At the anniversary meeting of the North Staffordshire Agricultural Society,
held at Burton-on-Trent on Thursday,—in the presence of Vis- count Anson M.P., Mr. M. T. Bass M.P., and the Earl of Harrowhy,— the following explicit avowal was made by Mr. Adderley, one of the Mem- bers for the Northern Division of Staffordshire. Mr. Bass, the vice-chair- man of the meeting, having referred to "the importantspeeches lately delivered by County Members of great mark and distinction," asked Mr. Adderley for, any light he could afford. On this hint Mr. Adderley spoke— ,„„"As Mr. B888 has said, it seems to be the opinion of everybody, and I frankly say it is no less my own opinion, that the feeling of this country has been so unmistakeably expressed as to render it little short of madness to suppose that the people of England will, at the present time, permit a restoration of the Corn-laws. Any gentleman in this assembly who ho may feel disposed to say the reverse of this is either deceived or ignorant of the people of this country ; or else—an alternative which I should be sorry to believe any Member of Parliament or any respectable man guilty of—he is attempting to deceive others. That being the case, the question for us to consider is, what are we to look to, and what to do ? Special burdens do un- doubtedly fall upon agriculturists, and they have a just claim to relief from them. Retrenchment in local rates and expenditure is undoubtedly im- portant, but the material point is the general expenditure of the country. I say this, because I see in Parliament some gentlemen who call themselves ' farmers' friends,' but who merely say so with their lips and do not act up to their professions. I saw these '.farmers' friends' last session, mho said they had abandoned all hope of protection, and yet allowed money to be voted for such a thankless, useless, mischievous war, as that against the Caffres in Africa. Those are men who do not act up to their professions of retrench- ment; but do you in future look to those who will go for a reduction of ge- neral and local taxation."
Mr. Smith Child, the "other Member for the Northern Division, also said, "he should be unworthy of the position he occupied, and would be deceiving them, if he did not say, that, looking at the country at large, the state of opinions in Parliament, and the condition of trade, he could see no prospect of a return to protective duties."
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