LORD PALMERSTON AT ROMSEY.

The anniversary of the Romsey Labourers' Encouragement Association, held on Wednesday, brought out Lord Palmerston in a character which always suits him. He first gave away the prizes won by honest labour- ers, and`he explained to them that they were not intended as substantial rewards, but as tokens of good conduct. "The soldier who hazards his life upon the field of battle, and who has attracted the attention of his superiors and of his comrades by distinguished and heroic bravery, is rewarded by a cross, very insignificant in iutrinsic value, but which-he wears on his breast as a token and a record of that good conduct which has obtained for him that which is a real reward—namely, the esteem and respect of all around him. (Cheers.) In the same way in other daises of life men who perform distinguished services to the State are rewarded by a little ribbon, which they wear in their button-hole or over

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their shoulder, but nobody imagines that half-a yard or two yards of red or blue ribbon are in themselves intrinsic rewards. They are a tokenand a record of that good conduct in the life of those on whom they are bestowed which testifies to mankind that they have deserved well of their country. Therefore, my friends, I am delighted that so many of you have received these tokens of your good conduct in your respective vocations ; and, I am glad to tray these rewards have been given for almost every kind of service which an agricultural labourer is capable of performing. We have had prizes for ploughmen, for thatchers, for drillmen, for teanamen, for the cul- tivation. of gardens, for keeping cottages neat, and for good service in the families where labourers have been employed. And, my friends, without saying anything to flatter you, you may have the satisfaction of reflecting that you belong to a class most deserving of the esteem and respect of their fellow-countrymen, because that labour in which you are employed is at the root and foundation of the wealth and prosperity of a country Therefore, my friends, you may walk among your fellow-countrymen with a proud and satisfactory consciousness that you are one of the most useful of the classes of the nation, and that without you the superstructure would fall to the ground." (Cheers.) He gave gopd advice in homely language, -especially dwelling on the duty of rearing children on sound moral princi- _pies, and of never neglecting the duty of impressing on them the difference

between tight and wrong. -

Three iheers for Lady Palmeretell dreirtinth soother charaoteristic

speeffitefroen the Premier. . . •

'"I Cain-assure you that these opeortunities oY nieliting-familiarly with thoie Whom one does not meet every tidy in-the-year Ire most gratifying to

meeettle milt be to every rightmiedell man. - ;The fiffiric of society is con- structed bran infinite gradation of ranks and conditions ; and those who are perhaps separated:from each other, and have not often an occasion of meeting, when the opportunities do occur should meet in order that they may reciprocally understand each other. I am sure that all Classes of lingliehmen, if they do understand each other, will value and love each other. I am not led away by any national vanity in that opinion, but I have that conviction with regard to the character of my country that I am sure the oftener ',the different classes of society meet together the more the

whole fabric of society will be cemented. the stronger the nation will- be, and the more each class will look to the other without jealousy, without suspicion, without enmity, with a conviction that there are no antagonistic interests, but that the interests of all are bound up in one general aggregate which forms the interests of the country at large." (Loud cheers.)

Having done his duty so genially in the Town-hall, distributing prizes, Lord Palmerston reappeared later, as the chairman at the dinner at the White Horse Inn. The loyal toasts having been disposed of he proposed the "Army and Navy," both of which services were never in a state of greater efficiency than they are now. " I am sure that the country is deeply convinced that the best method of preserving peace is to show that you are capable of defending yourselves in

the event of being attacked. (Cheers) I trust that there is no likelihood in the present state of affairs that our Army curd-Navy will have to perform with the same distinction those duties which their predecessors have already perforined. The spirit which the country has recently shown by the im- mense extent of volunteer organization has produced a great effect, not only in this country, but all over Europe. (Loud cheers.) It has tended to

spire that respect which all nations feel for a country which, without any aggressive intentions, shows that it is determined to hold its own and to de-

fend itself against all corners. (Cheers.) Again I say that I trust there is

nothing in the present-state of things that betokens the likelihood of any occasion for that martial spirit to be displayed otherwise than by showing that we are ready to defend our shores ; but it must be a great satisfaction to all of us to know that the Army and Navy are in a state of complete effi- ciency according to the numbers to Which in a' time of peace they can be

carried, and that there are means in the country by whicheif, unfortu- nately, unforeseen events should render it necessary that we should increase our armaments, those armaments might be rapidly increased to whatever the exigencies of the moment might require. I beg to give you The Army and Navy.' " (Loud cheers.)

Lord Palmerston's fourth speech was made on prciposing Prosperity to the Romney Association. Here he dwelt on the improvements in agri- culture, inculcated the necessity of studying its principles, and defined what a farmer ought to know.

" A farmer ought to know something, and perhaps not a little, of chemis- try. He ought to know what are the ingredients of the soil which different

crops take out for their nourishment. He ought to know how, by various manures or by various processes, to restore to the soil those ingredients es- sential to the growth of plants which former crops have taken out. He ought also, to a certain extent, to know the fundamental principles of poli-

tical economy-, and to be aware that he does not prosper by grinding down those who labour on his farm—that it is no real saving to give inadequate wages to those who work for him—that he gains nothing by avoiding to employ labour in the winter months—and that, in fact, there is no more advantageous and profitable investment in the cultivation of the land than labour. (Cheers.) It is quite true that the ingenuity of mechanics-has of late years introduced a great number of machines, which, to some extent,

are substitutes for the work of the hands ; but a farmer ought to know that the use of these machines is not to supersede the employment of labour, but to enable him to divert labour from those processes to which machinery is applicable, and to employ it profitably in other occupations. I am sure that I am now addressing unenlightened audience—most of you practical farmers —who must have discovered that it is no economy to spare labour on their farms—that the more labour they are able to employ the more advantage they will derive from the crops ; but that the labour caunot be useful unless the labourer is well looked to, well housed, well fed, and well cared for. When the employers of labour bestow proper attention upon their labourers, they engender a feeling of reciprocal regard ; and it is in human nature that a man will work better for an employer he loves and who treats him well than for a man who is niggardly and churlish, who just pays him as much as will keep body and soul together, and neglects him in other reopeote." The fifth speech of the chairman earnestly advocated the building nf good houses for labourers. He showed that land cannot be well- cultivated if the labourers are not well housed •, that if they have to walk some miles to work, the farmer does not get from them the worth of the wages he pays ; so that in good cottages on a farm are facilities for cultivating it. They should not be built for a profit, but regarded as additions to the value of a farm. "Then as to the expense of these cottages. Now, the cottages which err. Dutton and myself have built contain really no more accommodation than a decent family ought to have. They have simply one room to live in, a back kitchen, and, what is of the utmost importance, three sleeping places. No cottage ought to be without three sleeping places—one for the man and his wife, another for the girls, and another for the boys. It is not necereary to pull down old cottages to build new ones. A great deal can be dorm at a moderate expense in improving old ones. All you require is to put a little porch in front of the door—which costs little—to give them a boarded floor instead of bricks, to make the walls air-tight and the`roof water-tight, to give three sleeping-rooms, and to put up a sort of-shealing at the back, with a little place below for a wood-house. Itis quite a mistake to suppose, then, that nothing -real and essential can be done in improving the dwellings of the labouring classes short of pulling down the old ones and erecting new ones. The effect of improving these dwellings is almost marvellous. In the first place you know that the comfort of a man's house depends upon the tidiness of his wife, and the mode in which she tries to make him comfort- able ; but there is a temper of the human mind which is denominated reck-

lessness. When a thing seems impossible ites given up in despair. When a cottage is in such a ramshackle state that it is impossible for the wife to

keep it clean, she becomes a slattern, everything goes to ruin, the man is disgusted, and flies to the beer-shop. If, on the contrary, the wife feels that she can, by a little exertion, make the cottage decent and respectable she does so, and then the man enjoys the comfort and happiness of his home,

stays away from the beer-shop, and the sum of money, he would spend in liquor goes to the benefit of his wife and children. I had an example of that in a double cottage of my own. It was in a dreadful state. The wails

were not air-tight, it had a brick floor, a bad roof, and everything uncom- fortable. The people who occupied it were slovens and slatterns, and quar-

relsome ill-neighbours. At a small expense it was made tidy ; boarded floors were put down, a little porch erected, -with a woodhouse and other centenieneift, essidleten4thiit mordent-these people altered entirely their cha- racter, altered entirely their conduct, because well conditioned people and good neighbours, which they had never been before. Therefore, I entreat everybody not to run away with the notion that nothing can be done to im- prove the dwellings of the poor short of building cottages which they may think too expensive for their means. Depend upon it that a very great deal oan be done at a moderate expense towards making old cottages decent and habitable." (Loud cheers.)

The last speech was one in praise of " the Press," which is " one of the wonders of modern civilization." He humorously contrasted Wood- " reporting" with that of modern times. " Now, it is quite marvellous to see the accuracy with which debates in the House of Commons are reported. When the speeches are such as are cal- culated to attract attention, they are reported word fur word as they are ut- tered; and how it is possible for the human hared to follow with such rapidity and such exactness I am at a loss to conceive. I once, as many others have done, began to learn shorthand, but I confess that I found out two difficulties which turned out to be quite insurmountable. The one was to write it, and the next and greatest to read it when it was written. (Loud laughter.) I beg now to propose that institution to which the progress of civilization and all the interests of the country are so deeply indebted—' The Press.' " (Cheers )