The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-03 00:00:00

-- -
West Herta Agricultural Society.

WATFORD, Tuesday.
The second annual dinner of the members of this
society, which took place last night in the Corn Ex-
change, was very largely attended. The president
for the year was the Earl of Clarendon, but the noble
earl was prevented from attending by indisposition.
In his absence the chair was occupied by the Earl of
Essex, and among the guests were Lord Chesham,
Lord Ebury, Viscount Malden, Lord Rokeby, Capt.
the Hon. R. W. Grosvenor, M.P., the Hon. H.
Cowper, M.P., Mr. Abel Smith, M.P., Mr. Surtees,
M.P., Mr. T. F. Halsey, Mr. Alderman Copeland,
Mr. W. Jones Loyd, Mr. Alfred Sedgwick, Mr. G.
Webb, Mr. J. IL James, and many other influen-
tial agriculturists.
The noble CLIAIRMAN prefaced the toast of " The
Queen" by stating that the Earl of Clarendon was
unable to preside in consequence of being in a deli-
cate state of health, which rendered a short resi-
dence in Italy desirable.
The toast was drunk with all the honours.
The toast of " The Prince and Princess of Wales
and the other members of the Royal Family" was
received with great enthusiasm.
The noble CHAIRMAN, in proposing " The Army,
Navy,Yeomanry, Militia, and Volunteers," expressed
his satisfaction at the statement which had been
made a few days ago by the Earl of Carnarvon that
her Majesty's Government had come to the full
determination to use every possible effort to put our
troops on the same footing with regard to equip-
ment and organisation which had proved so success-
ful in the case of the arms of Prussia. (Cheers.)
The toast was responded to by Lord Rokeby,
Viscount Malden, Major Foskett, and the Hon. 11.
Cowper, M.P.
Mr. W. JONES LoYD then proposed " The House
of Lords," connecting with the toast the name of
Lord Ebury. (Loud cheers.)
Lord EBURY returned thanks on behalf of the
august body to which he had the honour to be-
long. He was perhaps better acquainted prac-
tically with the Lower than the Upper House,
but he had acquired such a knowledge of that
House that he felt a great honour to be associated
with such a distinguished body, and he had there-
fore peculiar pleasure in responding to the toast.
(Cheers.) Speaking in the presence of the men of
Hertfordshire he might be allowed to say that the
House of Lords had recently been greatly honoured
by the accession to its ranks of one of their mem-
bers, and he was quite sure there was no society that
would ,not feel proud in the accession of such a man.
(Cheers.) There was no doubt that on ordinary
occasions the boast of the House of Lords was a
conventional one, a method of showing the respect
of the nation for one of the constitutional autho-
rities of the country. But at agricultural meetings
that toast had a peculiar significance. The House
of Lords derived great influence and authority from
the fact of its being a territorial aristocracy. In
fact, it contained the bulk of the landed proprietors
of Great Britain, and if any set of men were inte-
rested in the progress of agriculture it must be the
landowners of England. He trusted the time was
far distant when the toast of the House of Lords
would be received otherwise than it had been re-
ceived on the present occasion. He hoped it would
always be received in that cordial manner, because
it proved that those who possessed the fortune of
birth had not neglected those responsibilities and
duties which were attached to property. He had
been requested to propose the Bishop and the mi-
nisters of religion. Fortunately the religious and
civil elements in this country were so closely inter-
woven together that neither party could make a
move without the other participating in it. The
consequence of these meetings was that they
were always favoured with the presence of a
clergyman. He congratulated the clergy and
laity upon the revival of an institution which
had been so long seriously neglected in this
country—he meant the harvest homes—four or five
accounts of which he had recently seen in the Hert-
fordshire papers. Whatever the agriculturists
might do to increase the fertility of the soil, every
one must acknowledge that it was God alone who
gave the increase. (Hear, hear.)
The Rev. R. L. JAMES responded.
Mr. lIALSEY then proposed " The health of the
Members for the County, Mr. Surtces, the Il on.
11. Cowper, and Mr. Abel Smith." (Loud and
repeated cheering.)
Mr. SunTEES, M.P., in responding to the toast,
congratulated the company on the excellent gather-
ing which had taken place, and on the ploughing,
which had been extremely good—so good, that if
our ancestors who lived at the beginning of the cen-
tury could have witnessed it they would have been
greatly astonished. If any one asked how such
ploughing had been brought about, he should say it
was not so much owing to the skill of the manufac-
turers of ploughs or of the ploughmen, but to the
imagination and intelligence of the farmer, who had
in many instances suggested the improvements
which had been adopted by the manufacturer.
(Cheers.) He regretted that he had not the plea-
sure of meeting the agriculturists of Hertfordshire
under more favourable circumstances. They all

knew the inconveniences and losses which the far
mers had sustained in consequence of the cattle
plague ; they all knew the inconvenience which the
butchers had sustained by the prohibition of cattle
from the markets, but he trusted that better times
would soon arrive. (Cheers.) Referring to the
completion of the Atlantic telegraph, the hon. mem-
ber observed that one of the first messages sent by
that instrument was certain information respecting
the Fenians in America. With regard to that body
he would just say that it was most extraordinary
that the people of Ireland could be so deluded as to
imagine that they could by any possibility over-
throw the union, between England and Ireland. He
pitied many of those poor deluded persons who had
been in the habit of receiving contributions from
their friends and relations in America, these con-
tributions having been stopped for the pur-
pose of promoting Fenianism. (Hear, hear.)
With respect to the army he hoped the Go-
vernment would consider whether some increased
pay should not be given to those soldiers who had
served for 10 years and were willing to serve again.
He also thought that additional fuel ought to be
afforded to them during the winter months. (Hear,
hear.) He:wished to take the opportunity of in-
forming those who might not be aware of the fact
that a Central Agricultural Association was in course
of formation, and that it was well deserving of their
support. The prospectus stated that in order to
meet the want which at present existed, it was con-
sidered desirable that a Chamber of Agriculture
should be established, whose
duties should be to
watch the agricultural interest, and to support or
oppose any measures which in their opinion were
calculated to affect the same. He trusted that the
agriculturists generally would take the trouble of
making themselves •
the society, and giveimTamted with the objects of
dialsPport. (Cheers.)
The Hon. H. CowpEß, M.p.,
expressing his conviction that the briefly
responded,
society
firmly established and that its years y was now
wouldbe counted
by tens and twenties. (Cheers.)
Mr. ABEL SMITH, M.P., also responded. In doing
so he observed that those who had been accustomed
to attend meetings like the present would miss
that occasion the brilliant remarks of their late 1.7
presentative, but they would, nevertheless, rejoice
that the House of Lords had received such a dis-
tinguished acquisition. (Cheers.) He (Mr. Smith)
had been a farmer for some 12 years, and had always
fcltgreatpleasure in meeting those who were engaged
in agricultural pursuits. (Cheers.) He congratulated
the society on having at its head men so conversant
' with agriculture as the Earl of Essex, than whom
no man in the country had done more to promote
the oause of agriculture. (Cheers.) He did not take
quite so gloomy a view of the present prospects of
the:agriculturists as some of his friends. His own
balance-sheet had certainly been a very poor one; but
he believed that times were improving, for wheat was
10s. per quarter higher than last year, and barley
also was at a higher price than it was at that time.
,There had also been excellent crops of grass, and
sheep were realising higher prices than they formerly
did. Under these circumstances he hoped and trusted
that the prospects of the farmers were improving.
Viscount MALDEN, in proposing " The Health of

the President, Lord Clarendon," said that, although
politics were properly tabooed on occasions like the
present, be believed that should the present Go-
vernment, at no remote period, be inclined to relin-
quish office—(cheers, laughter, and cries of " No,
no")—there was no man to whom the country would
look with greater satisfaction, and no man who was
better qualified to take the reins of Government,
than Lord Clarendon. (Cheers.)
The noble CHAIRMAN expressed his great regret at
the absence of Lord Clarendon. The contingency to
which his noble friend had alluded might not be so
far distant as some persons imagined, and he believed
that if any such change did take place, no man could
be looked up to with greater respect than Lord Cla-
rendon. (Loud cheers.)
The Hon. R. W. GROSVENOR, M.P., then pro-
posed " The Master of the Hounds" (Lord Malden),
to which his lordship responded.
The noble CHAIRMAN, hi proposing "Prosperity
to the West Herts Agricultural Society," said that
last year, in referring to the birth of the society, he
expressed a hope that, being well nurtured and at-
tended to in its infancy, it would gradually improve.
It was now his pleasing duty to say that the hopes
which he then entertained had been most fully rea-
lised, especially taking into consideration the ad-
verse circumstances under which it was established.
(Cheers.) The unfortunate visitation with which
the country was afflicted was sufficient to throw
a damp upon the energies of the farmers and make
them unwilling to enter into a society which, under
ordinary circumstances, they would be most will-
ing to support. But, notwithstanding these draw-
backs, the society had prospered. The num-
ber of members had increased by 20, and the
subscription had increased something like £5O, and
there was a much larger attendance than on the
previous occasion. (Cheers.) He might also men-
tion that with regard to the Cattle Association
formed last year, its operation had been very suc-
cessful. The number of cattle insured amounted
to 900 head, and the mortality had been only 3 per
cent. (Applause.) It was also satisfactory to know
that the funds contributed to meet the losses were
quite sufficient, within a few shillings. (Hear.) Un-
der these circumstances, he believed the society
would go on and prosper. The most perfect unani-
mity prevailed among the committee, and the society
was greatly indebted to the worthy hon. secretary,
Mr. Alfred Sedgwick, for his unwearied assiduity
and attention to its interest and welfare. (Cheers.)
If all these circumstances could tend to the pros-
perity and increase the usefulness of a society, he
thought they might all look forward to its growth
and long continuance with perfect confidence.
(Loud cheers.)
Lord ROKEBY then proposed " The Health of the
Chairman," who responded.
The toast of " The Vice-Chairman and Committee
of Management, the Treasurer, and Hon. Secre-
tary," was proposed by Mr. J. H. JAMES, and re-
sponded to by Mr. Alderman COPELAND and Mr.
SEDGWICK.
" The Judges" and several other toasts were
afterwards given."