A Protection dinner took place at Bridgewater on Thursday. The
party mustered five hundred, and dined in two rooms; Mr. Miles, M.P., presiding over the larger division, and Sir Alexander Hood over the smaller. Lord Waldegrave supported kr. Miles. Letters of excuse were read from Mr. Dickinson and Mr. Acland, the Members for the Western Division of the county. Mr. Dickinson thought that all declarations should be withheld till the Ministerial proposal should be known. Mr. Acland called to mind that the alterations of 1842 were adopted after mature consideration, and with a due regard to the interests of agriculture; that the ill effects apprehend from the Tariff had not been realized. From these facts he thought Ministers should not be prejudged; and that if they have resolved to recommend a further modification they would be able to adduce facts in support of it. For himself he claimed the right of exercising, an _honest and independent judgment. Lord Waldegrave was introduced to the company by Mr. Miles as a Peer who bad graced their table for the first time; and he was toasted as representative of the House of Lords. He read a very -short speech, in which a hope was expressed that the House of Lords would be prepared to resist all detrimental changes; and the farmers were earnestly entreated to do their utmost to resist the League. In the course :of the evening an electioneering resolution was moved, pledging the company to return four Members to Parliament at the next election who would " faithfully " support the existing protection. It was carried; but not with- out a remonstrance from Mr. Poole, who thought that if a censure was meant on Mr. Dickinson and Mr. Acland, the proposition ought to have been put in a fair and manly way. Those gentlemen had not said any thing which showed that they had abandoned the cause of Protection: they only said, to their honour, that they would not condemn a measure before- hand: a man who went to the House of Commons as a Representative of the People ought to be perfectly unshackled. With the exception of this unwelcome remonstrance, the proceedings in both divisions were harmonious 'throughout.
Protection meetings have also been held at Brigg and Stamford.
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