The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-24 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1844.

The universal stir among the agriculturists of
England, from the Land's End to the Tweed, is a
feature of no ordinary occurrence in the history of
the country. Formerly the aristocratic landowner
followed religiously in the footsteps of his predecessor
—left " well alone"—hunted during the day—spent
the evening in libations—kept the peasantry as igno-
rant of any real knowledge as the beasts that perish
—mortgaged part of his property as dowries for his
daughters—supported the Tory Government, because
the Tory Government was bound neck and heels by
the landed interest—cried for war, because war pro-
vided situations for his sons, and raised his rent-rolls
—opposed with a fury approaching to madness every
species of reform—and declared all men traitors to
their GOD, their KING, and their country, who dared
to touch one pin of that sacred ark —the Constitution
in Church and State. What an awakening has been
since! It can be likened to nothing so aptly as the
scene described by the inspired Prophet, when " there,
was a noise, and behold a shaking, ana the bones
came together, bone to his bone, and they stood up an
exceedingly great army." The reformers, which in
bygone days were scarcely visible, are now to be met
with in every part of the island, and in every depart-
ment of the State. But even great and unexpected
as has been the change, no portion of it is so sur•
prising, and so pregnant with happy prospects, as
the resuscitation of the old, s'eepy agriculturists of
England. In almost every county and town meetings
have been held, for promoting agricultural improve-
ments. The landlords now tell their tenants they
must be up and doing—"the Philistines are upon
them." The burden of the speeches is " tile-draining,"
"guano manure," "subsoil ploughing," " turnip
'trill," and many other new-faugled systems imported
from the north, or from the best cultivated plains of
the Netherlands and Lombardy. The speech of
Lord STANLEY, at the Liverpool Agricultural
Association on Tuesday, is in excellent keeping
'with the late movement. "In every quarter of the
kingdom," said his Lordship, " we find, within the
last few years, that societies similar to this have b:en
springing up, and agriculture is partaking of the
great movement which has been pervading all the in-
erstrial branches of this country. Farmers are fin-
ing out that it is necessary for them, with a view to
their own interests, to take a very different course
from that which was followed by their grandfathers
and great grandfathers. In these days no man is allowed
to stand still. Improvement must go on. And I
see throughout the country, in every part of
it, gratifying proofs that improvement is going on
as actively •in the agricultural as in the inantl-
facturing districts and _operations of the country.
Now we ask his Lordship what has caused this
movement, this rattling of dry homes, this revivifica-
tion of a race which, generation after generation,
followed the preceding race like automatons. It is
the cry for cheap bread—the universal shout raised
by the friends of the poor, and, above all by an as.
soeiation but a few years oldthe National
ih.s Anti-
Corn-law League. if COADFN
porters never do another good' act in their livess—upif
they should fail in carrying into full effect their grand
object, which we deem impossible, they deserve to be
immortalised for rousing into activity a body of men
idle and haughty, yet vainly claiming for themselves
the title of the real protectors of their country, and