4 OCTOBER 1845, Page 10

The Times Commissioner appeared in a new character, at the

dinner of the Irish Agricultural Improvement Society, on Thursday. "The Press" having been toasted, there were loud calls for the Commissioner; and accordingly Mr. Foster rose. He took the opportunity of lecturing the Irish press, on the expediency of imitating the press of England, in imparting practical instruction and agricultural knowledge to the people, instead of sacrificing itself to the "little- ness of partr•' and he lectured the managers of the dinner for a slight on the press, in placing it low on the list of toasts. The numerous company, comprising many leading agriculturalists, titled and untitled, listened to the lecture very pa- tiently; but the Chairman, deprecating the notion of any slight, briefly retorted the rebuke. He fully agreed with MI. Foster in deprecating the idea thatan newspaper should be the vehicle of " littleness of party"; but he did not the observation could in any way be deemed applicable to Ireland: for his own opinion was, that there were in both countries bright examples to the contrary; whilst there were he regretted to learn, instances, both in England and Ireland, of newspapers being made the organs of a party; and even the observation might be, perhaps, made by an Irishman in London in speaking of the great journal which the learned gentleman represented. Mr. Foster stood in the peculiar posi- tion of being an Englishman who came over to that country to comment on Irish affairs; and in that capacity he bad made the observations they had just heard; and no doubt he believed they were well founded: but an Irishman placed in Eng- land in the same position might, as he had stated, come to a similar conclusion regarding English publications.