The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-27 00:00:00

Huntingdonshire Agricultural Society.

The annual show and dinner of this society was
held at Neots yesterday, and there was a very fair
display, considering the absence of neat stock.
Horses were in good show, both as regards numbers
and quality, and there were probably some unsur-
passable roots. Poultry, one of the new, and not
least interesting and valuable, features in these so-
cieties, was well represented.

At the conclusion of the more practical part of
the proceedings about 100 of the principal members
of the society sat down to dinner at the Corn Ex-
change, under the presidency of the llon. Colonel
DUNCOMBE, supported by Mr. Fellowes, M.P. ; Lord
Robert Montague, M.P., &c.
After some other toasts,

Mr. ATITENBOROUGII, of Sowbry, proposed " The
Members for the county," hoping they would soon
" pull off the Malt-tax."
Mr. FELLOWS, M.P., who was received with loud
cheers, in returning thanks, said —I think I may
congratulate my agricultural friends on their pro-
spects compared with what they were last year. We
have had a very good show in the yard, and we have
had a very good meeting at our festive board. I
think I may also congratulate you on the harvest
that is just now terminating. Although we have
had a considerable quantity of rain, and a long har-
vest, I hope it will prove to be above the average,
and that no considerable amount of damage has
arisen from the rain that has fallen. (Hear, hear.)
If some mischief has been done, I think we may
congratulate ourselves on the fact that the prices of
corn have a little risen, and, so far as we can judge,
there is every appearance of the rise continuing.
But there is another matter on which we may con-
gratulate ourselves, and that is the gradual decrease
of the cattle plague throughout the country.
Lord R. MONTAGU, on rising, was received with
loud cheers. In the course of his address he said—
Agriculture is the only trade which is fashionable.
As soon as a merchant becomes rich—as soon as he
attains a position in society—he must needs become
a farmer. (Hear, hear.) No one thinks of being
a tanner or tallowchandler for his amusement. But
every one tries to get a farm, and then swears that
he loves the smell of a dungheap more than the
scent of his wife's flowers. (Laughter.) Perhaps
he obtains three or four farms and throws them into
one. This naturally increases the competition for
farms, and raises their price. But the price of your
produce is not proportionately raised. It is true that
the wages of artisans are much increased, and that
many of them eat beef twice a day, which they did
not do before. This, however, does not enhance the
farmers' prices so much as it draws imports from
abroad. Then, again, you are subject to losses by
weather. If it be dry, alas for your turnips. If it
be wet, your corn is damaged. There are also losses
of cattle by disease. Besides sheep and oxen can-
, not be laid by until there is a demand for them in
the market. An ox soon eats up his price without
adding to his value. He must therefore be at once I
forced upon the market. These are all great draw-
backs. What, then, is to be done ? That which
the manufacturer has to do in his race with other
manufacturers—lose no chance of improving pro-
duction by new machinery, and increasing the
fertility of your land by new manures. (Hear.)
With regard to the losses of cattle, I may be par-
doned for reminding you that I foretold you more
than a year ago what would happen, and sketched
out a course which I recommended you to pursue.
The main points were to slaughter the diseased ani-
mals, and to isolate the place of infection. Since
that time the royal commission has abundantly
proved that the great lines of traffic are the lines of
the disease. Since that time the act has carried out
what I then advised. Soon after the act came into
operation the diseased decreased, and where the act
was not carried out the disease re-appeared. When
it invaded Ireland the same course was adopted, and
that country has been freed from the curse. If that
course had at once been carried out hero—if the Go-
vernment had not been behind hand—a quarter of
a million of cattle might have been saved. (Hear.)
The Cattle Plague Bill contained a clause indemni-
fying the Privy Council for ordering the slaughter
csaolhsfasaui
ncattle.stgheedtde:demel.
and in resisted that clause until Mr. Gladstone
promised to grant a compensation for the cattle thus
g
( itH extractingwears. )o ulVtlro.tf
that
tae
promise.l
power
oo Walpole and n
odf A
Mrru.
t.GHenleyla Glad-
stone things.
stone to fulfil his promise. But an act was passed
late in the session which has not mentioned a retro-
spective compensation. But Jove looks with indul-
gence on the broken vows of lovers, for they are
ever fragile. (A laugh.) There is another subject
which I hope the Government will not lose sight of
—I mean the pollutionof rivers. Itis now generally
known that the cholera is spread by means of impuro

water. I am sorry my bill of 1864 was not accepted
by the home. The commission which was then ap-
pointed has, however, reported strongly in favour
of the watershed boards which 1 at that time recom-
mended. I trust that the present Government will
act, and will not leave us a prey to cholera as the
late Government sacrificed your oxen to the cattle
plague. (Loud cheers.)

Several other toasts were afterwards given and re-
sponded to.

Friendly Societies.

The annual report of the Registrar of Friendly Societies
in England has just been made. He states that during the
year 1865 he examined and certified the rules of 1,076
friendly societies, and also the alterations of the rules of
1,248 societies, making a total of 2,324 certificates. Forty-
four friendly societies had deposited their rules with the
Registrar, under 18 and 19 Vict., c. 63, s. 44. Notices of
dissolution had been received from 143 friendly societies,
of which number 88 wore advertised in the London Gazette.
During the year 1865 the sum of £2,238 in the Bank of
England was transferred by the Registrar into the names
of trustees appointed by friendly societies, in the place
of others removed, absent, &c. Since the publication
of his last report, the Registrar has prepared and cir-
culated "suggestions" for the establishment of friendly
societies on sound principles ; and which will be found
in the appendix. The object of these suggestions is to re-
commend the formation of friendly societies, provid-
ing only for medical attendance and for sick pay until
60 or 65 ; and that the payment of a weekly allowance to
commence at the age at which the sick pay would cease,
should be secured by an annuity granted by the Govern-
ment through the Post-office, and such annuity may be
secured by monthly payments, without a return of the
purchase money in any event, or with a return of the pur-
chase money, on the application of the party, at any time
before the commencement of the annuity, or on the death
of the party before the annuity is payable. A payment at
death of not more than £lOO, or less than £2OO, may be
also contracted for on Government security. It appears to
the Registrar that it would be most desirable if the sums
payable at death could be reduced to £lO, as in friendly
societies very few members insure for more than that sum.
The forms and terms of proposal for annuities, or sums pay-
able at death, may be obtained at every post-office
being a money-order office, and at several other post-
offices not being money-order offices. The Registrar
draws attention to the onesidedness of the:arbitration clause
permitted by the Friendly Society Acts. The consequence
is a great number of complaints of the difficulty of
getting claims settled—the societies having everything in
their own power. The number of friendly societies in
direct account with the National Debt Commissioners
was on the 20th November last 545 —the amount depo-
sited being £1,915,703. In addition, friendly societies hold
a largo amount of the deposits with savings banks. The
report also contains later returns of the Post-office
Savings Banks than any yet published. The number
of accounts remaining open at December 31, 1865, was
611,819, and the amount duo to depositors, £6,526,400—
the average amount at the credit of each being £lO 13s 4d.
It also appears from the same statement that the total
number of depositors in post-office savings banks and old
savings banks combined, and throughout the kingdom,
had risen at the close of the year 1865 to 2,078,000. The
total number of depositors at the end of the year 1855 was
1,304,000, so that there has been in the last ten years an
increase of 774,000 in the number of savings banks deposi-
tors. In the six years preceding the establishment of post-
office banks there was an increase of 305,000 (or an in-
crease of 50,000 per annum) in the number of depositors ;
but in the four years following the establishment of Post-
office Banks thorn has been an increase of 468,000 (or an
increase of 117,000 per annum) in their number. It may
then fairly be stated that the Post-office Savings Banks
have more than double the rate of increase in the num-
ber of Savings Bank depositors. In regard to Govern-
ment insurances it is stated that in March last, one year
from the commencement of business, 809 proposals, for
a total sum of £60,874, were received and accepted,
while 61 proposals were declined, 35 dropped, and 29
were under consideration. At the same time 238 propo-
sals for the purchase of annuities had been received, of
which 230 had been accepted. Of these, 150 were for
immediate annuities, and the amount of annuity pur-
chased was £3,430, and the purchase money £30,774.
Of the remainder 15 were for the purchase, by immediate
payments, of deferred annuities, the amount of deferred
annuity purchase being £232, and the amount of purchase
money paid down being £1,543. The remainder, 65, were
for the purchase of deferred annuities by annual or more
frequent payments, the amount in course of purchase being
£1,368, and the amount of purchase money annually payable
being £759. Of the 238 intending annuitants 103 were males
and 129 were females. The remaining six proposals were
for insurances on joint male and female lives. Friendly
societies have begun to propose transferring their old ago
risks to the Government.