444 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



had ceased to have an iutcrest in agriculture since 

 stubbles had become matters of history, and turnips 

 were set in such vulgar rows that there was no pleasure 

 in walking over them (Laughter). The agriculturists 

 seemed now only to think how they could get the most 

 money out of their farms; they were falling into the 

 errors of the Manchester and manufacturing school, 

 and were endeavoring to get as much as possible out of 

 the ground, not caring one straw for the sport that the 

 land might be made to produce (laughter). He would 

 ask them — he would ask Mr. Smith, for his land lay 

 most convenient, just to leave his stubble four inches 

 from the ground, and then he should think that gentle- 

 man was really sincere in wishing him well (laughter)." 



Mr. Smith, be it understood, had been proposing 

 poor Mr. Blood's health. In no way daunted by 

 this laughter, the latter goes at them again, with some- 

 thing that brings the sports of the field into a little 

 more kindly association : — 



" Mr. Blood said there was a field of wheat of three 

 acres belonging to Mr. Pattisson, on which a fox was 

 killed, and the master of the hounds observed he never 



saw a field so cut up before. Ho should like to know 

 the result. 



"Mr. Pattisson said the result had been that the 

 crojo was a very good one, and he found not the slight- 

 est damage. He should be glad to see the hunters on 

 any field of his in future (cheers). 



" Mr. Wm. Hutley said the horses never did any 

 hurt," 



We have ourselves known many a similar instance to 

 this — one particularly in Oxfordshire, where the field 

 was such an eye-sore, that the occupier " daren't trust 

 himself to look at it," till a week or two before harvest, 

 and then it was " the best piece of wheat he had," 



We dwell on this meeting at Witham as something 

 of an example for similar associations. There is a 

 straightforward tone about it that we find but too seldom. 

 We want more chairmen like Lord Rayleigh, and more 

 speakers like Mr, Hutley. Not penple who are always 

 at " the proudest moments of their lives," " unex- 

 pectedly called upon," talking " fine," and making 

 tinsel heroes of honest men. 



ROAD REFORM, 



The question of turnpike abolition and maintenance of roads 

 by assessment, which has been for ten years in agitation in 

 Haddiugtonshire, as well as in the counties of Fife, Forfar, 

 Lanark, and others, was brought to a crisis in the first-named 

 county, at a meeting of the general turnpike trustees, held at 

 Haddington on Thursday, Oct. 15. A keen and animated 

 debate took place, in which the proposed reform was advocated 

 by Lord Elcho, M.P. for the county, and resisted by the Rie;ht 

 Hon. R. A. Christopher Nisbet Hamilton, M.P. for South 

 Lincolnshire. The result was that the numbers were equal 

 for and agaiust reform, when the chairman (the Marquis of 

 Tweeddale) gave his casting vote against the proposed change. 



The question came before the meeting on the report of Mr. 

 M'Connel; the eminent road surveyor, who had given in an 

 elaborate report on the roads of the county. Some of the 

 roads had fallen into disrepair owing to the falling off of the 

 toll dues, resulting partly from the absorption of the through 

 traffic by the new highway — the railway — and by the diverting 

 of traffic into the side roads towards the railway stations, on 

 which it was not intercepted by tolls. The county had on 

 various occasions sanctioned resolutions and even draught bills 

 for the abolition of tolls, and the imposition of assessment on 

 lands and heritages, and on horses, in lieu thereof ; and the 

 farmers' club had almost uranimrusly supported the proposed 

 reform. Before finally deciding, the county had employed Mr. 

 M'Connel to report on the whole subject; and, after employing 

 nearly two years in the collection of statistics, that gentleman 

 reported in favour of the present system, with a readjustment 

 of the toll bars, so as to intercept the altered currents of traffic. 



Lord Elciio, in moving " Tliat, in the opinion of this meet- 

 ing, the system of maintaining roads by tolls and statute 

 labour should be abandoned," contended that the toll system 

 was inconvenient and expensive, and quoted the Ittter of an 

 hon baronet, last year au opponent and now an advocate cf 

 the present system, depicting its great inconvenience in calling 

 on the wayfarer to unbutton and deliver his twopence, aod its 

 expensiveness from the fact that it sometimes cost one penny 



to collect the other. He quoted the testimony of reports pre- 

 viously adopted by the county, that it was partial and unequal, 

 making one man pay toll for a single mile, and enabling others 

 to travel ten or eleven for a single toll. He adduced the re- 

 port of Mr. M'Connel to show that on even his economical 

 system of farming the tolls, the expense of collection was 15 

 per cent, for merely local collection, or, as his Lordship held, 

 from 20 to 25 per cent, when the expense of general manage- 

 ment, the usual allowance for loss in collection, and the ex- 

 penses of toll-houses, steel-yards &c., were included. An 

 assessment, on the other hand, could be levied for 5 per cent. 

 The equitability of an assessment, he held, admitted of no 

 dispute. I know, said his Lordship, that my right hon. friend 

 holds the doctrine that those who use the roads should pay for 

 them. That is a doctrine that he holds in common with that 

 great authority, Adam Smith ; and perhaps he will allow me to 

 compliment him on being a disciple of Adam Smith. (A laugh.) 



Mr. NiSBET Hamilton : I always was. 



Lord Elcho : Perhaps with respect to roads, but not in 

 other articles ; but I am very glad he is a convert to him in 

 any point. But with regard to Adam Smith, I thought it 

 right to look up what he says on the subject. No doubt 

 Adam Smith says that those who use the roads should pay for 

 them, and nothing could be fairer ; but you cannot mak» 

 people pay in proportion to the damage done by them, for the 

 man who travels one mile pays the same as he who travels five, 

 and unquestionably the litfer does more damage to the roads. 

 But what does Adam Smith also say ? " This tax or toll, 

 though it is advanced by the carrier, is finally paid by the 

 consumer, to whom it must always be charged in the price of 

 the goods." And in another place he says : " The expense 

 of maintaining good roads and communications is no doubt 

 beneficial to the whole societ3', and may therefore, without 

 any injustice, be defrayed by the general contribution of the 

 whole society." 



Mr. N. Hamilton : The nation. 



Lord Elcfio : I know my right hon. friend means by that 



