At Southern, on Monday, the South Warwickshire Tories celebrated the
return of Mr. Shirley, by a public dinner. There was nothing worth notice in the speeches. The favourite toast seems to have been "Lord Lyndhurst and the House of Peers."
The Buckinghamshire farmers had their annual dinner on Saturday, at Aylesbury. The Marquis of Chandos, Mr. Praed, Sir William Young, and Sir Thomas Fremantle, were the principal persons present. Lord Chandos, according to custom, delivered a long speeeh on agri- cultural distress; in the course of which, he warmly denounced the conduct of Ministers with respect to the Agricultural Committee of last session. He complained that the Ministerialists on the Com- mittee were to the Opposition Members in the proportion of 19 to 14. He was much opposed to Mr. Shaw Lefevre's recommendation to relax the Corn-laws as an inducement to the House of Commons to take off part of the Malt-duty. The Marquis referred to his own unsuccessful exertions on behalf of the farmer ; but did not this time hold out any ex- pectation that he should be able to do any thing for them next session. In default of other consolation, be reminded the farmers that be was the man who had got the 50/. tenant-at-will clause. inserted in the Reform Act.
Sir Thomas Fremantle highly applauded the conduct of Lord Chandos ; and Mr. Praed declared that he could say "ditto" to all Lord Chandos said. The whole affair seems to have been particularly prosy.
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