The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-26 00:00:00

House of Commons—it has been my fortune to hear
a considerable quantity of fustain talk all about inde-
pendence and freedom ; but I venture to say such
nonsense was never talked on these two fruitful to-
pics as it must he to say this system makes the ta•
bourer a dependent being. The man who lives in
some low cottage in a large village or small agricul-
tural town, who receives eight, ten, or eleven shillings
per week, but has not the crop of cabbage or pota-
toes he can call his own, nor a garden to himself—he
is in a state of independence ; although, if his labour
fail, he has no resource but the workhouse; whereas
the man wh3 has these savings' banks, according to
these theorists, is a dependent and degraded being.—
(Hear, hear.) Dependent, gentlemen, he is truly,
but it is on the mercy and goodness of Providence,
and not on the mercy and caprice of his employers.—
(Cheers.) Well, then, when all these philosophical
objections are refuted, as refuted they must be by any
man of common sense, the objectors adopt another
course. They leave England, its diminished labour
market, its diminished labourers, and take us across
the channel. Oh (say they) but have the goodness to
look at Ireland ; see the miseries which the cottier
system has produced there, and which your allotment
system must produce in England. Now, it is rather
curious, we seldom have these Irish arguments intro-
duced upon any other subject. We are generally told
that there is a great difference in the character of the
people—that what is good for one would be bad for
another, but in this particular point we are told if a
certain system has failed and produces a bad result
in Ireland, it will fail and produce a similar bad result
in England. Now, I would say, though I think the
argument of a difference between the two people is
pushed beyond its due limits, that there are good
reasons for concluding that even if the system may
have failed in Ireland, it may flourish in England.
Are those gentlemen aware of the rack-rents,
and of the terrible competition for land ? If
they are, I would say they are dishonest;
if they are not, I would say they are ignorant
reasoners. But it has been my fortune, gentle-
men, during the past week only, to receive intelli-
gence from Ireland, which would show that the
sweeping accusations levelled against the occupiers of
small farms is not just. I have heard lately of 30,000
acres of land which have been colonised by Lord
G. Hill, and upon which a blade of grass six years
ago was not to be seen. It now maintains no less than
3,000 people in comfort—(Hear)—small farmers, if
you will—occupying from five to twenty acres, and
there is no doubt that in a few years the population
will be increased. Similar results may be produced
by similar means. I say, then, let English gentle-
men do their duty, and the peasants be actuated by
that high and commendable spirit which has hitherto
actuated them, and we shall have no reason to
fear that this system will produce anything but
good to the English people. It is no wonder, then,
that you have assembled here to-day to cele-
brate the successful introduction of the system into
your parish. It is no wonder that, as we came down
here, we heard the church bells ringing merrily. P
was no wonder that, when I entered here, I saw no.

thing but smiling faces and happy countenances
around me; nor is it any wonder that I can easily ap-
preciate the motives which brought you here. In con •
eluding the observations I have ventured to obtrude
upon you, I shall ask you to drink—l was going to
say with three times three, but I forgot the restric-
tion—" The allotment tenants and success to spade
husbandry."—(lmmense cheering, which continued
some minutes.)
GEORGE llinms, an allotmenter, rose and said—
Your Lordship and gentlemen all—l rise to return
you sincere thanks in the name of every allotment
tenant for drinking their good health upon the pre-
sent occasion, and I sincerely wish you all may enjoy
a good state of health, be favoured with a long life,
and prosper.—(Cheers.)
Mr. W. ELLA had the greatest pleasure in drawing
the attention of the meeting to the toast he was about
to propose to them ; one which, he was sure, every
one there would do justice to. It was that of a noble-
man who stood at the very top of the tree in that
11, 411 Lair btu, lo
the very top, in everything he took in hand. He was
a capital landlord, and a stanch friend to the poor.
lie begged to give them " 'The health of the Lord-
Lieutenant of the county, the Duke of Rutland"—
(Continued cheering)—and, if he might be allowed,
he should like to do it with three times three.—

(Great applause followed this sentence, which was
increased by Mr. Wild rising and saying, " I think
we must break through our chairman's regulations on
this occasion, because we shall not do justice to our
feelings unless we do."—(Hear, hear.) Three times
three vociferous cheers were then given.)

Lord JOHN MANNERS returned thanks, and as-
sured the meeting that the breaking through the rules
in this instance in responding to tke toast, was by far
more gratifying to him than if it had been the case
with regard to his own. His father was sincerely
anxious to fulfil the responsible duties of the situation
in which Providence had placed him as he ought to
do. No man had more at heart the welfare of the

labourer, and the success of the allotment system. As
a proof of this, he would state that at the present time
he had not less than 1,000 or 1,100 allotment tenants.
—(Loud cheers.) He should take care to convey to
him the intelligence of the manner in which his health

had been received; and he was sure he spoke the feel-
ings of his heart when he said that there was no place
where he would rather have hii lealth•drinkin the
manner it had been than in a Leicestershire village,
and such, he was sure, would be the case until the
latest period of his existence.—(Continued cheering.)
Lord JOHN MANNERS immediately rose again to
prepose a toast, which, in a few words, he said, con-
veyed more meaning than all the philosophical theories
and political dogmas put together—" A fair day's
wages for a fair day's work."—(Loud cheers, and
cries of "That's all we want.")
Several other toasts followed, and many more
inteicsting facts were brought before the meeting,
which soot, afterwards separated, every one apparently
on the verybestms with himself and his neigh-
bours, and looking fol.
:yard with pleasurable antici-
pation to a re-union next yet:.
We should add that the very best order and the
most respectful behaviour was observed by the la-
bourers throughout the evening.