The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-20 00:00:00

Now, gentlemen, is not this perfectly true ?—(Hear,
hear.) And yet there are not a few landowners who
seem to think that if tenant-farmers can pay their rents

and just rub along, they have no right to expect more.—
(Hear, hear.) Tell a landlord—of course there are ex-
ceptions, but the exceptions prove the rule—that any
particular tenant is making a profit, and he will imme-
diately think, and not unfrequently act upon the thought,
that the farm has been let for too little rent.—(Hear,

.ar.) Now let us see what has been the effect of these
notions amongst the landowners of England. Upon this
point Mr. Low says :
"In the finest parts of England funds have been pro-
gressively accumulating for stocking the farms to a
degree unknown in any other country in Europe ; but
the essential conditions having been too often wanting,
of security of possession, and a beneficial connexion be-
tween the landlord and the tenants, agriculture has re-
mained comparatively fixed, while every other branch of
industry has been advancing."
—(Hear, hear.) Compare this stationary state of agri-
culture with the onward progress of other branches of
British industry. Mr. Low says :
" The manufacturer of cotton, of wool, of iron, has the
assurance that the machine which he constructs and

improves for the purposes of his trade is his own, and
that the more perfect he can render it the more profit-
able will the use of it become to him. The farmer who

lays out capital on the great machine on which his all
depends—the earth which he tills—has often no such as-
surance. It is the property of another, who in the end will
profit by all the improvements which the skill of a tempo-
rary possessor can make upon it. The manufacturer re-
ceives, directly, the profit of his stock in trade; the farmer
must share those profits with another, who undergoes no
part of the labour and risk ; his industry is fettered by
conditions imposed upon no other class of traders ; and
the inconveniences of obtaining returns for a present
expenditure more slowly than in any other profession
are frequently aggravated by the uncertainty whether
he will ever have the power of recovering the eapital
advanced."

—(hear.) Now, gentlemen, tee. hear a greet (1,1 n'owt
" mutual confidence," " tenures," 't tenant rights," and
so forth. Listen again to Mr. Low :
" The only fitting security for a man who has capital
to employ in the cultivation and improvement of land is
a written covenant, subsisting for a definite and adequate
period. Tenancy at will, it must be apparent, se much
extended over the richest pares of England, is in no de-
gree an adequate substitute for the lees e, ensuring te the
tenant his right of possession for a determiued period.
Habit, indeed, may reconcile the tenantry of a country
to such a species of tenure, and a kind of confidence
may arise that a tenant will not be capriciously dispos-
sessed, nor an unfair advantage taken of his expendi-
ture ; but this confidence, however great, is not to be
compared, as the means of inducing men to spend capi-
tal on land, with that sense of security and indepen-
dence which is the soul of industry and exertion. It is
impossible to divest the tenant-at-will of the knowledge
that every improvement which he makes upon his farm
gives it a higher value to another, and adds to the means
of raising the rent against himself."
—(Hear.) Now, gentlemen, who can doubt the truth or
the justice of these remarks ? And I beg of you to
give them your serious attention. We now come to the
subject of rents ; and upon this point the Professor ob-
serves :
" The tenant who takes land, and the landlord who
lets it, should so adjust the rent, that the tenant shall be
able to bear the pressure of deficient crops, or of low
prices arising from favourable ones; and no prudent
man ought to contract for rent which will not allow him
to meet that contingency of his trade which arises from
a fluctuation in the amount and prices of his commodi-
ties. . . . The landlord who would secure a prospe-
rous tenantry, and improve his estate, must not trust
to his per tentage or bounty on an audit day, but must
place his tenants in the condition which will enable them
to fulfil the obligations under which they engage in
virtue of a fair and well-considered covenant."
—(Loud cheers.) Now, gentlemen, these remarks have
evident reference to corn rents, and upon this subject
just allow me to state the relative positions its which
English and Scottish farmers are placed to each other;
the Englishman paying a fixed money rent, the Scotch-
man, a corn rent. We shall take a farmer at 200 acres
at 255. an acre, money price, which, farmed upon the
five course system, will, I suppose, have about 40 acres
of wheat in each year. Adopting the general notion
that wheat must pay the rent, then it will require at
least two-thirds of the wheat crop upon the forty acres
to satisfy the landlord for the rent of the whole farm.
Let us now see how a corn rent will bear upon landlords
and tenants. The English landlord asks, as I have be-
fore supposed, 255. an acre for, his 200 acres, and the
English tenant accepts the offer. The Scotch fanner,
on the ether hand, bargains with his landlord to
give him four bushels of wheat, or half a quarter
of an acre. Now, supposing that these bargains are
entered into with wheat at 50s. a quarter, as long as
this price continues: all parties, both Scotch and
English, stand upon the same footing, paying 255. an
acre rent. But let us suppose that wheat falls to 405.,
how will matters be then ? Why, the English farmer
will continue to pay 255. an acre, whilst the Scotch
farmer pays 20s.—a difference, be it observed, of 501.
upon the 200 acres, or of 255. an acre on the 40 acres
growing wheat !—(Loud cries of " Hcar, hear.") Ten
shilling a quarter is, however, by no means the limit of
tke fluctuation to which the farmer is liable. In 1835
the average price of wheat for the whole year was under
40s. a quarter. At that time the tenantry of Eegland
held their farms at a rent calculated tip.,o the ud,r-
standing that wii(At was to sell for Ws, at b at, wiiii.h
price it was believed the Act of 1828 would se.atre. We
all know the distress which then overtook the English
farmers, as proved before the Committee of 1836. But
we also know that the Scotch farmers, paying corn rents,
who were examined before that Committee, gave a very
different account of their condition ; and one of the
most intelligent farmers in the county of Haddington-
shire has since stated that he cleared more money from
his farm in 1835 than in any year since.—(Hear, hear.)
And the difference in the state of things in England end
Scotland was caused by the difference in the terms of
renting, for whilst the Scotch farmer paid 4001. to his
landlord, the Englishman paid 6001. In fact the English
farmer is now paying three times as much rent for his
land as his grandfather paid about seventy years ago,
whilst his wheat is actually selling under the price of
that period.—(Cheers.) Now, gentlemen, these are facts
which demand very serious reflection at your hands,
and I think these farmers' clubs may be made very useful
instruments in leading to a right understanding both
upon these and various other topics in which your in-
terests are concerned. You begin to talk them over
amongst yourselves, and having talked together, you will
soon learn to act together. For, depend upon it, the
want of unity of purpose and of action has been one
great cause why the present vicious system under which
you are suffering has continued so long.—(Loud cheers.)
I had intended to say a word or two about game—(hear,
hear)—but I have already trespassed so long on your
indulgence upon other topics that I must pass on.—
(Cries of "Go on !") I have now done with agricul-
ture; my toast, however, goes somewhat farther, and
embraces " Manufactures and Commerce." And, gen-
tlemen, I think I can by way of conclusion very briefly
show cause why these two branches of our national in-
dustry are as much entitled to your good wishes as your
own occupation of agriculture. For, gentlemen, great
as your predilections and respect for the pursuits of agri-
culture may be—honourable, invigorating, and benevo-
lent as its principles are, dating from the very birth of
time, growing with every growth of civilisation, and ad-
vancing with the advance of light and knowledge—in-
dispensable as are its aids to the public welfat e and the
national greatness, I very much question whether you
could conveniently dispense with the other ingredients
of my teast.—(Hear, hear.) , We are no longer able
to become a nation of shepherds if we would. Manu-
factures and commerce have materially assisted in
fixing our high position with the nations of the world,
and so much so, that although, as was observed by
an eloquent statesman, " the pipe has `always been
recognised as the pastoral instrument, we must rely
on manufactures and commerce to help us to
pay the piper."—(Cheers, and laughter.) Agriculture
furnishes able and vigorous hands, but we must also rely
upon commerce and manufactures for some of the open
and capacious mouths.—(Cheers and laughter.) And,
gentlemen, the more we look into every employment and
every interest that engages the various classes of man-
_ kind, the more we shall find that we stand in need of
each other.—(Hear, hear.) Moreover, although I may
be as ready as any man to cry " Speed the plough," I
must recollect that ploughs to be used must be manufac-
tured, and though we read in ancient story books of the
dragon's teeth growing up into a crop of armed men, I
doubt whether any of the most sanguine competitors in
drill or broadcast, could succeed in turning up a plough
ready made.—(Cheers and laughter.) Gentlemen, I
might pursue this subject, but I think that the few ob-
servations I have already made on this branch of my
toast will be sufficient to establish the claims of com-
merce and manufactures to he allied with 9,griculture.—
(Hear, hear.) They
are the leading branches of in-
dustry, and when you reit ct besides all else what cern-
merce does to develope the resources and augment the
welfare of the country—how much it does to unite the
scattered branches of the human family—to unite nation
and nation—clime and clime—man and man in one
cemented bond—to soften the asperities of international
jealousies—and to calm the savage tendencies to strife
and to murderous war—l think you will agree with me
that commerce ought to be associated in the same goodly
fellowship—and therefore it is with confidence and plea-
Rae that I now call upon you to drink—" Agriculture,
Manufactures, and Commerce."—(Mr. Brotherton re-
sumed his seat amidst reiterated plaudits.)
Mr. Iltrurs (of Tupton Hall) was called upon to re-
spond to the toast. He regretted that it was not in his
power to give expression to his thoughts with the same
fluency and eloquence Mr. Brotherton had displayed in
proposing the toast, to which he had been unexpectedly
called upon to respond. If he had the power of expressing,
with equal felicity, his own thoughts upon the subjects
of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, they would
be a complete reiteration of Mr. Brotherton's speech.—
(Oheers.) Though a small farmer himself; his prisicipal
pursuit was commerce, add his experience had taught
him how intimately connected were the real interests of
agriculture and commerce.—(Hear, hear.) See how
they mutually assisted each other. If the firm with
which he was connected were deprived of the support
which the operations of agriculture afforc:ed them, they
must cease to produce. The firm were indebted to the
agriculturists for the consumption of something like
40,030 tons of lime per year; and on the other hand,
the farmers of the district were equally indebted to
them, for the firm paid in wages alone about 40,0001.
annually, a great proportion of which was expended
in the agricultural produce of this district.—(Cheers.)
It was impossible, with any degree of common sense
or notion of right, to separate the two interests.
Mr Brotherton bad alluded to the land agents, against
whom a 12011 score was laid. Now he thought that
class of people were rather too roundly rated, and that
more was fathered upon them than they were justly ea-

titled to bear.—(Laughter.) Let them look at tit
matter fairly. A land agent goes to the landlord: an.
the
says "My Lord," or " Sir"—as the case may be
times are bad, and it is impossible that I can collect the
full amount of rent ; you must make some ce
allowan.
" Oh," says the landlord, " I can't hear of such a thing,i
I have been giving fetes and balls in London—Pti
laughter and cheers)—l have spent 100,0001., and Mush
have money to pay my debts."—(Hear, hear.) Couldel.
a case what was the poor agent to do ? How
help himself; when he received imperial commands like
eats.
these ? Let them not be too hard upon the ag" I,
Believe him, they had plenty to bear, and more than Or,
at all times either convenient or comfortable.--(lies,„
hear.) He perfectly agreed with Mr. Brotherto's rus,
marks upon the subject of tenure. In his opining it w
impossible for the farmer, however industrious he 01
be, to carry on his operations either satisfactorily
profitably, without a fair and reasonable assistance fre'l
his landlord.—(Much cheering. A A man takes a farnl;
his landlord for the time being may be a reasonable °lli
and the tenant has an inward conviction that he will not
be displaced, so long as he pays the rent ; but then,
bably, he has to look forward to the coining of a fang',
heir to the estate, who may, from caprice, or a varietyf,
(Cries
and blight the prospects of the tenant at a br,etarli;
and drive him at a short notice from the farm were,
of" Hear, hear.") The industry of years is, as it
rOO
lost to him; he receives no compensation worth the,lls its
for the hardship he endures ; and can obtain no suluitieipeo
reason for the visitation brought upon hitn--k''.--fe'
hear.) Was that state of things desirable, or conduel...,
to the promotion of the best interests of agriculture
(" Nor) He had no hesitation in saying that 9-119 the
of the landlords in this country were not aware o„ 00-
state of their tenantry. He (Mr. Binns) had btast,
gaged all his life with landowners; he was, -a; so.
free from them now, and right glad he Was to be
—(Much cheering and laughter.) He scanted the Ira
to be placed on the right horse. He knew that the
quite
agent had an onerous duty to perform, and it was 100.
;'t4t the agent c ul,l at all tines conduct
tor
tart' to the satisfaction of both h bier and occupier'd
1.53 the roamer condescend, d to mix more with, ansr.„..
understand the position and requirements of, the lattee on
(Cheers.) Unless a tenant has a certain fixed tentiriv
the land, he is a fool to expend his money uP°,,,110001
(Loud cheers.) By proper cultivation, and '1,4,--gor
good understanding between landlord and tensnV eat.
tan.) ought to become an exporting instead of an of
ag country,—(Hea.r, h-ar ) There was plantY. Of a apt
all that was wanted was cultivation, and a judicious
plication of capital. It was an old axiom that thera 'thy
measures would not grow good corif. So far fr°tea for
being correct, the coal measures were better sag-00i!
growing corn than any other geological strata is of
country, except the igneous rooks of the Lothioool
Scotland, against which the coal measures 0,1100
compete, though they rank,d second. After 0w a(la
upon these and other points some little time lenge„tiaell
Bintis concluded by thanking the meeting for 0174 lotle
attention they had given him, and sat down fuel"' ,
applause. ch reef:
Lite SECRETARY (Mr. F. Brown) here read efrosa
of the Committee for the past year, which gave $
able account of the proceedings of the club. et'
The Rev. S. REVEL moved the adoption of thelject•
and made a few appropriate observations on t.h:
Mr. Luicarin proposed " The Committee. ad)
to them for their valuable services."—(ApplanselsiCa'
Mr. HOLLAND (of Grassmore) responded on b:'teatie''
himself and colleagues, and, in doing so,
to experiments made by the Committee as to the 0 ylio
value of different manures. The results („,saftlia„,
called relate
season would allow) were satisfactory. •-"Aa'nailist.
ought to use every effort to improve their st-,,tilead
considering the diminished price of corn anthei whe.;
(Hear, hear.) If landlords would come forworatr
tenants were iu difficulties, and say " We will °cavil'
case by reducing the rent "—(Loud cheers)--413:10
gles would meet with some alleviation. Buts 03-
not the case. Instead of meeting them with al.orit_4,l
on a tenant's complaining, the answer, in liThets;,>
cases, was, "If you do not like to star' o'afar itaai
you may leave it ; we have plenty waiting der:no
(Hear, hear.) Let the farmers then, in filtUre're
more upon themselves. He knew there 'cliff) r",,,
landlords who acted upon the principle, "rat ell
let live ;" but, unfortunately, they were 'e weed
paratively.—(Hear, hear.) Farmers' clubshona '
tend to unite farmers in one common isterel
agreement in all that concerned their rnutwai- e
They would be able to stand in their own de'`-er-
more effectually than in their mere individual es ell
—(hear, hear.) What was of importance
would produce more effect upon the landlords- 0a es
Landlords who expended large sums in routes til:#
should. take heed and stop in time. These Neiraits for
of serious moment, and the shadow of coming eaaigb, 0
upon them. He did hope, however, that tb-olerhoi)
instrumentality of farmers' clubs, where g,rieftbat,:le
well as improvements could be discussed' a aiolvotel
landlord and tenant would he brought int°
timate consideration of their mutual interstedes's,
rate he was convinced that such societies agre,oo6° ttls
to do great good, and if the farmers had onlY )410;fr
in themselves, he had no doubt that they eat
to overcome the difficulties by which they We"
sent surrounded.—(Loud cheers.)
After several other toasts had been dranl3:t,„
Mr. LINGARD proposed the health of to aa-
and thanks for his valuable services.—(l)llP-
honours.) L. 44i
Mr. F. BROWN returned thanks in a brief 5r ati
Pi Indwied .b) saying that piaceding sneak/Ate-Pr%
left him a heal of asette to fire 'at"---`asasV/bi
lie gave " Suceees to the fsrmers' clubs if' tb play
Song—" The jolly old farmer, smoking his jl
Mr. Ramsden. asa lied
The Rev. S. REVEL proposed the nest to- td
the health of a gentleman whose characterirebtli fedi
eulogium, for he was known and appreciateuvaiave
sent—" Mr. Ilunlok, ."—(Drank with three tile,
Song—" The Old English Gentleinan'''-""• )(tar
thard. ,The
Mr. RAMSDEN was called upon to propose
did
and Corporation of Chesterfield," which he rcar
speech.—(Drank with honours.) t the ti
Mr. LINGARD, as the oldest member 0-
, it
present, returned thanks. noasi„Y
Mr. BROTHERTON proposed " The Tow- ear-dr)
Chesterfield," and had great pleasure in ,t testi
it the name of one of the o'dest and 113°Drile"
tradesmen of the town—Mr. Hewitt.---`
honours). • lot;
Mr. HEWITT responded. aiero
Mr. BINNS proposed " The Tenant-I'o'le
land," and prefaced the toast with some Per
tros,
vations. be 0
00,4
Mr. GILEs proposed " Mr. Brown and
Mr. BROWN responded. 01,AtiVi
Mr. RAMSDEN proposed the health of °--to ri
tenant-farmers in the district Mr. •°s"ba
—(Clapping of hands).
Mr. BACON was received with loud sertai
•pplstise'
been a ploughman between 50 and 60 Ybeltol,
handled the scythe in all its forms ; a"d,baea P„t7boeal,
were things to be improved upon at "'"i heir
With regard to improvements, it was oeiri,slil,lo,
of a great many to do what they could btivpi
self would like to do a great many thingeoo46o).ll/
Brotherton had observed, the farmers
curity for the outlay of their capital- tiers?'"
man was more willing to expend inoneYa • try
than he was, with the proper means ,anarefeallotli,
curity ; but the want of means not only arainaisitosP„
but many others whom he knew from eat'pj It
wishes.— (Molar, hear). Now he woh00.) !fedi"'
things before their landlords.—(llcar, oticat° 0:4
proceeded Mr. Bacon, we must call 11Pa-t be tr c*,
to lower our rent.—(Cheers). Let us 0°- 90%576
naming our distress. With high rentse'oo_ifwag,
cattle reduced one-third in value, low„, ariti,„/(Chl,
Chesterfield Market-place, and 809113e,a-
-duce of farms lower rented at a dislialladS' bell
Let us have asssistance from our 1113,,`;,-e area /y
We are willing to do all we can, " -eriP 0
—what then ? " Help help or I,P g trilisfoi)
cheers.) It so happens that we are Poll?seviie.,,,Fea
for our land in these parts that others co'
_lei' ft
ing; how then, as I before asked, css bafe eraFf
„mot sr
them in the market ? I repeat we rope, tot
..A,
from our landlords, and no doubt, it. Polo°, 10Vri
they will show a disposition to do eve.rY te 000
cessary to enable us to properly cultic,i3 ao
not, we shall be like a man in a boat vvicidaanor
or steer him, going up and down. P 511,d, 04
finally go to Davy's Locker.—(Chee-ri'freevt
Mr. Chairman, I have spoken my op° 00)",
no offence to any one.—(Cheers.) „cool
_„7
Mr. BROWN proposed " The r
0
(Drank with three times three.) ,a tlsOf
The health of the Vice-Chairnotnrl'ieee, '-pr9
followed, interspersed with songs anucferahltati"
viviality of the evening was cons'
with gr`
The proceedings altogether went off

BIRTHS. v • bore' '
cotooOeiii
otttfihi:
eeacs 11155660 tntthil.: inst.,iilinsstt..: l'aiaitt Prince's-street, 1 nliscgi
sen r
y: so- st
e, t;erte.hesett, r —E
lady d icge;:oeJle i to)
intosh, of 111atliiiitosh, of a daug,hter. o. 3 '
roan, the wife of W. DAWSOII (COOlOl flh
Castle), of a son. lool'
poi" ,
:itAltßi Elf. Brow
AAjg
On the 14th inst., at Durie, Fife, F. ',dot u" iliPoti
Clair to D,coti" 1311
aiNtill:o-
concharttiehs ,tei
eSF ih: Edinburgh,,inotp.,ntotaiteA.lcarhyrisrit'arner, ec:o,
satirlre;toel:
Thwaites, of _unwell-street, Pentonville?, .109..,-eiglii.
daughter of the late Mr. S. Price, 131acicill is I' of r
' TllOO or c..;
On the 16th inst., at Kensing,tort 4. datig 441), '
E.q., of Brighton, to Louisf., younges" if°' ee
Bennett., Esq., 01 Kensington. I Two )9
e t to
talc
On the 16th inst., at the Catholic CbiSbireAittfi-
Mousle3-, Esq., of Ilauntot Nall, Staff(?rioV,
daughter S. Ruby, Esq , of Alve"te 17

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widow
o n the o f
LT
pOt the(nm
htll:l:ett
Nlhl
aoiitnntetss
sttp..,rariCa,
orairial itne
Anne'hrii fg e. fi
131:y
00 Igo
Tho
On the 14th inst., at. CI it. li'ill' f iled rol ,
,ife ° ~„vt i
Esq.,-
of Morely . Yorkshire. e 3fr. ,A
Mall, •/, 01 hiw ,•
On the 16th inst., Caroline, the NY' ' ,ClO 0' 1
Smi, of Camberwell. ~,,,, ~,, c. let•
On the 16th inst., John Holland, l'sq• .DP I
mon, Surrey, aged 77. tre tSV" A, P
e I
On the 17th '' in • h gate-$-- 0.-. I
Liam A insts, Bts ops -$O/I.A. plffi 1
rpthorp, aged 54
On the ' , 13 in Irilli!'biti'•lP, li :
17th inst., at Dves a iqi co A e
Mary, the infant daughter of Benthani ator) ~e fi
On the 17th inst., in Ke el-street, ,-- , 400, ori 1
1?P t r Aft° RP 0' i
the your' •
youngest child of Mr. Shag e • uae, ,e,.0 ifo
On the 17th inst., in Dlontagu-sigrhert 'Jae'
second daughter of Archdeacon Sir Woe fleet, /4 I
On the 18th inst , Francis Gibbol,,,,cord-6
~,.014 I
Western, Esq., of Caroline.- lace, Galli.
____--t; " %al
p ___---- V 0,,f,9
___---- DO 00 V
London: Printed. and Published jge so la 03,
No. 112, Strand, Printer, st kitvoy, 1
Strand, in the Freeißet oftbeo, ietb•
Aliddleaero Morviay, January 2
-terraee•
le
-en'the I°l3.
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