The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-26 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL POLITICS AT
BUCKINGHAM.

BUCKINGHAM, Wednesday.
The annual stock show and ploughing matches of
the North-west Agricultural Association took place
here to-day. At the close of the proceedings about
120 gentlemen dined at the Town-hall, under the
presidency of the Duke of Buckingham. The com-
pany included Sir 11. Verney, M.P., Mr. J. G.
Hubbard, M.P., the Hon. It. Cavendish, Mr. R. P.
Fitzgerald, Mr. A. J. Robarts, Mr. F. Verney, Mr.
E. Hubbard, Mr. Box, Mr. Beards, Capt. Pilgrim,
the Mayor (Mr. Thorpe), Revs. J. Bolden, 11.
Drummond, and E. Gardiuer. The Chancellor of
the Exchequer, in a letter to the secretary (Nita
Bennett), stating his inability to attend, enclosed a
check for £5, suggesting that " it might be made
the means of affording some encouragement to cot-
tagers or farm labourers in the improveweat of
their dwellings."
The loyal toasts were followed by that of " The
Army and Navy," in responding to which Sir H.
VERNEY remarked that everybody must view with
regret the enormous number of armed men iu Europe
at the present time. This was a period of profound
peace, and though nations growled at each other
occasionally, there was no reason to fear that war
was about to break out, yet there were now between
5,000,000 and 6,000,000 men under arms, taken
away from the pursuits of industry. He thought it
was the duty of those who were burdened with the
support of these enormous forces to impress on their
Governments the impolicy of keeping up large armies,
which sucked the vitals of their respective countries,
and detracted so materially from their prosperity.
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM, in acknowledging the
toast of his health, which had been proposed by Sir
H. Verney, referred to the differences of opinion
which prevailed in the district 18 months ago as to •
the best way of dealing with the cattle plague. Ile
and many of the magistrates felt that stringent mea-
sures were necessary, and he thought time had proved '
that they were in the right. (Hear, hear.) But for .
what had occurred within the past fortnight he .
should have congratulated them on the rinderpest
being no longer in the kingdom, but there was a
doubt whether seeds of infection did not still lurk
among us. Competent authorities were of opinion
that recent cases in Cheshire were not the cattle
plague, but while any doubt remained restrictions
were necessary. He trusted, however, that the
movement of native cattle within all uninfected
parts of the country might speedily be permitted,
and that the troublesome restrictions which had
hampered agriculturists in carrying on their usual
operations might be discontinued. In the post for
which he was selected when Lord Derby formed his
Administration he had seen the certainty with which
the disease spread wherever the regulations were
evaded. After explaining the circumstances which
had prevented an exhibition of horned cattle on this
occasion, his Graco remarked that even if all restric-
tions on home-bred animals were removed it would
still be necessary to keep a watchful eye on imported
cattle, both at the ports and on their subsequent
movements, for animals from the interior of Hun-
gary or Russia might be brought over to this country
within a week—a period which was not always
sufficient for infection to manifest itself. (Hear.)
Proceeding to propose " Prosperity to the Associa-
tion," the Duke remarked that considering the
obstacles it had had to contend with, and the small
area over which its operations extended, it bad
achieved a fair measure of success. (Hear, hear.)
Notwithstanding the increasing importance of na-
tional and county exhibitions, he thought that small
local associations exercised a very beneficial influence.
It was well to bring examples of good stock and
good ploughing home to everybody, and it was also
well to bring neighbours and friends together at
least once a year, and to spend a pleasant day, with
something to see and talk about in the morning and
a good dinner in the evening. (Hear, hear.)
The healths of the county and borough members
were next drunk. In proposing the latter Mr. Box
adverted to the impending diminutien of the repre-
sentative power of Buckingham, expressing a hope
that under any circumstances their present excellent
members would continue to feel an iuterest in the
town, and remarking that if any constituency ►night
pride itself on its electoral purity, Buckingham had
undoubtedly a right to do so. (Cheers.)
Sir 11. VERNEY., in returning thanks, assured the
people of Buckingham that his hon. colleague and
himself, whether or not they continued to represent
them, would ever be anxious to promote their wel-
fare. Mr. Box had said with truth that Bucking.
ham had never been guilty of bribery. As he stated
in the House of Commons, on presenting a petitio❑
against its being deprived of one of its members, he
felt confident that not a shilling had been spent in
bribery since 1832. He believed there were very
few places in England of which this could be said.
Moreover, although he had generally been a sup-
porter of the Government, no favour had ever been
solicited of him by any of his constituents which
might not have been openly proclaimed in their
market place or at Charing-cross. This had made
the position of a member for Buckingham a very
proud one, and he trusted that whether his hon.
friend Mr. Hubbard or himself, or any other person
hereafter represented them, the electors would per-
severe in the same course, and would never be influ-
enced by motives of personal gain in exercising the
franchise. If they wished to obtain good service
from their members they must display the upright-
ness and integrity which they had hitherto mani-
fested. (Cheers.) Representing an agricultural dis-
trict, he had always regarded himself as to a certain
extent the representative of the agricultural interest,
and he could not help reflecting on the changes of
opinion which had taken place on agricultural ques-
tions since 40 years ago. At that time many land-
owners and parishes thought it wise policy to get rid
of their labourers, and to offer them inducements to
migrate to the manufacturing districts. Iu this
opinion he never shared, for he had always held that
every locality could supply sufficient work for all its
labouring population. Unless, however, comfortable
dwellings with good gardens were provided for them,
we could not expect agricultural labourers to resist
the temptation to remove to the large towns, though
he knew many when they got there were sorry for it,
and that some of them came back to the country. It
was a melancholy thing to think that men might
leave kind-hearted employers in their own neigh-
bourhood and might find themselves subjected to the
atrocious tyranny and the abominable outrages
which, as had been shown by the inquiries at Shef-
field and Manchester, were practised in some dis-
tricts by working men upon members of their own
class. It was true the evil was not universal nor
even general, and we must thank God that it was
not. It was important, moreover, to retain the oc-
cupiers of the land as well as the labourers, and to do
this care must be taken not to overrun their farms

with too much game. (Cheers.) He was glad to
think there was no excessive preservation of game iu
this neighbourhood, and for his own part he would
rather have none on his estate than that any tenant
should feel that his crops were injured by it. A far-
mor naturally thok a pride iu the fertility of his fields,
and money could not compensate him for the ravages
of game. Ile believed no f,riner objected to a cer-
tain amount of game sufficient to furnish sport after
th..) old lingli .h f.:sHon, for farmers felt it au advan-
tage that country gets leaven should reside on their
estates and should find suilic:ent sport if they were
fond of shooting. ( Hear, hear.) Excessive preser-
vation, however, encouraged poaching, for an active
young fellow found that he could make as much in
one night by killing pheasants as he could in afort-

night by hard work. This was a state of things
much to be deprecated. (clear, hear.) Theie was
another point he ished to touch upon. Farmers
wanted capital. (Laughter and cries of "We can't
get it.") Ile knew that very often they could not
get it, but he believed his hon. colleague, who was
more conversant with such matters, would corrobo-
rate him when he said that never was there a larger
amount of capital in the country open to fair in-

vestment. Now, he believed no investment was so

safe for the capitalist as the land of his own coun-
try, and he should never feel satisfied until he
saw the capitalist willing to advance monet to
the farmer in whose ability and integrity he could
place confidence. He could not, however, be ex-
pected to do this unless the farmer had some