The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-23 00:00:00

.ENDER Or THE AGRICULTURAL INTEREST."

Mr. HENRY PEASE, the recently elected Mem•
ber for South Durham, and one of the few repro

sentatives of the Manchester School that has ob-
tained a seat in the Legislature, has preferred a

serious bill of indiament against the English
Press. He is but following in the track
of his leader, the ex-M.P. for the West
Riding. It is not-Jrious that Mr. COBDEN thought
that the sole business of public journalists was to
give elaborate reports of the speeches of himself

and his disciples—that they had no right to in-
dependent thought or action, but should merely
record his and their sayings and doings. This
was his notion respecting the " mission of jour-

nalism." Fortunately that opinion has not been
endorsed by the community at large. They are
still proud of their Fourth E-t tte, and consider
its independence and freedom one of the great
Palladiums of national liberty.
Mr. HENRY PEASE thinks otherwise. He
acknowledges, and we thank him for the admis-
sion, that there is probably no Press throughout

the civilised world conducted with the same
ability, or that is managed with the same regard

to the Maintenance of the constitutional rights of
the people, as the press of England. But
there is still a heavy drawback. They venture
to think for themselves. They " may go too far"
—venture to " make.up a budget for the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer—endeavour to make up
or unmake a Prime Minister for the QUEEN-9r
about the making of war or peace—and are dis-
posed to institute a theology for the Christian
world."

Now we venture to remind Mr. PEASE tha

BENNET'S OWn."
But the grand flag—the blue flag—(do the
Conservatives look blue since the election ?)—the
" No Surrender" flag—it puzzled us not a little.
Had it been no surrender of Toryism to the
Tory chief of a Radical Cabinet, we could have
understood it ; but no surrender of the " agrieule
tura/ interest"—who in the world, we asked, is
attacking the agricultural interest ? Where is the
investing army ? Who aro its leaders? COBDEN
—BRIGHT—GIBSON—they are all hors de combat ;
moreover, we were told by one speaker, Sir R.
BUXTON, that they were clever, honest fellows, and
ought to be in the House ! Only think of country
gentlemen talking thus—learn mutati I we ex-
claim, indeed. It was not, then, the Freetraders
who were attacking the agricultural interest. The
Free-trade prices seem to have pleased the Suffolk
yeomanry so well, that could they have voted at
M tneheater and Hudderafield they would have
voted the League into power. Still, we feel sure,
there must be some redoubtable foe in sight. A
Captain bold, and his bold retainers at the feast,
were not the men to hang out the blue banner in
mere bravado, or to talk big of " No surrender"
when no herald made the demand, and when no
foe appeared even in the distance. The Agricul-
tural interest must be in real danger.
Was it the gradual fall of prices against which
the Captain was to lead his yeomanry? No: they
aro content with the present prices of wheat and
meat together—and well they may, as we know
to our cost by our butcher's and baker's bills ;
besides, they were " sorry that GIBSON and
BRIGHT were ousted." Do they dread Sir G. C,
Levers and an Income Tax after 1860 ? That,
however, is every one's interest—imposition of A. Cabinet C,eincil was held yesterday afternoon a
Fire Insurance duty on Farming St )ck, which the the official residence of the First L ,rd of the Treasury,
Chancellor of the Exchequer, being so enamoured in Downing-street. The Ministers present were Via-
of this duty, has talked of—well, that would be count Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville,
the Marquis of Lansdowne, Sir George Grey, the Earl
an assault as far as it went, but hardly one for of Clarendon, Mr. Secre'ary Labouohere, Lord Pan-
which they would hang out the "No surrender" mure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles
flag, it being rather awkwari to prove that Wood, the Right'Hon. R. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley
farming stock should not pay Government duty, of Alilerley, the Duke of Argyll, and the Right Hon.
M. T. Baines.
at least as well as other property for which the
DEPARTURH OF LORD ELGIN. His Excellency the
offices charge the same rate of premium. Horses Earl of Elgin took his departure for Paris on Tuesday
used in agriculture have not been threatened with afternoon, accompanied by the Countess, and would
the same tax as all other persons' horses that we reach the French capital yesterday afternoon. The gen-
tlemen associated with the noble earl in his mission to
have heard of. There is no talk of repealing the
China left London on Tuesday and yesterday, to meet
law which exempts manure carts from turnpike his Excellency, and then proceed via Marseilles to Alex-
tolls. What on earth can be the dreaded enemy andria. The Earl of Elgin intend.' to stay two or three
against whom the old Protection flag is brought days in Paris. The countess will then take leave of
out, with the name of Captain BENNET ? him, and return to town in the early part of next week.
The gentlemen attached to the mission are the Hon. F.
Perhaps the speeches may enlighten us. It was
Bruce, Mr. Oliphant, Mr. Cameron, and Mr. Fitzroy.
somewhat of a funereal feast. While it commeme- The Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Albert Leveson
rated the unopposed return of two staunch Tories Gower hare left Stafford-house, for Castle Howard,
fur West Suffolk, the speeches began with a tribute Yorkshire, to visit the Countess of Carlisle. The Duke
and Lord Ronald Lemon Gower left the same (Tees-
to the fallen at the late election. Twenty-two
day) evening, for Cliefden-park, near Maidenhead.
trusty Knights of the Shire, it was announced, The Duchess Dowager of Norfolk, accompanied by
had fallen in the late election conflict ; the House Lord and Lady George Manners, left town yesterday, on
of Commons would see theta no more ; and their a visit to the Duke of Sutherland, at Cliefden, Bucks.
places would be filled by mon who called them-
The Duke and Dacheas of -Argyll left Campden-hi 1,
Kensington, last evening, on a visit to the Duke of
selves men of progress. At this announcement
Sutherland, at Cliefden.
the defiance began. Lord PALMERSTON must, to Major Ord bad an interview with Mr. Secretary La.
satisfy his new supporters, positively must, bring bouchere yesterday. Dr. Sand with and Mr. Stevenson
had also interviews with the right hon. gentleman at
in some measures of political reform ; then the the Colonial-office.
present members for West Suffolk would not be The bar silver brought by the last West India packet
was sold yesterday at 61f3. per oc—the same rate as
able to walk over the course as they had just
that obtained for the last arrival.
done—then would come the tug of war—then— STRYCHNINE.—Some weeks ago a curious Enstance of
the e.4dt
reyacdhl deadly power et ro thatiolao
plates
a vegetablew e
and the speaker thought it might be soon—thent ll a poison,on nan;"NvoTiineae'
Notting-
let them fight for the agricultural interest to the ham. Rate infested the premises occupied by one of
cry of " Captain BENNET, and no surrender I" the game-keepers in the employ of Lord Middleton to
such an extent that the keeper destined it advisable to
Now all is plain. The agricultural interest have recourse to the poison above-named, which, of
means the " things-as-they-are" interest. The course, had the desired effect. The dead bodies of the
rata were thrown up in a heap of manure, and when in a
right of landlords to demand their tenants' votes, state of decomposition were partly consumed by the
and to have them recorded in certain well• known keeper's poultry, which immediately fell a prey to the
power the poison and died. This instance of the
books, that they may see how their tenants have strength of the poison remaining in the dead bodies of
done their duty. The right of tenants at will and its victims
for
the BO ling a timeoughtto
forty shilling freeholders to vote in counties, and incidentsrning
to its c
public, si n since .t chows
n
it
body after deathe
ashnoguerl;
of no one else who has not some property in land be guarded against with the utmost carefulness. Any
to join in electing the national representatives.
A
To no est o u glant t
ion
vb
ee
tiemr
amt
ee d ioiitde 1
yg
br
grumbler
Above all, the agricultural interest, then, means says :—" There are no women now a days. Instead of
the landlords. The men, that is, who represent flowers.woi ne, w
You
haveoo ssee
towering
milliner's i
afircgees
aodfv
esritlilscinglaveea'n that
themselves and their tenants too, much as sidles along with a rustling sound, and you are told
sthevaetriatlisynarwdsontoafflt;hebumtoa.s.t youe r
oeb as
slaveholders in America get votes for three-fifthscannot
rnuoctt ion approach
you cannot within
of their slaves ; for whether the slaves are not tell what it is beyond .something that looks like an
permitted to vote, or must vote as their masters e_ no tsierde sihno f
frontit
ema
llyi motion
iTeivt
eh,
ifl
atnhye goodsmeaxn-
bid them, it comes of course to the same thing. Pvrould open an exhibition, where one could see a woman,
The right divine of landlords to county rule, and womentsouebheafsair s
.?
graceful,yeun gwdeallsp,roviphoerntiotnheed, andyusee
the duty divine of tenants to be subject to the everything
that slender,
ber'autiful, instead of the animated
O ounty powers that be, this is the agricultural wardrobes, and unrecognisable bundles of fine clothes
that they now are—l really believe that an enterprising
in.,`ereat. showmae like that would rapidly realise a large for-
11.t last, then, we understand the new Banner ;1 tulle. —Punch,

the Press did not enter on these grounds there
would be but little use for that ability of which

he speaks. " Paste and scissors' " men would
only be required for the business to which he ap-
parently thinks they should be restricted. But
we ask Mr. PEASE what harm can the discussion
inaugurated by the well-abused journalists do ?
Their arguments will only be t tken quantum,
slaleant. Truth must be promoted ley dispassionate
discussion, " The mythical we" will only remain
tnluential so long as it is supported by the voice
of public) opinion. Bat it has gone, with few and
rare exceptions, against the Manchester School,
and we must allow for the soreness felt by lasing
parties. That school may not "be dead, but sleep-
ing ;" but they must be resuscitated to some pur-
pose before they can put down English journalism,
Jr induce the British People to be contented with
the " cheap and nasty " in preference to their
established favourites, to those who have for a long
succession of years faithfully and efficiently dis-
charged the arduous and important duties which
ti,ey have undertakea with credit to themselves
and advantage to the nation.

HEALTH OF THE DUCHESS OF °LOU-
* C ESTER.

The following bulletin was issued this morning :
" Gloucester House, April 23, 9 a.m.
" Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucestn-
has passed a quieter night. Her Royal High_
ness's general state remains much the same.
(Signed) " FRANCIS HAWKINS, M. D.
" ROBERT FERGUSON, M.D.
" E. H. HILLS."