The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-28 00:00:00

ages acd breeds ‘Crti won by Lictor, the i.roperty of Mr. Ed-
ward J. Smith, county limerick. The Purdon challenge
for two l lest ;-port horned heifcrs, calvcd in 1867, was won by

The banquet was held at six o'clock. Atout 5'.10 none-
men and gentlemen were present. The Earl of Erne pre-
sided.

The Lord-Lieutenant lITB received with loud and pro-
loned cheers on rising to re, pond to the toast of Ws health.
lie that.k. d tl.e company for tito extreme cordiality vt ith
which it had Leen received. The noble chairman had
alluded in kindly terms to the tagnner in which ho bad per-
formed Li:: duties as en Irish landlord. lie highly appre-
ciated such approval, coming from one who was himself one
of the Lest and most intelligent of landlords, and these
good qualities generally went together. There was no
locality in which ho had grt ater pleasure in meeting

the Agricultural Society of Ireland than that in which
they were now met together. Ho thought that dis-
trict and that province suggested an instructive lesson and
offered an example to all who study the great problem of
Irish prosperity, of Irish industry, and of Irish difficulties.
(Cheers.) It was true that they had not those genial skies
or that exceeding fertility which some countries were
blessed with, but they had a people large in pro-
portion to most agricultural countries, living in peace
and harmony, energetically carrying out their industrial
ocenpations, while a cordial sympathy existed and
was cherished between both employers and employed:l.:ie.:"
teen the landlord and tenants of the soil. (Cheers.) It
was not his place to inquire whence this happy combination
arose. The fact was a source of satisfaction—satisfaction
not lessened by the hope that there was nothing
exceptional in their case that might not be applicable to
the rest of Ireland, considering that there had, been
social causes unfavourable to progress during the
last few years, though now fortunately in their
outward elements these had disappeared. It was satisfac-
tory to find that the show exhibited no falling off in Irish
agriculture. The season they had just passed through bad
been one of entirely exceptional drought, yet reliable ac-
counts from all parts of Ireland denoted that the harvest
would be a favourable one. With the exception of
turnips, all crops looked well. From the Registrar-
General's returns, which had just been issued, he found
that the present year showed an increase of 79,000 acres of
cereal crops over last year, an increase of 30,000 acres of po-
tatoes and 33,000 of meadow. Nearly 150,000 acres had last
year been withdrawn from pasture presumably into rotation
crops, and consequently in the right direction. There was a
small decrease in horses, and a decrease of sheep of
about 13,000, a decrease of 87,000 cattle, and 872,000
pigs ; in flax there bad been a decrease of 48,000 acres, of
which 42,000 acres were in Ulster. He did not regard this
as a proof of weakness or deficiency, but ratheras a return
to a healthy condition of things, there being still a much
larger quantity grown than in any year before 1863. The
emigration during the year ending June, 1868, was
69,000, or 11,000 less than the preceding year, and 33,000
less than in 1866. The number of persons teceiv-
ing poor-law relief during the year showed an increase
of 1,240 ; and closely connected with emigration was the
question of improvement of the dwellings of the labouring
classes. To aid in that he had asked permission of the
Society to give a prize for designs of such dwellings,
to be built at the rate of £75 for a single cot-
tage and £65 for each one of a number. Ho be-
lieved the Irish peasant was better off now than in
former years. Ho thought emigration had been
caused not by increased poverty, but by the spread of educa-
tion and greater facilities for travelling; the bust way to
counteract the evil was by improved dwellings and higher
wages for the labouring classes. For this reason he re-
joiced to see increased wages in different parts of Ireland.
lle believed this would ultimately be of advantage to
both landlords and farmers, for there was nothing
so expensive in the long run as cheap labour As
an Irish proprietor he was ashamed of the average
dwellings of the agricultural labourers on Lis owa
estate, and yet he was unable to see his way to any
change for the v. hole number ; Lut the subject if pro-
perly placed before the public was capable of great
expansion. With the exception of certain occasional
outrages, which were no more truly indivativo of the
real condition of the country than the health of a parti-
cular street was indicative of the sanitary condition of
a largo city, there were greater quiet. and freedom from
crime, ei-ter of a sedit:ous or ordinary character, than for
many ye .rs past. Other toasts followed.

His Excellency thrn prceeeded to the Bishop's Palace,
and held a reception, which was numerously and fasLion-
ably attended. The city was illuminated at night.

A cab driver, named liegarty, has been stabbed
Lo death near Youghal in a quarrel with a band of

musicians.

THE " FATHER " OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The Dublin Evening Mail announces the retirement from
public and parliamentary life of Sir W. Verner. The hon.
baronet has for many years been the " father ," that is, the
senior member, of the House of Commons, where he has
sat for forty-two years. In politics he has always been an.
Orangeman of the most ultra old' school, and his
name is associated with the fiercest stuggles of the
party. His son, Mr. E. W. Verner, hopes to
succeed him in the representation of the county
of Armagh.

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—As the seven p.m. up-train
from Ramsgate was leaving the Birchington Station on the
South-Eastern line, the doors being all closed and the
train fairly in motion, a woman ran towards the train, and
endeavoured to get one of the carriage doors open, which
she succeeded in doing ; but in making the attempt to jump
in she fell between the platform and the train. Two carriages
passed over her, crushing one foot, and cutting one leg
entirely from her body. Dr. T. Neame, surgeon, of Birch-
ington, was quickly on the spot, and, assisted by two
medical gentlemen from Margate Infirmary, performed
the necessary surgical operations. The poor woman is
now lying at the station, and doing very favourably, she
having received every attention from the station-master
and his assistants. No blame can be attached to any of
the company's servants, it being entirely the woman's own
fault in trying to get into the train while in motion.
RIOTS IN CIIELSEA.—For several nights past
the outside of St. Luke's Church, Chelsea, has been the
scene of a most disgraceful riot, and on Thursday night it
extended its field of violence. It commenced by an
alarm of an apparition being visible among the tombstones,
and au immense mob of disorderlies climbed the church
railings, shrieking, pushing, and fighting, despite
the presence of the police, and the streets became
impassable for decent people. " The ghost" was, how-
ever, captured late on Thursday night, in the shape of
some idle scamp in white shirt sleeves, who was
detected dodging over the graves. The mob having
followed their ghost down the King's-road to the station-
house,found a fresh field in East-street, Chelsea, in the shape
of a wedding. An aged man had taken a third wife, and
whilst he and his friends were enjoying themselves at
supper, their peace was suddenly interrupted by an
immense serenade of tin pots and showers of mud. The
bridegroom boldly sallied out to drive off his noisy
wedding friends, and got, as may be expected, roughly
treated. His wife came to the rescue, and was shame-
fully used. The police marched off some of the ring-
leaders, but this rather increased than allayed the riot.

RIOTOUS PROCEEDINGS IN A THEATRE. —A
night or two ago a concert was announced to be given in
the Theatre Royal, Durham, by a company of four or five
"artistes." A well•filled house resulted, and the first
two or three songs were successfully rendered. A short
interval then took place, when the " gentleman " who had
sung last presented himself before the "drop" and An-
nounced that the other " gentlemen " who were associated
with him in the undertaking bad made themselves
" scarce " in the house. He believed, however, they were
in a neighbouring " public," and he asked the for-
bearance of the audience while he went to bring them
back. Visions of a swindle seemed at once to seize
the imagination of the denizens of the gallery, who,
as the speaker retired from the stage, swarmed dowii
into the boxes, thence over the footlights on to the
stage, where the work of destroying everything that could
be destroyed was at once begun in real earnest. Every.
thing portable in the carpenters' shops was hurled
down on to the stage, and some vicious fellow had appa.
rently made his way into one of the dressing•rooms, where
he had severed the gas•pipe with a knife. Fortunately
for the safety of the establishment, and those in it, some
one turned the tap at the meter, and this had the effect of
throwing the place into darkness, and clearing it of its
unruly company. The crowd, on being turned into the
streets, made their way to various places in search of the
promoters of the swindli; and it required all the efforts of
the police to prevent wanton mischief from taking place,