Lord Derby is the first statesman of the first rank
who has spoken upon the labour question. He was extremely cautious in his remarks, but he told the Agricultural Association of Bury that, although he doubted whether the existing competition for labour could continue long, still every man, the labourer included, had a right within well-known limits to struggle for his own suc- cess, even at the cost of inconvenience or failure to others. The best palliative would be to use less labour, to economise it, in fact, as they economised everything else when it got dear. On his aide, the labourer of course must surrender all privileges granted as favours, and could not expect to be so independent in winter as in summer. These quietly sensible remarks were received by the farmers present amidst such a dead silence; tbat the Times thinks it necessary to say that the speech was inaudible
to many of the company. Nonsense. Some of the audience heard it, and if they had cheered, so would the remainder. The truth is, the farmers do not believe that the labourers have any right to strike at all, any more than children would have, or kindly treated horses.
