The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-26 00:00:00

great meeting by more than a single sentence.
But as an old student of the University of Glas-
gow—(elneers)—l cannot forget that, some thirty-
five years ago, I heard the same voice to which
we have listened with admiration to-night, when,
like a trumpet call, it stirred the youth of Scotland
to action, and left the impress of its mighty power
upon all the years that have since passed over our
heads. (Cheers.) And it is a delightful feeling to
hear again in this great commercial capital of
Scotland the same man, with the same principles,
the same enlarged beneficence of nature, the same
intense enthusiasm for all that is good and virtuous
and noble, again, in his honoured age, commanding
the attention, the admiration, and the gratitude of
vast multitudes of his countrymen. (Cheers.) To
him,' therefore, I do most cordially concur in offer-
ing the tribute of our respectful, and, I would add,
oar affectionate gratitude, not only for the kindness
that prompted, and the sagacity and wisdom that
characterised, the address to which we have
listened, but for the whole course of that great,
honourable, and useful life of his—to him, as the
pioneer in every great movement, as the advocate
of every noble cause, as the champion alike of
liberty and of law, of stable government and of
popular progress, as, at all times and amid all
changes, the friend of civil and religious liberty,
the friend of popular education and the friend of
universal emancipation, I beg to tender my most
humble and cordial thanks, and I know this meet-
ing will echo these thanks with the utmost enthu-
siasm. (Loud applause.) I, therefore, with great
pleasure, and most cordially, second the proposal
that now, as with one voice and one heart, this
great meeting tender to Lord Brougham—the fore-
most man of his country and of his age—their
hearty thanks. (Great cheering, the assemblage
rising en masse and greeting the noble lord in a
most enthusiastic manner.)
Lord BROUGHAM, in reply, said—l can only use
the little that remains of, my voice this evening,
most gratefully, though humbly, to thank you for
the very kind reception yon have given me.
Sir ARCHIBALD ALISON According to the
usages of this evening, it is graceful and becoming
not only to tender our thanks to the president on
this occasion, but also to the president who has
directed the association during the preceding year.
..
I have great pleasure n thinking that the noble
lord who presided over this association at its last
meeting, and directed its movements during the
past year, is one whose name bears with it the
fullest recommendation. When I mention the name
of the Earl of Shaftesbury—(hear, hear)—l men-
tion one who is entitled to the warmest admiration
of the whole body of the people—a man who has
devoted the energies of his powerful mind and of
his active life to the great cause of philanthropy—
a man who perhaps has done more to bring prac-
tical benefit to the labouring classes of this country
than any other man with the exception of our noble
chairman. (Cheers.) I rejoice to think that what
has occurred tonight affords us the best illustra
tion of the wisdom with which the proceedings of
that noble lord have been directed during the past
year. We see this vast assemblage, consisting of
2,500 members, and we have heard from the re-
spected secretary that the proceedings of these
meetings have excited attention even in_the distant
wilds of Russia.

Sir JOHN LAWRENCE, who was honoured with
quite an ovation, said—l will only, in one brief
moment, second the address of my honourable
friend who has just sat down. Lord Shaftesbury's
name is known not only through all England, but
throughout the world. Wherever the English
language is spoken, wherever Englishmen have
travelled, that name is known and revered. (Loud
cheers.) To every class of his countrymen, high
and low, rich and poor, and above all, to that class
who have few friends, who are wretched, im-
poverished, and degraded, he has ever extended the
hand of sympathy and good office. (Applause.)
Gentlemen, T beg to second the resolution that the
cordial thanks of the association be conveyed to the
Earl of Shaftesbury for his conduct as President
during the past year. (Load cheers.)
Lord BROUGHAM—I believe it is hardly necessary
that I should put the resolution to the meeting, as
I have the firmest dependence that it will be carried ;
I think it right to add to what the hon. baronet who
moved the resolution, and to what Sir John Law-
rence who in so touching a manner seconded it,
have said, by stating that Lord Shaftesbury's ab-
sence from this Congress—which he greatly laments
—arises from the necessity of his attending, as lord-
lieutenant of the county of Dorset, a great meeting
in connexion with the volunteer movement, in which
he takes, 48 all rational men do—(loud cheers and
laughter)—a very great interest. (Loud cheers.)
This terminated the proceedings, and the vast
assemblage slowly dispersed.

MR. HENLEY; M.P., ON THE STRUGGLE

IN ;SOUTHERN ITALY.

WOODSTOCK, TUESDAY.

The annual meeting of the Woodstock Agricul-
tural Society took place to-day at the Town Hsll in
this town, when about 100 of the principal gentry
of the county and farmers dined together, under
the presidency of Lord Alfred Churchill, M.P.
Among those present were Mr. Henley, M.P., Col.
North, M.P. Capt. Thornhill, Major Cowper, the
Rev. Mr. Sharpe, &c.

After drinking the usual loyal toasts, the Chair-
man proposed " The Army and Navy," referring
especially to the volunteer movement, which he
said had been most successful in Oxfordshire.
Colonel NORTH, M.P., in responding, said that
owing to the last session of Parliament having been
of so protracted a nature, he had been prevented
taking any part whatever in the movement until
lately ; but from he had seen of the different corps
in that county, he believed that they fully deserved
all the praise which had been -bestowed upon them.
(Cheers.) He had had many opportunities of con-
versing with old soldiers upon the volunteer move-
ment, and he had uniformly found that they had
been lost in admiration at the extraordinary pro-
gress which the volunteers had already made, and
at the manner in which they had conducted them-
selves when acting together in large bodies.
Hitherto the movement had been pronounced by all
military men a perfect success, and if their dis-
cipline kept pace with their general capability for
the performance of all military duties, he doubted
not but they would form a most effective defensive
force, and be of essential service to the regular
army. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN having proposed " The County
Members," which was drunk with loud cheering,
Mr. HENLEY returned thanks. He observed
that the wise rule of excluding. politics at their an-
niversary dinner meetings having been adopted, he
had but little to say with respect to the proceedings
of the day farther than it had been an uncommonly
wet and disagreeable morning, so much so that he
had been unable to face the ploughing-field ; for
he knew if he did so he would have been half way
up to his knees in mud, which would be a very un-
comfortable state for an old gentleman to sit down
to dinner in (laughter). He had, however, heard
from competent judges that the ploughing which
had taken place that day was excellent, and he was
glad of it, for he believed good ploughing to be at
the bottom of all agricultural improvements. If
land was not properly ploughed in the first in-
stance, no subsequent care in its cultivation would
enable it to yield its full fruits for man's enjoyment
(hear, hear). It was one of the greatest advantages
of these societies, that they encouraged a spirit of
emulation among the ploughboys, who although
beaten one year were led on to hope to obtain a
prize the next, and so a generally improved system
of labour was the result (hear), and which was a
result that tended to the common benefit of the
whole country. Every one who visited the poultry,
yard must have been struck with the excellent
quality of the poultry exhibited, and indeed the
geese were so fat and so fine, as to insensibly
lead him to reflect upon the near approach
of Michaelmas, when he might hope to have a
cut at some of them (laughter). As far as our
own domestic affairs were concerned he was most
happy to say that we were at peace with Europe,
and had nothing whatever to agitate our minds one
way or the other. Everything also seemed to be
going on smoothly in the country, if they could only
get a little better weather in which to gather in
the harvest, for he believed if that harvest was
safely gathered in it would be found one of plenty
and abundance. While, however, they had reason
to: rejoice at the calmness ,which prevailed in our
happy country, they could not but look with deep
anxiety at what was going on in other countries,
for mest assuredly people did not enjoy peace and
quietness in the south of Europe. They found, in-
deed, the most extraordinary events taking place
there day by day. They beheld one day the king
of a great nation, the sovereign of millions, sitting
on his throne in the midst of his capital, and the
great man
next day they beheld another man, who was termed
waith scarcely
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