large room at the King's Arms, Palace Yard, where several delegates
delivered spirit-stirring addresses, which contained earnest
exhortations to each other, and to their friends in the country, to
combine and manfully to fight the battle of protection for England's
best interests; and a determination was expressed to act, in their
respective localities, upon the advice of the committee of the
National Association, to "Register, register, register."
THE DELEGATES' ADDRESS TO LORD STANLEY, AND HIS LORDSHIP'S REPLY.
Lord STANLEY having complied with the request which had been made
to him, founded upon a resolution agreed to at the meeting at the
South Sea House, on Thursday last, to receive an address from the
delegates, on the termination of the above proceedings, a large body
of gentlemen, headed by Mr William Layton, the chairman of the Isle
of Ely Protectionist Society, proceeded to Lord Eglinton's mansion
in St James's Square, for that purpose, there being no room in Lord
Stanley's residence sufficiently large for their reception. In
addition to the delegates already named, there were present the noble
owner of the mansion; the Earl of Malmesbury; Mr W. Forbes Mackenzie,
M.P.; Mr Newdegate, M.P.; Colonel Sibthorp, M.P.; Mr Albert Williams;
Mr W. Long of Hurts Hall, Suffolk; Major Playfair, St Andrew's; Mr
Ritchie, Dunbar; Professor Aytoun, and Mr Blackwood.
Mr LAYTON, who was intrusted with the duty of presenting the address
to Lord STANLEY, said that the gentlemen then present had been
deputed by their co-delegates to wait upon his lordship, as the
leader of the Protectionist party in the House of Lords, to make
known to him the extent of the distress which was at this time
prevailing in all parts of the country, and to ask his advice with
regard to the course which it was most advisable for them to pursue
in the midst of their difficulties. They felt that they had been
deserted by a considerable portion of the members of both houses of
the legislature, and in this extremity they turned to his lordship,
who had so long been the ablest and most powerful of the advocates in
this cause. (Hear.) They had that morning had the honour of waiting
upon Lord John Russell; but grieved to heart was he to say that the
noble lord, the Prime Minister of England, was unwilling in any way
to respond to the appeal which had been made to him on behalf of the
suffering tenantry of the country. He (Mr Layton) held in his hand
a copy of the address which had been submitted to Lord J. Russell,
and, with Lord Stanley's permission, would lay it before him, that he
might gather therefrom what were the feelings and sentiments which
were entertained by the great body of the agricultural community.
The delegates were prepared, if his lordship would give them
encouragement, to return to their respective localities, and use
their best exertions for the purpose of accomplishing the overthrow
of that insane policy to which was attributable the distress of which
they complained. (Hear.) Mr Disraeli had stated that it was outside
the walls of the Houses of Parliament that this great battle was now
to be fought. And we are prepared to fight the battle--exclaimed Mr
Layton--we are prepared to go into our respective localities, and
convince the House of Lords that the yeomanry and tenant-farmers of
this country, amongst whom this great movement emanates, will not
cease agitating until we have attained our object. (Hear, hear.) We
have to-day been taunted by Lord J. Russell that there has been no
movement made by the Protectionist party in parliament to reverse
the present policy. But, as you, my Lord Stanley, know well, this
is for the best of all possible reasons. You know that we have not
that support and encouragement in either house, which will warrant an
attempt to reverse that iniquitous policy. (Hear, hear.) We have come
to town at great expense and inconvenience to ourselves. I myself
am deputed from a locality which is distinguished in every respect,
alike for the richness of its soil, and the industry, the virtuous
habits, and the loyalty of its people--the Isle of Ely. That district
comprises 300,000 acres of the most fertile and productive land in
the United Kingdom, and yet, with all these advantages, we have been
plunged into difficulties; and unless we have the powerful aid and
co-operation of men like your lordship, we must inevitably be ruined.
(Hear, hear.) If such be the case with a country like that of the
Isle of Ely, what must be the state of those districts where the cold
clay soils prevail? (Hear, hear.) I am the owner of property, and I
find it impossible to collect my rents. Believe me that we do not
come here under false colours. We simply desire, as honest men, to
inform your lordship of the exact position in which we are placed;
and also, I regret to say, of the deplorable condition to which
the agricultural labourers are being reduced. With your lordship's
permission I will now read the address:--
"TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD STANLEY, &C.
"My Lord,--We have the honour to wait upon your lordship, in
your acknowledged character of leader of the great Protection
party in the House of Lords. We form a portion of a numerous
body of delegates this week assembled in London, from the
various local agricultural societies in Great Britain, and our
object in troubling your lordship is to represent to you the
sentiments of those delegates, and of their constituents, on the
present alarming position of the agricultural interest in this
kingdom.
"Your lordship has probably seen in the public prints the
reports of the proceedings of the great meeting of delegates,
held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, on Tuesday
last. The resolutions of that meeting embody generally the
sentiments of the delegates on the subjects then under
discussion, and to them, therefore, we beg respectfully to refer
your lordship, and also to the very important facts stated by
the various speakers, and the arguments advanced by them in
support of the resolutions.
"Your lordship will be able to collect from them the following
distinct propositions:--
"That the existing system of a free importation of foreign
agricultural produce is destroying the income of the farmer, and
gradually undermining his capital.
"That the labourer, from inadequacy of wages and dearth
of employment, is fast approaching a state of poverty and
destitution, and that he is becoming discontented, dispirited,
and dissatisfied with the laws of his country.
"That land is rapidly declining in value, and in many districts,
as well as in the colonies, is becoming unsaleable, except at
great sacrifices on the part of the owners.
"That the difficulties of entering into new engagements for the
hire of farms are increasing to an alarming extent, and that
in various parts of the country occupations have been already
abandoned.
"That many of the great trading interests of the country are
beginning to feel the mischievous effects of the free trade
policy; and the home trade, already in a languishing state, will
soon become greatly depressed.
"That in some parts of Scotland and England an extensive
emigration of small farmers and labourers prevails, affording
the strongest proof that can be adduced of their perilous
condition in this country.
"That the evils adverted to are fraught with imminent danger to
the best interests of the state, which can only be averted by a
just system of import duties based on a fair remuneration to the
cultivators of the soil.
"That prompt and efficacious measures of relief ought to be
adopted, and any postponement of them to a future session, or
a future parliament, may be fatal in its consequences, and may
have the effect of seriously damaging, if not of destroying,
some of the most valuable of our institutions in Church and
State.
"The aforegoing propositions, my lord, we sincerely believe will
be found on examination to contain indisputable truths. We have
already been in communication on the subject with the First
Lord of the Treasury, and we have felt it our bounden duty, in
a matter of such vast importance to the national interests,
to convey to your lordship a frank and explicit avowal of our
sentiments. We firmly believe that any delay in redressing the
grievances under which the agricultural and other interests
labour, will be found pregnant with danger to the institutions
of the country, and, as loyal subjects of the Throne, firmly
attached to those institutions, we have not hesitated to
give warning of it in every quarter where any degree of
responsibility may be considered to rest. We feel well assured
your lordship will give to this communication, and to any
observations any member of the deputation may address to you, a
most anxious and earnest consideration.
"With great respect,
"I have the honour to be, my Lord,
"Your Lordship's very obedient servant,
"WILLIAM LAYTON, Chairman,
"And on behalf of the Delegates now assembled in London."
Having informed Lord Stanley of the intended Protectionist
meeting at Liverpool at which a great number of agricultural
delegates were to be present, Mr Layton concluded by assuring
his lordship of the determination of those gentlemen to be
guided by his counsels in prosecuting their future crusade
against the destructive system of free trade. (Hear, hear.)