Nrb:e in fourteen large towns per
thousand of the population as le,' low :—Dublin, 21; Edin-
burgh, 22 ; Bristol, 23 ; Hull and Brk:..(11"d,
24 ; London
and Birmingham, 25 ; Glasgow and SheffibLdt 27 ;
Leeds,
28 ; Salford, 20; Manchester, 31; Newcastle -am 31; Liver-

pool, 32.
.ATH THROUGH CARELESSNESS.—On Tuesday
morning a death was caused in Blackstock-lane, near
Wood-green, under the following shocking circumstances:—
It appears that Henry James Tucker, George Clarke, and
Henry May, carpenters, were at work at some new
buildings in course of erection at Blt ckstock-lanlefto, near
Wood-green, and at half-past eigh they thei
work to go to breakfast. They went into one of the
houses, and a man named Potter had left a gun loaded,
• not to interfere with it. After
tolling th.°. partl"
yen of their breakfast May stood on the
they I~la Ito
r took
Playi
t too;
nglieli.lenipt, titoiii
et
die,
shoilderi ocekett ftua
befog oiticl be ANNAN
4Pa‘d cii the Ts ••ot. The gunll
f ht.
~.
was loaded with shot, and the et-iiiarro went tliroi,;, wag and 13
.
heart and left lung, causing instant death. The 3 prisoner
ran for Dr. Cotton, who immediately attended and pro-
nounced
life to be extinct. Police-constables were called
and they at once arrested Tucker. When told tho charge,
ho said, " May's brother is my sister's husband, and I will
tell you the truth. I went down to make a fire to warm
the deceased's tea, and the gun stood there with a coat
over it. I took the coat off, and said to him, in a lark,
'Prepare to die,' I then pulled the trigger. He.stood for
a few seconds and then dropped. I thought he was pre-
tending, and went for a doctor. lam very sorry. It aeons
like a 1,g1,.,_iieL?...04,kai1itrik.0.........21421aLqd 04