The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-01 00:00:00

Slit E. B. LYTTON A7' ST. ALBANS.

The annual exhibition of the Herts Agricultural
Society took place yesterday at St. Alban's. The
show of stock and imprements, though rather defi-
cient in quantity, was considered excellent in point
of quality. It was visited by a large number of
per3c-ns during the day, and seemed to excite a
good deal of interest in the town. In the evening
the members and friends of the society dined
together in the Town-hall. The Earl of Verulam
oompied the chair, and was supported right and
left by some of the most influential gentlemen of
the county, the general company numbering up-
wards of 200. Of the three members for the county
only one—Sir E. B. Lytton—was present. Sir H.
Meux is in Scotland, and the absence of Mr. Puller
was accounted for by the recent death of a very

near relative.
After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts bad
been given from the chair, and responded to with
more than ordinary enthusiasm,
Col. AMES proposed "the members for the
county," and the toast was received with all the
honours.

Sir E. B. 'LYTTON, on rising to acknowledge the
compliment, was loudly cheered. He said :—My
Lords and Genii rise to return thanks for
011,e konour Aich you have bestowed upon myself
and keon my two colleagues. With regard to Sir
11 Meux, I am sure we must all wish that he'may
profit in health and strength by hie present excur-
sion in Scotland •, while, with respect to Mr. Puller,
we must all -condole with him in the severe afflic-
tion which has befallen him, and regret that we are
deprived upon this occasion of an eloquence which
always adorns our.meetiugs, and which has already,
in Parliament, justified the expectations of his
friends. (Cheers.) For myself, I may say it is
very seldom that I fail in attending the anniversary
meetings of this society. (Hear.) I always rejoice
to meet so many of my constituents upon an occasion
which is free from the animosities of parties, when
we may all equally congratulate the unsuccessful
candidates, and when none is sounwelcome but what
we thank him for his exertions, and even encourage
him to try again. But I must say that I feel a
peculiar pleasure in assisting at a meeting of our
agricultural society within the walls of this ancient
city. Here, upon the site of some of the most me-
morable events in our remotest annals—here, where
the first rude inhabitants of the land fought their
earliest battles against the Roman legions—here,
where the blood of the martyred convert became
the peed of the Christian Church—here it is that a.g,-
rieulture, the best civiliser of mankind, this day
holds its peaceful festival, and unites in one long
chain of association our true origin as a nation to
the vast improvements which ripe experience and
science can bestow upon human Labour. And it is
an appropriate addition to our interest in this meet-
ing that it should have for its president one who
holds the lands and 'dignifies the title of that famous
Francis Bacon, who, whatever his multifarionS avo-
cations and researches, retained to the last his pas-
sionate love forithe first and best of English occupa-
tions. If that great man were alive now, and could
witness the changes and improvements which his
estates have undergone, the sight might suggest to
him one other illustration for his adrithable work
•" On the Advancement of Learning." I am not
surprised that under such auspices this meeting
should be numerously attended. I have heard with
some regret that the exhibition upon the whole has
been somewhat more scanty as to quantity than
upon former occasions. At the same time I am glad
to find that there have been in point of quality seve-
ral admirable specimens of cattle exhibited, and also
that the show of implements has been unusually
good. Nevertheless, I am sure that farmers and
agriculturists generally will excuse me if I entreat
them to consider that exhibitions of this kind re-
quire quattity as well as quality, and I think I may
undertake to say that if any of them would only have
the kindness to suggest to the prizegivers a mode by
which the number of competitors could be increased
their suggestions would receive not only attention,
but the most grateful consideration. If we wish to
make progress wa must be a little discontented
with what we have already accomplished. Of two
men, it one says, "I have done my best, and can
do no more ; and the other, " I have tried to do
my best, but hope next year to do something bet-
ter," which, think you, will succeed ? Of course,
you all reply, the man who knows that as we have
eyes to see and ears to hear we are never too old to
learn. Time is the oldest thing I know of, but Time
is never too old to learn. Time is always trying to
do something better. To borrow the expression of
one of the greatest of our orators—Time is repre-
sented with a scythe in one hand, but with an
hourglass in the other, and it is by keeping up to
the improvements of each succeeding year—or, in
other words, by consulting the hourglass while using
the scythe, that British agriculture has been enabled
to embody the best elements of the British charac-
ter, has obtained from the native flow of its own
energies a fairer sunshine for its harvests than any
shed from Italian skies, has reclaimed the fens of
Lincoln, fertilised the sands of Norfolk, and raised
this small county of ours, which little more than
a century and a half ago was a mere expanse of
wsste and wooded land, into the foremost rank of
those corn-growing districtsupoie-which the strength
and prosperity of the nation depend. (Cheers.) I
believe we shall continue to flourish, and improve
as long as while we try to do our best, we hope each
succeeding year to do something better still—or, in
other words, as long as we commit the hourglass
while we use the scythe. It has pleased Providence
to bless its with an excellent swaemer and a most
bounteous harvest—and, as far at 3 human judgment
can foresee, the prospect before the British farmer
is now encouraging and cheerful. (Hear.) Various
circumstances affecting the coreemarkets .of Ame-
rica and the continent have, tog ether with the dis-
covery of gold in regions where it was formerly not
known to exist, checked or retarded that great fall
of prices which both parties had anticipated from
the repeal of the corn-laws ; while the rapid increase
of our own population, the spread of our towns,
and that general national pro sperity which, in
raising the standard of comfort among the working
classes, tends also to raise the ;standard of price,
combined with the progressive abundance of
the precious metals and with tire fact that the Bri-
tish farmer is not resting supine, but is taking
iord, children
outanodf
ad-
vantage of all that scientific theory can suggest to
practical experience, warrant the hope that this
land of ours may long contii nee to maintain its
toth
o rewardsurplus
its
fc uoll tuorr sal.
population,
pAuul
atd
omuy,