Ebe Vrobintes.

The second meeting of the Essex Agricultural Protection Society was held at the Three Cups Inn, Colchester, on Saturday. Mr. R. Baker, the President, took the chair ; and between four and five hun- dred gentlemen, farmers, and tradesmen, were present. The Chairman stated, that the Society meant to act only on the defensive, in opposi- tion to a party whose object was the annihilation of the agricultural body in England. The subscriptions amounted to 1,0001., "in sums of 100/. downwards " ; and he anticipated that in a few days that amount would be doubled. Making some remarks on the general subject of protection, Mr. Baker produced a paper, prepared with great care, to Show, in reply to challenges of the Anti-Corn-law League, what were be charges on land- He would take the case of 100 acres of land, because they could better znderstand the proportions on such a quantity than on a larger one. Now, to cultivate 100 acres in the usual mode, would require four or five labourers : he would take five; and, supposing that of these five, three had five in family each, one two, and the fifth one, the labour necessary to cultivate that land would support 18 persons. But then there was the tenant, with, be would say, four in family. There was also the landlord, with, perhaps, for 1,000 acres, five in family and five domestics-in all 10 persons; and taking one for 100 acres, and one from the families of the wheelwright, the blacksmith, the carpenter, and veterinary surgeon, whose families, in proportion to 1,000 acres, he would take at four each, it would amount in all to 27 persons dependent in those agricul- tural districts on the cultivation of every 100 acres of land. Then, there were the taxes bearing directly or indirectly on land. The direct taxes amounted to the following sums : malt-tax, to 51.; property-tax, 4/. ; poor-rate and parish charges, 251:; rent charge, 301.; direct assessed taxes, 2/. 10s.; land-tax, 51.; in all 71/. 10s. Then came the indirect taxation. The five labourers would earn, on an average, 35/. a year-in all, 1651.; and taking 10 per cent for indi- rect taxation, would give 16/. 10s. ; upon the tenant the same would be 151.; upon the landlord 15!.; and on the mechanic 51.-in all, 51/. 10s.; making together, in direct and indirect taxation, upon every 27 persons dependent on the cultivation of every 100 acres of land, 123/. He then went on to assume that of those 100 acres of land one-fourth was grass, and a certain proportion was tallow, producing no return in that year. Deducting, then, from the charge upon the 100 acres of 123/. a fourth for grass and fallow-land, it would leave 92/. 5s. charged upon that proportion which was cultivated. But then, again, of the 75 acres, Rot more than one-fourth, or 19 acres, were wheat ; and on an average of 3 quarters 4 bushels to an acre, the quantity of wheat produced would be about 66 quarters 4 bushels; the taxation upon which, direct and indirect, would be upwards of 20s. a quarter. That calculation was without rkference to any part of the capital invested in the taking of the land, carrying on the farm, or any incidental expenses connected with it ; and that charge of 20s. and upwards was almost entirely over and above the taxation imposed upon wheat in foreign countries. Those were some of the items on which they had to contend that protection was necessary to this country. To prove that any reduction in the price of wheat affected the la- bourer less than was supposed, he stated, that as flour descended in value the price of labour descended in a greater proportion- For instance, the rate of labour in this country was about 12s. a week : when wheat was 52s. a quarter, it WRS 108. ; and when wheat was 44s., it was only 8s. or 9s. ; so that, for every alteration of 8s. in the price of wheat, there was a reduction of 2s. in the pnce of labour. It was clear, then, that as the price of wheat rose the labourer was more benefited than when it was reduced, as he was instructed by the opposite party to believe was the case. The capital invested in agriculture, as compared with that employed in manufactures, was as 15 to 1; but the annual produce was far different, for that was only 2 to 1.

The Chairman read letters from an unemployed fancy-flower-maker in London, deprecating free trade ; and from another person asserting that there were thousands in Leeds and its neighbourhood who were opposed to the League and its supporters. A long resolution, similar to that passed at the first meeting, was adopted. In seconding it, Mr. T. Baker anticipated that if the League were to get free trade they would be dissatisfied, and very probably would come forward for a bounty on all corn imported. Several speakers attacked the measures of last session ; the Reverend Mr. Smythers being very severe on the new Corn-law, the Tariff, the Canada Wheat Bill, and the Income-tax- The rich and great commercial house of Baring and Brothers-perhaps one of the greatest in all Europe-had returned its income as below 150!.; while he (Mr. Smythers) had to pay the tax on half the rental of a farm of 800 acres, from which he derived no profit in that year. Now, he would ask, was that a fair division of the public tax ?

All the resolutions proposed were affirmed without opposition. A meeting, similar in objects and nature, was held at Newport Pag- nell, in Buckinghamshire, on Wednesday. About two hundred tenant- farmers attended. The principal speaker was the Reverend John Fisher, of Wavington ; who attacked the League and Sir Robert Peel with almost equal asperity. He did not directly charge the League with instigating the incendiary fires ; but he asked- Might not the continual abuse of the farmers induce the labourers to set on fire the stacks of the farmer ? He did not accuse them of it ; but the pre-

sumption was strong. At all events, in a neighbouring county such results were seen after one of the League lecturers had been prominently busy. There was, however, a mode of action open to them, which was to call on their County Members. (" Ols I where are they ?") They had been returned by the farmers, and what had they done for them ? (" Nothing.")

He complained, that in didactic recommendations to drain and so forth, Sir Robert Peel and the Free-traders treated the farmers like children : "as for under-draining, Sir Robert Peel was the greatest master of the art he had ever known, as any farmer might discover by putting his hands into his pockets." A resolution was carried unani- mously, that "The meeting participated in Ske almost universal feeling of abhorrence excited by the false and insidious statements and opinions put forth by the Anti-Corn-law League, which was a conspiracy to ob- tain free trade in corn, but to preserve the protection enjoyed by the manufacturers." No money appears to have been subscribed at the meeting ; but it was said in the room, that the subscription for the county would reach some thousands of pounds.

We are informed that the principal landowners in East Kent are about to meet next week, for the purpose of arranging a general meeting of agriculturists to determine on such measures as may be necessary at the presen crisis of Anti-Corn-law agitation.-Kentish Observer.

A similar movement has been begun in Lincolnshire. On Friday, "the Lincoln and Lindsey Agricultural Association for the Protection of Agriculture" held an annual meeting, which was numerously at- tended. Mr. C. Chaplin, of Blankney H-11, was called to the chair. He stated that Colonel Sibthorp, who was unable to attend, had been reelected President of the Association, and Mr. Stephenson Secretary ; and he went on to urge vigorous measures to secure protection, " when Messrs. Cobden and Bright were running about the country to set people by the ears, to ruin the farmer, and to pauperise the labourer "-

In 1835, when this Society was formed, and when agitation was at a great height, he, with Mr. Brailsford, Mr. Dawson, and another gentleman, was sent to London to attend a meeting of a Central Society there formed for the protection of agriculture: but when they got to the meeting, they found the society in London had been got up by the Currency-people, and at the

meeting which they attended the currency alone was the topic of discus-

sion; not a single word being said about wheat, barley, or any other agricul- tural produce. Scarcely any thing had been done from that time to this ; and

the fund then formed was now very low, and he thought ought to be increased.

* * Possibly, if Mr. Cobden should present himself again in Lincoln, and if the people did not put him in the river, they ought to get a man accus- tomed to mob-orators to answer him and expose the fallacy of his arguments_

Mr. R. A. Christophers, M.P., recommended that no time should be lost in getting up petitions to Parliament. Resolutions setting forth the objects of the meeting were affirmed unanimously ; and a committee was appointed to carry out the necessary measures. Among the reso- lutions, there was a paragraph stating that the passing of the recent measures in Parliament had tended to "shake confidence in public men "; bat, on the suggestion of Mr. Chaplin, this sentence was struck out ; Mr. Chaplin remarking, that what was past they could not recall, and they must not express any want of confidence in public men-they must, on the contrary, endeavour to keep them in, or they would get worse. Mr. Chaplin opened a subscription with 201.; Mr. Christophers contributed as much; and several farmers entered their names for 5/.

The Committee of the Berkshire Society for the Protection of Agri- culture, established in July last, met at Reading on Saturday. A large number of new members were enrolled. Lord Barrington, M. P., Mr. Piney, M.P., Mr. Duffield, M.P., and many other gentlemen, attended ; and it was resolved, in opposition to the League, to get up a general petition to Parliament, to issue an address to the agriculturists, and to have a public dinner early in February, At the meeting of the Gloucester Farmers Club, on Saturday, it was stated that the subscriptions of the farmers had fallen off. A member observed that the reason was, that the farmers thought the club tended to promote the interests of the landlord rather than those of the farmer. There was some conversation respecting a society to oppose the League ; but it was agreed to defer the question to be discussed at a public meet- ing on an early day, in order not to involve the club in politics.

Earl Spencer and the Northampton Farmers and Graziers Associa- tion are at issue. His Lordship's declaration in favour of free trade

induced some of the members to request that he would retire from the presidency of the Association ; which he declined to do. In con- sequence of that refusal, thirty of the members retired. Whereupon Lord Spencer altogether withdrew his name from the society ; re- marking- " I have had great satisfaction in acting with the society, believing as I do that it has greatly improved the agriculture of this neighbourhood ; but I am confident this has been mainly owing to the total exclusion of all political feel- ing from every part of its proceedings. If I remain a member this can no longer be the case; but when I am withdrawn, I hope the farmers will carry it on in the same spirit which has hitherto animated it. With respect to the prizes which I have been in the habit of giving as a member of the society, I shall of course give those which are announced for this year. After this year, I shall continue to offer those for sheep-shearing, for mowing, and for hedge- cutting, to the labourers; for none of them, at least, will think that they have a right to dictate to me what my political opinions shall be, because 1 offer prises for their competition. I shall be quite ready also to continue the other prizes, if the society will accept them, unless I find that it is imputed. to me that I have any political or interested motive in so doing."

The Anti-Corn-law League had a great tea-party in Ashton Town- hall, on Monday. Mr. Charles Hindley, the Member for the borough, took the chair : Mr. Charles Villiers, who was visiting Mr. Hiudley, was present ; with Mr. Cobden, Colonel Thompson, Mr. H. Ashworth, and Mr. Moore. At the close, the subscription towards the 100,000/ . fund was announced to be 4,338/.

A meeting was held at Oxford, last week, to consult on measures for providing proper burying-ground for the city. A great number of the municipal and clerical authorities were present,' and Mr. Langston, one of the Members. Two propositions were submitted to the meeting: one, by the Reverend J. R. Hall, to request the parochial clergy, Churchwardens, and others, to supply additional burying-ground ; the other, by Alderman Sadler, to establish a general cemetery, open to persons of all persuasions, and situate without the town. The general cemetery was strongly supported by Professor Bucklandl and Alders_ man Sadler's proposition was carried, by about 50 to 9. The dis- sentients, who are said all to be " Tractarian " clergymen, 'withdrew; and the rest of the meeting appointed a Committee to put the decision into practice.

Norwich is all aflame upon the subject of Church-rates. Proceedings have been instituted in the Arches Court of Canterbury against five most respectable parishioners of St. George's Colegate in Norwich, for "having wilfully and contumaciously obstructed, or at least refused to make, or join or concur in making, a sufficient rate for Church pur- poses";which is assumed, on the strength of a recent judgment by Sir Herbert Jenner Fust, to be a punishable offence ! The Dissenters of Norwich are endeavouring to stay the proceedings in the Ecclesiastical Court, by obtaining the interposition of the Court of Queen's Bench ; and a public meeting has been held at the Guildhall, to lay the case before the public and promote subscriptions to defray the law expenses. 'With much strong language, a resolution was unanimously carried, re- commending the case to the attention of the people generally, and ask- ing sympathy and pecuniary aid ; and a subscription was opened with spirit.

We read of incendiary fires in Essex, Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, and Cambridge--three or four in each county ; but there is little interest in the details. At Sleaford, in Lincolnshire, a youth has been taken into custody on suspicion ; and of two men arrested at Manuden, one had previously been fined 51. for obstructing some persons in putting out a former fire.

An assault case which was tried at the Birmingham Borough Sessions, on Saturday, has disclosed disgraceful practices in the Court of Requests prison in that town. Two poor debtors were convicted of assaulting a police-constable; and in the examination it came out that the poor debtors are confined in a place attached to the prison, but made out of the cellar of an old house. The keeper would not say that it measures fifteen feet ; and at all events it is very small. Twenty-three persons were in confinement there on Christmas-day ; and about thirty strangers, friends, were permitted to visit them ; which led to a dis- turbance, and to the assault. Some of the prisoners sleep in the place, foot to foot, on old straw, the filthy vermin of which give a coarse name to the cellar. These miserable creatures are so unruly, that the keeper of the prison habitually fears to venture among them. They have a practice of" chumming up" a new fellow-prisoner—beating him with old swords and staves kept in the prison for the purpose, to exact a fee of half-a-crown. Such has been the state of things sixteen years at least. The men were sentenced to three months' imprisonment in 'Warwick Gaol ; where Mr. Recorder Hill said, they would be treated like men, not brutes. It is of course assumed that the " black-hole" will be abolished.

At Hitchen Petty Sessions, on Tuesday, Alexander Burke was exa- mined on a charge of cruelly using a pony. He undertook to drive it in a gig, against a stage-coach, from Bedford to London and back, and to London again next morning : but it died at Shefford on the return to Bedford, from congestion of blood in the lungs. There was a horse in harness with it, as a "leader," which was changed from time to time. The Magistrates inflicted the full penalty of 40s. and costs ; regretting that the law did not authorize a heavier fine.

A clergyman made an awkward mistake the other day, at St. Albans. Policeman Wintle, of the Hertfordshire Constabulary, was going his rounds early on Sunday morning, December the 31st; and according to his practice, after taking a tour on the grounds of Childwick Hall, the -residence of the Reverend Mr. Brogden, he continued his walk towards Harpenden. Hearing the report of fire-arms, he returned. He had scarcely entered the grounds when he received several shots in various parts of his head, body, and limbs. He was removed, in a very dangerous condition, to the Hertford Infirmary. Mr. Brogden says that he thought some one was loitering about his grounds for an unlawful purpose ; and that he called out to Wintle, but receiving no answer, fired. Wintle, however, says that he did not hear Mr. Brogden call out. Some Police- men went to arrest Mr. Brogden ; but hearing of their intention, a neighbour, Mr. Lomax, who is a Magistrate, undertook to be answerable for the clergyman's appearance.