The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-28 00:00:00

NORTHAMPTON, THURSDAY NIGHT.

The most successful show ever held by the
Northamptonshire Agricultural Society came off
here to-day. It was held on the racecourse near
the town, and close to it was a show of flowers,'
which was also a complete success. Most of the
aristocracy of the county visited both. The .day
was beautifully fine, and as for the first time ladies
were to be admitted to the annual feast of the society
there was a large influx of the fair sex. Military
and volunteer bands performed in the show grounds,
and the day was quite a gala one.
In the evening the members of the society and
the ladies and gentlemen of the county, to the
number of over 700, dined together in a large
marquee, which had been pitched on the racecourse.
The large tent was very tastefully adorned, and at
the principal table sat a distinguished company,
including the Earl and Countess Spencer, Lord
Lyveden, Lord Burghley, MX., Lord Henley,
M.P., Mr. R. Knightley, M.P,, Col. Cartwright,
M.P., Mr. G. W. Hunt, ALP., Hon. F. W. C.
Villiers, Gen. Arbuthnot, Gen. Bouvcrie, Gen.Vyse,
Lieut.-Col. Oglivy and Lady Henrietta Oglivy, the
Hon. D. Fermore, the Rev. Sir G. and Lady Robin-
son, the Mayor of Northampton, &c.
Among the general company were a number of
volunteer officers and the lady members of their
families.

The lion. F. W. C. Villiers presided, and the
vice-chairs were filled by Lord Burghley, M.P.,
and the Mayor of Northampton.
The loyal toasts were given and responded to
with the usual demonstrations of loyalty.
The CHAIRMAN, in giving " The Army and
Navy, the Militia, and the Volunteers," said that It
was needless for him to descant on the merits of the
regular war forces of the country, but it would not
become a company like that to forget the assist-
ance afforded to the army and navy by the old con-
stitutional forces. (Hear.) They could not but re-
member the patriotism displayed by the Northamp-
tonshire Militia when they went out and served at
Gibraltar under the command of his noble friend in
the vice chair. (Cheers.) The country and the town
of Northampton had come nobly forward to aid the
Volunteer movement, and he had no doubt that,
should occasion arise, the Volunteers of England
would show themselves to be not less brave than
the men of the army and militia forces. (Cheers.)
The toast was drunk with great applause.
Gen. ARBUTHNOT begged leave, on the part of
the Duke of Cambridge and the army, to thank the
company for the cordial manner in which they had
received the toast, whieh was rather a large one,
embracing as it did the army and navy, the militia,
and the volunteers. The mention of these fol ces
was always received with enthusiasm, but on the
present occasion the enthusiasm had been greater
than usual. He attributed that to the presence of
the ladies. It was to him a matter of regret that
his gallant friend, General Bouverie, had not been
called on to discharge the duty of returning thanks,
for he could have told them of what had been done
by the British forces on the plains of Waterloo when
under the eagle eye of 'Wellington. (Hear.) He
was glad, in the presence of Lord Burghley, to bear
%
testimony to the discipline and efficiency of the
Northamptonshire Militia at the time he had the
honour of inspecting it. The 48th Regiment of the
Line and the 48th Regiment of Militia were two
corps of which the country might feel proud. As
regarded the navy, there was but one feeling. It
continued what it had ever been—one of the great
safeguards of the country. As the senior military
officer present, he felt much pleasure in express-
ing his sense of the important services rendered
to England by the Volunteers. Nothing could equal
the sight presented by so many men throwing
aside all considerations of private convenience
and coming forward to qualify themselves to be-
come defenders of their country. (Cheers.) Their
countrymen might depend on it that, should events
call for their active exertions in the field, they
would not excel, but they would endeavour to
equal the services of the British army. (Cheers.)
" The Bishop and Clergy of the Diocess" was
then given by the CHAIRMAN, and responded to
by the Rev. Sir G. ROBINSON,
" The Health of the Marquis of Exeter, Lord,
Lieutenant of the county," was drunk with much
cordiality.
Lord BURGHLEY, M.P., returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN, in giving " Prosperity to the
Northamptonshire Agricultural Society," observed
that the society had every reason to congratulate
themselves on their progress. No less than 83 new
members had joined during the year. The money
value of the prizes given last year was £447 ; this
year it was £6OO. The number of prize cattle ex-
hibited at the show of 1860 was 49 ; that exhi-
bited at the show of 1861 was 93. In 1860 there
were 37 classes of sheep ; at the present year's show
there were 66. In 1880 81 horses were shown ;
this year the number was 117. Last year there
were nine classes of pigs; this year, 21. (Cheers.)
There had been gloomy forebodings some years ago
as to the North imptonshire horses; but he was
happy to say those prognostications had not been
fulfilled, nor did there seem any likelihood of their
being so. (Hear.) Next in importance was their
steam engines ; for, if the agriculturists of this
country were to compete with foreigners for a
supply of food to its people, it must be by economy
of labour both in cultivating their fields and in
feeding their cattle. (Hear, hear.) He hoped that
none of the gentlemen of that county were open to
the charge of having resorted to the expedient of
raising the wind" —(laughter) —but he and some
of his friends had applied a modification of the
windmill to agricultural purposes. That ex.

periment, like many others, was one which
they had borrowed from their Transatlantic
brethren. It was in its infancy, but he
believed that wind engines would be found a
successful and useful addition to the usual farming
appliances in places where they could be worked.
(Hear.) A very important subject was that of the
improvement of the labourers' cottage. (Hear, hear.)
He was aware that it was a subject which must be
entered on with great care; for while, on the one
hand, the cottage of the labourer ought to be con•
_ _

sidered, there was, on the other, the difficulty that

sometimes the labourer worked on the farm of one

proprietor and resided on the estate of another;
and a landowner could not be expected to lay out
his money on another man's property. Nevertheless

a great deal must be done in improving cott Iges
and the condition of the labourer was so much
mixed up with the property of the country gene-
rally that the matter was one to which all proprie-
tors should give their attention. (Cheers.)
The toast was drunk with all the honours, as were
also the healths of the chairman and vice-chairman,
for which the lion. Mr. Villiers and Lord Burghley
returned thanks.

Earl SPENCER, on rising
to "
propose
i The La-
bourers," was loudly cheered. lesaid—Ladies and
gentlemen, I consider the toast which I have now the
honour of proposing nearly akin i
think to that of pro-
sperity to Northamptonshire. that the
prosperity of agriculture depends in a
great
r hear .)
on the prosperity of the labourer. (gear,
degreeue
th at
I am sure that you agree with me and re-echoli
, sentiment; because you must be aware that
with-
out the improvement of the agricultural labourer
this or no other country can keep pace with the
improved agriculture of England generally. (Hear,
hear,) We have seen in our show-ground to-day
very useful agricultural implements, some of the

most superior of which have steam power applied
to them ; but without improved labourers we cannot
work those machines• (Hear, hear.) Not only

• ...,/hay
mast you have a good ploughman now, but you
must have au intelligent man able to work a steam
engine. (Hear, hear.) I am sure that you are
anzzions to improve the labourer. There are only
two ways of doing that. The first is by the im-
provement of the cottages which has been so ably
referred to by my right hon. friend the chairman.
Ifuily concur with him that we must improve the
d
cottages,eiy Steps ha., .e already been taken in that
ire ppreßentedtebY gentlemen' who, when the opportunity
itself, palled down old cottages and
erecd new .
go further. °usein villages but I think we must
hold me guilty hear.) Ido not think you will
referzin.l3 to politics if I allude to I

'RD L Y I/B.OEN' AND B IRL S 'ENCER a bill passed last session which extends free trade
AT AOR7HAMPTON. in favour of the labourers, and allows them to seek
a market for their labour. That is a most impor-
tant point to which proprietors will have to look.
(Hear, hear.) I believe that next to having a
labourer to work for him the most important point
for the farmer is to have his workmen near him.
' (Hear, hear.) It is not only good for the labourer
to be near his employer—for he is looked after
by the farmers themselves and by the ladies,
so many of whom I am glad to see here to•
day—but it is an immense convenience to
the farmer to have his labourers near at hand.
(Hear, hear.) I admit that this is a difficult ques-
tion, but it is one which will have to be considered
by the proprietors. Next to the question of how to
maintain them and increase the accommodation in
their cottages is that of the education to the
labourer. The report recently issued by the Com-
missioners of Education shows that a great step has
been taken in that direction ; but we have more to
do. (Hear, hear.) The quality of the education
wi.ich we should give to them is not the least inte-
resting portion of the subject. My opinion is that
we ought to give the labourers a good rudimentary
education, but not one that will make them be above
that occupation. (Hear, hear.) We ought to give
them such instruction as will enable them—if they
have character, energy, and talent—to raise them-
selves above their present situation. (Hear, hear.)
I believe, in fact, that more attention ought to be
given to plain reading, writing, and arithmetic ; for
too much has been given to those higher branches
of instruction which the time devoted by the
labourer to school does not enable him to acquire,
and which for that reason cannot be so suited to
his position. (Cheers.)
After several other toasts had been given and re-
sponded to,
Lord LYVEDEN rose amid loud cheering and said
—Mr. President, ladies, and gentlemen, I rise to
propose to you " The Successful Competitors." The
committee of this association, in the exercise of a
most wise discretion, have thought fit to postpone
this toast to a time when it is impossible for me to
address you in the manner I would have otherwise
wished to do. I regret that having seen this morning
every kind of improvement, and every stall teeming
with semething new, fresh descriptions of fodder for
cattle, new agricultural implements of every kind—
when we come together this evening nothing new
is presented to us. We have the same speakers, the
same stale jokes—the same antiquated imageries—
the same worn-out arguments. (Laughter.) There
is nothing to tell you that the breed of orators is
improving. (Renewed laughter.) lam sorry that
it has fallen to my lot to address you now. I should
have been glad to see it fall to younger and better
hands ; but, indeed, there is only one novelty which
appears to be open to comment and congratulation,
and to that every one who has spoken has alluded.
The fact that this is the first of your meetings to
which ladies have been admitted betokens how
backward must have been the state of your agri-
cultural affairs in times past. It does present itself
to my mind, that when politics were excluded ladies
ought- to have been admitted. Not that I think
that ladies are by any means bad politicians.
(Hear, hear.) I admire them as politicians, because
they are personally warm, vehement, and passion-
ate. (Hear, hear.) They love the leaders of their
own party, and Lord! how they love when they do
love! (Laughter and cheers.) They hate the
leaders of the Opposition ; and Lord ! how they
hate when they do hate ! (Renewed laughter and
cheers.) They give a zeal and zest to the tame,
calm, cowardly, conventional hypocrisies of public
life (laughter) ; and, therefore, I should be sorry to
see them excluded from meetings like this. (Hear,
hear.) And I must say that I regret to find politics
so rigidly excluded. Ido not see why moderate
controversial politics should not be discussed at
these meetings. My hon. friend (Mr. Hunt) said
that he was longing to engage in politics because
he saw me beside him. I am glad to say that I
have often met my hon. friend in controversy, but
not in any spirit of acrimony. We have often
grappled together in argument, but never, I rejoice
to say, in animosity. I have often sat opposite to him
but I have never been opposed to him in any other
than a Parliamentary sense ; and I should rather
meet him at a feast than at a fray. (Cheers.) I
do not know that I have any general observations
to address to you. (Cries of "Go on.") If it was
earlier in the evening I might be disposed to say a
few words on the prospects of the country—com-
mercially as well as agriculturally, and I believe
that what I would have said could not have been
considered as trenching upon politics. (" Go on.")
I should have warned you that though we have had
—and thank God for it—a successful harvest, you
must not be too elated. You must well know that
there are other great interests besides that of agri-
culture to be considered in this country. There is
the manufacturing interest. We cannot lose sight
of the fact that any suspension of our manufactur•
ing prosperity must be attended with very serious
consequences to the country generally. If, how-
ever, there should be any suspension in the supply
of cotton, I am happy to say it cannot last very long
—(hear, hear)—for I can tell you from trustworthy
information that there are places within our own
dominions in which a supply can be grown. We
have nothing to do but to turn to the East—a
source of supply which we have too long neglected
to avail ourselves of. (Hear, hear.) You can get a
supply from Ind:a, which, though it may not be of
the same staple as that grown in America, will be
very valuable to the manufacturer; but you must
remember that mach depends on the price paid. If
you are not prepared to raise the price, you will not
be able to get cotton. What you want in order to
ensure a supply from India is an improved system
of roads and increased facilities for bringing cotton
to the ports ; but you are not entitled to lay a tax
on the people of India for your benefit. It is
contrary to all knowledge of the principles of free
trade that you should grow a particular growth, that
you should throw it upon the Government to take
the place of a private capitalist, and apply its
powers to making the people of India grow cotton
instead of indigo or any other plant. Let the manu-
facturers of this country remember that the people
of India might be induced to direct their attention
to opening iron and coal mines, which might enable
them to produce manufactured articles as well as the
raw material. (Hear, hear.) I allude to this sub-
ject as One that should prevent you from being in-
toxicated;with your present success and imagining
that there is nothing to prevent it lasting for ever.
(Hear, hear.) To the successful competitors on the
present occasion I offer my congratulations, and I
ask your pardon for trespassing on you for three
minutes loeger than I intended. (Go on.) It is
very well, -ladies and gentlemen, to say .4 Go on ;"
but I am afraid that the train has by this time gone
off—(laughter)—and I will tell you another thing.
Your excellent toast-master has intimated to me
that I am standing in the way of a toast which you
must be all burning to drink—" The Ladies."
Cheers.)

THE FATAL LOCOMOTIVE EXPLOSION IN THE
COUNTY OF DURHAM.—Mr. Favell, the coroner for South
Durham, held an inquest at South Shields, on Thursday,
upon the body of John Leathern, the guard of a coal train,
killed by the explosion of No. 84 locomotive-engine, on the
North-Eastern Lailway, near Washington, on Monday
night. The engine was just about to start with a heavy train
of coal waggons, when the boiler burst. The explosive force
had rent the boiler along the bottom, and turned it over,
with the cupola, into a ditch, killing Leathern and seriously
injuring the engins-driver and stoker. The fragments of
the boiler had been carefully examined since the explosion,
and the cause of it was traced to a defect in one of the plates
in the bottom of the boiler, which plate, though made of
the best Low Moor iron, must have had a flaw in it when
put in, seven years ago, for an old flaw was observed, and
the effects of the explosive force commenced with it, tearing
the remaining parts of the boiler plates along like paper.
The verdict of the jury was accidental death. Tho engine
driver and stoker remain very ill.
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