Int 41robintts.

A change has taken place in the proceedings at Kendal. Mr. Bon- verie has retired, and Mr. Henry Warburton, formerly Member for Bridport, comes forward in the Liberal interest. The Conservatives talked of Dr. Sleigh, the Buckinghamshire physician, who has taken such an eccentric part against Free Trade : but now they have adopted as their candidate Mr. Bentinck, a Norfolkshire landowner. There is little doubt that Mr. Warburton, who is much esteemed by the Liberal party throughout England, will be returned.

Mr. Bouverie is named as a candidate for the representation of Salisbury city ; in which the death of Mr. Wadham Wyndham, the Conservative Member, has occasioned a vacancy.

The Tamworth Farmers Club dined together on Tuesday, in Tam- worth Town-hall. The club was founded in April last, and this was its first public aggregate meeting. Sir Robert Peel, the patron, was in the chair ; and among the company were Sir George Murray, Sir Jahleel Brenton, the Right Honourable Yates Peel, Dr. Buckland, Mr. Colvile, M.P., Mr. Dugdale, M.P., Mr. Adderley, M.P., Mr. New- digate Newdigate, M.P., Sir John Easthope, M.P., Captain A'Court, M P., and several landed proprietors and farmers, in all 240 persons. In proposing the health of Prince Albert, among the usual toasts, the Chairman called for "one cheer more" for the Prince as a British farmer. The toast of t` Prosperity to the Tamworth Farmers Club" was introduced by Sir Robert Peel with a long and interesting speech. He reminding his hearers of the rule of their club which fo ving a tendency to create party hostility or to in- sion,—the more necessary as members of all harmony and must be protected from offence. speeches were of a strictly practical character, for the interests of the association- o4hall remember what is the particular object that brings

us here; that, instead of passing our time in complimenting each other, we shall try to enforce upon the members of this society the necessity of acting in concert for the promotion of agriculture. Gentlemen, we are a farmers club. We are not a society for the protection of agriculture ; we have nothing to do with any of the questions relating to agriculture which agitate the pub- lie mind and divide public opinion—we are a club for the promotion of the science of agriculture. What we want is to learn how, in the shortest time, at the least expense, to produce the greatest quantity of food, either animal or vegetable for the consumption of man, without permanent injury to the land. (Cheers.; That is the single object for the promotion of which this club has been formed."

Skill in agriculture can be acquired only in three ways,—by prac- tical experience, by extended observation or the reading of treatises, and by conversation for mutual information. Sir Robert enlarged on the advantages which such a society offered ; the entrance-fee being 5s. and the annual subscription but 5s. There is a library in the town, the subscription to which is Is. quarterly ; and he undertook that, if the farmers desired any addition to the stock of books, there should be every disposition to make it. He pointed out the inefficacy of mere personal experience- " If practical experience is founded upon very extended observation, it is of the utmost value ; but, depend upon it, the British farmer is exposed to com- petition which will make the mere reliance upon limited personal experience a very imperfect resource. If a man's experience is confined to his own district— if he has bad no opportunity of comparing the methods of agriculture adopted there with the methods pursued in other districts of the country—if he takes for granted, that because for forty or fifty years he has been employed as a farmer, if he pursues the method which his father before him pursued he will prosper, and that his personal experience will insure success—depend upon it he will be greatly disappointed. It is impossible to travel for ten miles through this country, it is impossible to go through this parish, without seeing that mere reliance on personal experience as a farmer will not insure success. You see the different degrees of fertility in land of equal natural strength—you see, where the land is cultivated by farmers having the advantage of personal ex- perience, the .greatest difference in the results, if one brings to bear the advan- tage of chemical and geological science, and the other merely relies upon the benefits of his own personal observation."

He saw around him many landlords and farmers, and many who united both capacities ; but even those landlords who had little practical knowledge of agriculture could do much to promote it— "I am a landlord, but I cannot say I am a practical farmer, deriving much profit from the cultivation of land : still I hold land; and it becomes me, and it becomes other landlords who have not the means of affording information to their tenants from their own successful pursuit of agriculture—it becomes us to consider in what way we can contribute to the advancement of agriculture. Now, although we may know very little practically about agriculture, yet, living in this agricultural district, and coming constantly in communication with you, my opinion is that landlords, without having such practical know- ledge, may greatly contribute to the improvement and advancement of agricul- ture. I take for instance the breeding of stock—the improvement of stock within this district. I speak for myself—improvement begins at home ; the relation of landlord and tenant is definite and well understood. I speak, there- fore, chiefly with respect to my own tenants. Of course, naturally I wish to see a whole district prosperous; but I have an increased interest in my own tenants prospering, and in watching the advance of improvement on my own estate. Now, I say here, in presence of many of my tenants, that I am filling to do every thing I can to contribute to the improvement of their stock. if they, or a committee of the most intelligent of them, will first go to Birming- ham, the great metropolis of this part of the country, and ascertain there for what description of stock there is the greatest demand—if they will determine what description of stock derives the greatest improvement in respect of fatten- ing, or gives the greatest quantity of milk by being fed on the pastures of this district, I will, regardless of the price of the animal, introduce here the beat I can find—the best bull for instance, and will give to my tenants, for the purpose of improving the breed on my estate, I will give to them and their cows free access to that animal. That, gentlemen, is one mode in which I, as a land- lord, little conversant with agriculture, but deeply interested in promoting its prosperity, can contribute to its advancement within that particular district for whose prosperity I have the chief concern."

So with respect to manures : farmers are bewildered by conflicting accounts of the various kinds, and doubtful how far those who report on them may not be interested parties, or how far they may be applica- ble to particular soils-

" Landlords, then, have this means of benefiting their tenantry—namely, of making experiments and exhibiting the results to those who may be practically interested in them. To take the article of artificial manure : let tenants doubting on the subject state to their landlords that they cannot place entire confidence in the result; but if the landlord will go to the expense of devoting part of his farm to experiments with a particular manure, they will have a confi- dence that it shall be fairly applied; and when the results are exhibited to the tenantry at the proper season, they will be better able to determine hereafter whether they will go to the expense in purchasing it, and they will have ,greater confidence in the expectations they have founded upon that trial.' In accordance with his estimation of practical observation, Sir Ro- bert Peel had directed a friend to make an experiment with three kinds of manure,—stable-manure, Potter's composition, (so called from the name of the person in London who prepares and sells it,) and guano. Two acres were prepared with the three kinds, and planted with potatoes ; the only variation being the variety of manures. The result was, that for 9 bushels of potatoes grown on ridges prepared with stable-manure, there were 11 on those manured with Potter's composition, and 15 on those with guano: there were three hundredweight each used of Potter's composition and guano, both kinds costing 14s. the hundredweight : the gross cost including every charge was 16/. ; the produce was 600 bushels, and the profit was 141. The land was poor and ex- hausted, and would have let at 1/. an acre. "At the same time," continued Sir Ro- bert, " I cannot expect you, when you probably read some other account where stable-manure was applied to the same advantage with guano here, to go to great expense in adopting. guano. I am perfectly prepared to go to that expense; and I will devote a portion of that land which I occupy for the purpose of making these experiments as fairly as I can, under the superintendence of a committee of intelligent tenantry ; and then at the proper period of the year we will have the produce taken up and test the result of the measure. So with respect to other classes of manure : by applying, on different parts of the estate, say six half-acres, for the purpose of meeting these experiments in the manner pointed out by his tenants, and then exhibiting the result to their actual inspection, a landlord not himself practically acquainted with agriculture, without presuming to teach you the best method of farming, may, in cooperation with his tenants, do much for the improvement of agriculture.'

He alluded to what he had said about leases at the Lichfield agricul- tural dinner-

" I then said that the habit of this country is adverse to the practice of granting leases, but that if any tenants of mine felt that their position would be raised, that their confidence in the security of their tenure would be in- creased, and applied to me for an extension of the term now granted, for the purpose of having an additional security in the application of their capital, I should be disposed to give a favourable consideration to such an application. I remain of the same opinion, and I now repeat the same declaration in the pre- sence of many who occupy land under me. It is not an empty declaration, be- cause, in the case of the only application made to me, I have granted a lease. (Cheers.) The land was out of order, and this application was made to me by a new tenant. He convinced me his object was to improve the soil. He had capital sufficient for its cultivation. He said to me, ' I have perfect confidence in you, but I am a stranger to you, and it will be more satisfactory to me to have a lease.' I granted him a lease for nineteen years; stipulating for the first seven years that a reduced rent should be paid, and for the remaining period he should pay the same rent as had heretofore been paid. That is the only case in which an application has been made to me for a lease, and to that application I have assented." (Cheers.)

Game formed the next topic-

" Gentlemen, there are few more eager sportsmen than I am ; but, seeing the competition to which the farmer of this country is exposed, and to which he must look forward, I consider it to be the duty of every landlord to make some sacrifice of his personal pleasures for the benefit of the tenant-farmer. (Cheers.) I believe that the damage done by the abundance of game is chiefly by hares and rabbits. I do not believe that the occupier of the land sustains much injury from the abundance either of partridges or pheasants. The chief damage is done by the superabundance of rabbits and hares. Now, 1 have no hesitation in saying that I shall be pleased that there is not one single rabbit on the whole of my property. (Cheers.) I will do every thing I can for their destruction; and with respect to hares also, I will willingly forego any gratifi- cation of mere sport; so that if aoy tenant of mine will inform me that the hares on his farm exist in such a quantity that they are doing him serious damage, I shall be perfectly ready to give orders for their immediate destruc- tion, or their reduction to such an extent as shall satisfy him that no danger whatever can be sustained by him." (Cheers.) Tamworth, the chosen seat of the old Mercian Kings, had been from the earliest times celebrated for its fertility ; and in modern times it has additional advantages which should stimulate exertion to improve them- " I say, in this locality, so favoured by nature, we have no excuse if we are behindhand in the race of competition for agricultural improvement. But we have other advantages—we live in the neighbourhood of a great manufacturing district. We know of what importance to us is the town of Birmingham and the great iron-district of this country. We know what influence it has on the demand for our produce. We have ample experience, that with the increase or decay of its prosperity there is a corresponding sympathy on the part of agri- culture to increase or decay. We have, therefore, not only a country favoured by nature, but we have the advantage of a great manufacturing district creating a market for our produce. (Cheers.) Then, gentlemen, let us observe the progress which has been made in other less favoured districts. Depend upon it, there is room for great improvement here."

Sir Robert concluded by advocating such meetings as a means of increasing the productions of the soil, and of improving the relations between landlord and tenant ; thus benefiting all in a pecuniary point of view, and presenting a happy district, inhabited by liberal and con- siderate landlords, by intelligent and improving tenants, and by a happy and contented peasantry. Several other toasts were drunk and speeches made ; Dr. Buckland being one of the speakers.

The Anti-Corn-law League opened its new campaign in the manu- facturing districts with a meeting at the Free-trade Hall in Manches- ter, on the evening of Thursday week. Alderman Brooks occupied the chair ; and besides the leading Free-traders of Manchester, there were present gentlemen from Leeds, Littleborough, Stalybridge, Bolton, Stockport, and Glasgow. About 300 persons were on the platform, and in all the meeting comprised about 10,000. In his opening remarks, Mr. Brooks made some allusion to his catechizing Lord Stanley at the elec- tion for North Lancashire, in 1841—

" Now, do you know, from that day I believe a fatal blow was struck in his mind against this law; for, since that day, he has never opened his lips scarcely in the House upon this Corn-law, though of course you know, being mixed up with a party, he was obliged to go and vote with his party. He is now one of the most thorough Repealers we have."

Mr. Hickin read an abstract of the report presented to the Covent Garden meeting. Mr. Benjamin Pearson, an old Anti-Slavery agi- tator, combated at much length the arguments of the Anti-Slavery Society against free trade in sugar. Mr. Cobden made a long speech, much of which went over ground already traced; but some portions possessed considerable interest. He alluded to the progress which the Anti-Corn-law agitation had made, not only towards its objects, but in its own nature and purposes-

" I do not know, if we could have foreseen, five years ago next month, the arduous duties upon which we were entering, whether we should have had the moral courage to undertake them. I believe we are all now willing to admit, that when we commenced the agitation of the Anti-Corn-law League, we had not the same comprehensive views of the interests and objects involved in the agitation that we now have. I am afraid, if we must confess the truth, that most of us entered upon this struggle with the belief that we had some distinct class-interest in the question, and that we should carry it by a manifestation of our will in this district against the will and consent of other portions of the Community. I believe that was our impression. if there is one thing which more than another has elevated and dignified and ennobled this agitation, it is that, in the progress of the last five years, we have found, gradually but steadily, that every interest, and every object which every part of the community can Justly seek, harmonizes perfectly with the views of the Anti-Corn-law League." (Cheers.) He dwelt with great satisfaction on the impression which the depu- tations of the League had made in the agricultural districts; acknow- ledging the favourable reception which they had met with in those quarters- " I have no reason to complain of the courtesy either of the landowners or the farmers in any part where I have been. I have found men, noblemen and gentlemen, directly opposed to me and my views, who have yet not hesitated on many occasions to take the chair at my meetings, and to secure a fair hear- ing and fair play for all parties; and this I venture to say, that there is not a county in England where 1 have been to address a meeting, where I should not be as well received at any farmer's market ordinary as any landowner professing to be a farmer's friend' in that county. Well, I have naturally taken some interest since my return in what has been going on in the counties that I have Plaited ; and I say that if our agitation had had no other advantage than in the stimulus it has given to the agricultural community, our money and our time would have been well expended. I never take up a newspaper now from the agricultural districts containing a report of one of their agricultural meet- ings, (and this is a period of the year when they are holding them in all parts,) but I find, mingled with occasional apprehensions of what the League is going to do, one universal cry—' Improve your agriculture.' There is not one of the Members of Parliament who sit on the monopolist benches, that has gone down among his constituents to attend their agricultural dinners, but has carried with him some one panacea or other that is to enable farmers to brave the rivalry which they now see is inevitable with foreign countries. One says, ' Subsoil your land;' another, ' Thorough-drain your land ; ' another, ' Grab up your fences ; ' another, Take care and improve the breed of stock ; ' an- other, You have not good farmsteads for your manure ;' and one worthy gentle- man of my own county, Sussex, Sir Charles Burrell, has gone back to the nostrum that the farmers must take to growing white carrots." (Applause and laughter.) An opponent of his in Colchester, Mr. Bawtrey, predicted that a time would come when agriculture must stand on its own legs; and the question was, he said, how agriculturists should be beat prepared to meet the crisis? " Now," con- tinued Mr. Cobden, "what is his remedy ? ' He thought it would be at once admitted, that their sole consideration must be to make up the deficiency in the value of agricultural produce, by increasing the amount of produce.' Now, gentlemen, this is an important admission, that they have not hitherto done as much as they might have done to improve the cultivation ; and it is an admis- sion, too, that they are only now stimulated to make it by our agitation. I see a Mr. Fisher Hobbes (and I may tell you that Mr. Fisher Hobbes wrote a letter in the newspaper against me, at Essex, and that be is one of the most eminent agriculturists there) says, at the same dinner—' He was aware that a spirit of improvement was abroad. Much was said about the tenant-farmers doing more. He agreed they might do more; the soil of the country was capable of greater production—if he said one-fourth more, he should be within com- pass.' "

But why had not this improvement taken place before ?—

" Lord Stanley says in his speech at Liverpool, ' The farmers must not now- adays stand as their fathers and grandfathers did, with their hands behind them, fast asleep.' But I want to ask Lord Stanley, why the farmers' fathers and grandfathers stood fast asleep, with their hands behind their backs ? I charge Lord Stanley, who came down to Lancaster and talked about Tamboff being able to send here an enormous quantity of wheat—(Loud cheers and laughter)— n man who, knowing better, for I cannot charge him with ignorance—a man who, knowing better all the while, pandered to the very indolence he is now complaining of in the farmers, by telling them that a single province in Russia could send thirty-eight million quarters of corn here to swamp them—I say it is Lord Stanley, and others of his class and order, the politicians who tell the farmer not to rely upon his own exertions, but upon Parliamentary protection —it is these men, and these only, who are responsible for the farmers having stood with their hands behind their backs. 'Well, gentlemen, then it seems that one of the effects of the agitation of the League is that agriculture is to improve, and we are to have at least one-fourth more of corn produced at home. Not only now dues it appear that land is not to be thrown out of cultivation, but, if we may take the testimony of these gentlemen themselves, all that is required is free trade in corn, in order that they may produce one-fourth more than they now do. And, recollect, we are told by the very same parties— and their newspapers are now rife with the very same arguments—that oar object is to bring agricultural labourers into the manufacturing districts, in order to reduce wages here."

Referring to apprehensions of competition abroad, Mr. Cobden ad- duced evidence respecting the skill of American agriculturists— "I see that at an agricultural meeting in the State of New York, held at Rochester in the 20th of September, Mr. Wadsworth, the President, in the course of his speech, said, in speaking of this country, ' We had tried the English in the field of war and on the ocean, and the result had been such that neither might be ashamed: but there was a more appropriate field of contest— the ploughed field; and while they could raise forty bushels on an acre whilst we could raise but fifteen, we must acknowledge that she was pretty hard to whip, meet her where we may.'"

The League held another meeting on Monday, in the Free Trade Hall, and passed an address to the electors of London, congratulating them on the return of Mr. Pattison. Mr. Prentice stated, that of the 6,000 electors who voted for Mr. Pattison, 5,000 were registered mem- bers of the League.

On Saturday, Mr. Cobden, M.P., and Mr. Bright, M.P., attended a meeting at Alnwick,—Mr. George Darling in the chair,—to explain the principles of free trade. Mr. Grainger, the other M.P. for Durham, was also present. Resolutions against the Corn-laws were proposed ; in doposition to which, Mr. Dickenson, the " Manchester Packer," moved one in favour of universal suffrage ; which with difficulty found a seconder, and was negatived ; the original motion being carried with an overpowering majority.—Morning Chronicle.

A public meeting was held at Birmingham on Wednesday, to sym- pathize with the Irish Repealers. A requisition with nearly a thousand signatures had been presented to the Mayor, asking him to call a pub- lic meeting ; but he refused. The requisitionists themselves convened a meeting on a piece of ground attached to the People's Hall in Shad- well Street. Mr. Sturge and several Town-Councillors and Reformers of the place were present ; and Alderman Weston took the chair. The meeting adopted a memorial to the Queen, demanding and insisting, "in the language of the Act of Settlement," on the right of petition ; expressing deep indignation at seeing that right invaded in the procla- mation against the Clontarf meeting; declaring that "from all the circumstances, the conduct of the Viceregal Government receives a hue of the deepest criminality " ; avowing unfeigned gratification at the patient and peaceable conduct of the Irish people ; and praying the Queen to dismiss from her councils "those Ministers by whose rash i proceedings not only have the lives of thousands been put in jeopardy, and sacred right invaded, but the prerogative of the Crown and the liberties of the whole British people have been endangered."

Mr. Frankland Lewis, the Chief Commissioner of Inquiry into Welsh grievances, arrived at Carmarthen on Tuesday. The Commission was opened next day.

The Special Commission for the trial of the prisoners implicated in the Rebecca riots was opened at Cardiff, by Mr. Baron Gurney and Mr. Justice Creswell, on Thursday.

A servant-girl has been committed to prison at Carnarvon, on a charge of manslaughter ; two children having died from the effects of laudanum which she had administered to make them sleep. "It came out in evidence," says the Leeds Mercury, "that the practice of dragging children committed to their charge is carried to a great extent by ser- vants in Wales, and particularly on Saturday nights, the usual time of courting, or bundling,' as it is called, in order that the parties may not be interrupted ; and one druggist at Carnarvon made the confession etat be generally disposed of laudanum to fifty or sixty servant-girls on a Saturday night."