THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



295 



tial memorial to mark the high eatimalion in which you are 

 held by the tenantry of Sir Philip Egerton, have done me the 

 honour to appoint me their chairman, in which capacity I now 

 stand. Proud I am of the duties entrusted to me, thoua;h 

 very far from being able to discharge them in a manner that I 

 would wish ; but I am quite sure you will excuse me when I 

 say you must take the feeling of the heart for the will of the 

 mind. During the time you have been amongst us, which 

 now extends over the long period of tweuty-lhree years, we 

 have had very many opportunities of witnessing the unremit- 

 ting care and attention with which you have discharged your 

 important riuties as agent to our worthy landlord. I can say 

 from experience, when you have seen it needful you have not 

 been backward, with the kind consent of your benevolent mas- 

 ter, to render us every assistance in your power ; and now, 

 sir, on bebalf of my brother-tenants, whose names are herein 

 written, I beg your acceptance of the accompanying testi- 

 monial as a mark of the esteem we bear towards you, and also 

 as a small return for the many acts of kindness you have uone 

 us, and for the uniform good feeling and gentlemanly munner 

 with which you have treated us ; and we hope and trust that 

 your valuable life may yet be spared many years to us and to 

 your esteemed wife and family, and that you may be permitted 

 by a gracious Providence to pursue your career of usefulness 

 in the enjoyment of every blessing this world can bestow. And 

 when declining years come on, may you view that tribute of 

 rcspect with deli:;ht, and say "I have won those for an example 

 to a rising progeny and ages yet unborn ;" and when it pleases 

 God in his influite mercy to call you hence, "may you die the 

 death of the righteous, and m^iy your last end be like his." 

 And now, gentlemen, I call upon you to show your further 

 wishes to our worthy guest by filling a bumper to his good 

 health, with the honours due to a hearty good fellow. 



The toast having been drunk amid enthusiastic cheering and 

 musical honours, 



Mr. Beckett rose and said : Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, 

 I rise with no ordinary feelings of gratitud" and pleasure to 

 receive from your hands this valuable testimonial, as a mark of 

 the estimation in which you hold my conduct and services as 

 land-a^ent to Sir Philip Grey Egerton. More than 23 years 

 ago I entered upon that appointment with the highest gratifica- 

 tion, and I soon found that I had to work with an intelligent 

 and improving class of farmers, who only required confidence 

 and encouragement, not dicta ion. I also found, as I expected, 

 the nobleman whom it was my duty to serve and represent, to 

 be a most liberal-minded landlord, whose greatest desire and 

 happiness was to improve the condition of his tenantry, to 

 make their homes cosnfortable and condition prosperous. I 

 further found in Sir Philip Egerton's professional agent, Mr. 

 Humberston, the present Ma) or of Chester, a most gentlemanly 

 and agreeable adviser, easy of access, and always at my right 

 band whenever I required advice. Under such circumstances, 

 and with such advantages, it was no difficult duty for me to 

 sail smoothly with you in all matters connected with a land- 

 agency. My course has been as smooth as an unruffled sea. I 

 am proud to say that I have never had to encounter a head- 

 wind or a stiff gale ; nor do I yet see any breakers ahead, ex- 

 cept the chance of a break-down in my attempt to acknowledge 

 your great kindness on this occasion. While t)K brilliancy of 

 your magnificent testimonial dazzles my eyes, my heart throbs 

 with gratitude which I cannot fully express. I value it for its 

 intrinsic worth, but still more because .t comes from a respect- 

 able disinterested tenantry, with whom I have had the honoiir to 

 act for so many years. I little thought when I entered upon my 

 stewardship, that the 1st October, 1834, would be the harhinger 

 of such a day as this. I thauk you all most sincerely. I thank 

 also my absent friends, the tenantry, who have contributed to 

 this testimonial, which I shall endeavour to hand down to my 

 children as unsullied as I receive it at your hands. May health 

 and happiness attend you and your families, and may the te- 

 nantry of the House of Oulton always be as united and pros- 

 perous as their warmest friends can desire ; and believe me 

 that amongst those friends you have none more sincere than 

 Sir Philip Egerton your landlord, and your humble servant his 

 laud-agent. Mr. Chairman, I beg leave to thank you iudi- 

 vidually for the kind and flattering manner in which you have 

 been pleased to present thij testimonial ; also to you, gentle- 

 men, for the patient hearing you have given me, to enable me 

 most inefficiently but most sincerely to acknowledge the high 

 compliment which you have paid me. 



The health of Captain Egerlon was next drunk. 



Mr. HiCKLiN, iu a speech expressive of the pleasure he ex- 

 perienced in seeing eo good a feeling existing between'landlord, 

 agent, and tenantry, proposed " Success to the Flail and the 

 Plough." 



The healths of Mrs. Beckett, the Vice-Presidents, the Com- 

 mittee, the Secretary, the Press, of Mr. Butt, and thanks to 

 him for his exertions to obtain so handsome a testimonial, with 

 other toasts, were proposed and duly responded to, the entire 

 company enjoying the occasion in a happy, convivial manner. 



TEE GUANO TRADE A MONOPOLY. 



As a convention of the Peruvian Lesjislature is now sitting 

 at Lima, as to the future disposal of guano, whether it is to 

 be continued as a monopoly in the hands of the present con- 

 signees, Messrs. Baneda Brothers for the United States, 

 Anthony Gibbs and Sou for Great Britain, and the agent for 

 France and the continant, or opened for free sale at the islands, 

 it may be interesting to know a little of the trade and of the 

 immense profits made by the consignees. The shipments to 

 this country and England for 1854, being in round numbers 

 163,000 and 200,000 tons (those to the contineut not in- 

 cluded), will show the great interest the consignees have in 

 continuing things as they are, and the necessity of our citizens 

 and the English exerting themselves to open the trade to the 

 public : — 



SOLD IN THE STATES IN 1854. 



dolls, 



163,000 tons at 55 d., 8,965,000 d. ; com. 5 per cent. 448,250 

 „ freight 21) d, 3,260,000 d.; com. 2i „ 81,500 

 The consignees get this on all charters, no matter 

 how many ship-brokers are interested in the 

 other half. 

 Estimating 163 vessels as loaded, and that 3,000 ds. 

 were drawn for disbursement, the profits on ad- 

 vances of Peruvian dollars, worth about 75 c 125,000 



654,750 



Messrs. A. Gibbs and Son, in proportion, would 



amount to 813,000 



There are other commissions on advances, 

 storage, &c. 



Memorials had been presented by the British landowners, 

 farmers, shipowners, and merchants to the government, to use 

 their influence to have the monopoly so injurious to the public 

 good done away with ; but hitherto their exertions with the 

 Peruvian government have been unsuccessful. However, 

 there is now a hope, as the Peruvians think a change ought to 

 be made. The ministers of both countries should render 

 their assistance for so desirable an object. 



Though freights have fallen considerably since 1854, the 

 price of guauo has heen raised from 55 dols. to 62 dols. 



When at the Chincha Islands a few years ago, Mr. Elias had 

 the contract for shipping-, at nearly a dollar over the tender of 

 Mr. Lloyd, though bscked with good security. This would be 

 a charge extra of 400,000 dols. a-year to the farmers, esti- 

 mating the annual shipments at that amount. The vessels 

 were then delayed a month, by having to enter and clear at 

 Callao. 



In 1851 the price of gusno, with higher freights than at 

 present, was 45 dols. This year the English agents attempted 

 to raise the price to 70 dols,, being 8 dols. over the rates here, 

 though the charges were the same ; but it failed, owing to the 

 Mark Lane Express calling the attention of the farmers and 

 the trade to its ii justice. 500,0f)0 tons could be annually 

 shipped from the islands, whirh at 20 dols. would give a 

 revenue to Peru of 10,000.000 dols. ^less the shipping charges), 

 and with 20 dda. freight would make guano stand 40 dols, 

 afloat, instead of tiO doln., as under prenent managrment. 



This is ft question of importance to the farmers of the W0Tld4 

 —Hunt's (American) Merchantb' Magazine. 



