THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



9 



any important subject, they need not fenr that their views 

 would liot receive due attention. 



Mr. Robert Smith, iu returning thanks for the Bath and 

 West of England Society, remarked that the origin of that 

 society dated as far back as 1777, aud he believed that it had 

 rendered good service to agriculture. He had the honour to be 

 on the Journal Committee of that society, and had been placed 

 there in order that he might do his best to secure a useful 

 and practical character for whatever was published. His own 

 attention had been especially devoted to stock. Implementa 

 he left almost entirely to others who were better acquainted 

 with them, with the exception that he was anxious that im- 

 plements should be provided which would be available not 

 merely for the largest farmers, but also for such aa occupied 

 comparalively small farms. (Hear, hear.) As regarded the 

 discussion of the previous evening, he could not help remark- 

 ing that those who were called labourers were not the only 

 persons who might be so designated. Farmers laboured as 

 well as those whom they employed, and they had to labour to 

 provide the capital out of which the wages of labour were 

 paid. (Hear, hear.) He concurred in the opinion that edu- 

 cation was most important in reference to the condition of the 

 labourer. The Howards and Ransomes had now got into full 

 play with their implements ; and he would say to agriculturists, 

 educate your labourers so that their mental powers may be 

 brought to bear on the steam-engine as well as the plough. 

 (Hear, hear.) 



Mr. CoNGRKVE proposed the next toast, viz-, " SucceBS to 



the Smithfield Club." He said, while the Royal Agricultural 

 and other societies were endeavouring to diffuse pure breeds, 

 the Smithfield Club devoted special attention to the feeding 

 of these breeds, bringing them to early maturity, with the 

 view of providing moderately cheap meat for the working 

 population of the country — an object, of course, of very great 

 national importance (Hear, hear). He was glad to hear that 

 the two Clubs were not to clash, and that the injudicious 

 motion made last year, to bring forward the dinner of the 

 Smithfield Club to the same day as that of their own Club, 

 had been wisely abandoned. With the toast he would couple 

 the name of Lord Berners, the new President of the Smith- 

 field Club; and he hoped that under his lordship's presidency 

 the Club would continue to prosper. 



Lord Berners, in replying, after deploring the great 

 loss which the Smithfield Club had sustained in the death of 

 the Duke of Richmond said that, having attended the meet- 

 ings of that Club for upwards of thirty years, he bad a deep- 

 ened conviction of their great public utility, 



Mr. James Howard proposed "The Local Farmers' 

 Clubs," coupled with the name of Mr. Spooner, by whom the 

 toast was acknowledged at some length. 



Mr. Denton gave " The Committee of Management," ac- 

 knowledged by Mr, Shearer; Mr. Parkinson, " Tbe Secre- 

 tary," responded to by Mr. Corbet ; and Mr. Jonas Webb, 

 " The Visitors," for whom Mr. Eaton, a farmer from the Cape 

 of Good Hope, returned thanks. 

 The company separated at an early hour. 



GENERAL DRAINAGE AND OUTFAL BILL. 



A public meeting of hndowuers, farmers, and others 

 ■was held Wednesday, December 12, at the Hanover-square 

 Rooms, " to consider the necessary steps to be taken to 

 secure legislative facilities for the improvement of outfals 

 and arterial drainage generally." The Earl of Romney 

 was called to the chair ; and there were also present Sir J. 

 B. Shelley, Bart., MP., Sir J. Heron Maxwell, Bart., Sir 

 John Tyrrell, Bart., Mr. Langston, M.P., Mr. Fisher Hobbs, 

 Mr. Spencer Skelton, Mr. Robert Smith, Mr. Smith (of 

 Rasen), Mr. Grantham, Mr. J. Glutton, Mr. Hewitt Davis, 

 Mr. Algernon Clarke, Mr. J. C. Morton, Mr. H. Corbet, 

 Professor Voelker, Mr. J. Wells (Bonthferry), Mr. H. 

 Clieffins, Mr. J. Moore, Mr. Howard Reed, Mr. Hobson, 

 Mr. Bailey Dentou, Mr. H. P. Jones, Mr. J. Webster (Pea- 

 kirk), Mr. Hall Dare, Mr. E. B. W'aite, Mr. R. Marsh, Mr. 

 T. Scott, Mr, Thorold, the Rev. Mr. Clutterbuck, &c., &c. 



The Chairman said, that the importance of the subject 

 had induced him at once to accept the invitation to preside 

 over the meeting. Thej' were called together to consider 

 what steps should be taken to promote an improved S3'stem 

 of sewerage and drainage throughout the kingdom. This 

 subject had long occupied attention, but the immense quan- 

 tity of rain which had fallen during the present summer and 

 winter, and the floodings consequent thereon, had forced 

 tbe evil more strongly upon their notice. The principle 

 of taxing land for the purposes of sewage was very old. 

 Nevertheless it existed only partially, and in comparatively 

 few districts. In those districts, however, the powers given 

 by the local acts were after all insufficient and inconvenient, 

 while many other parts equally requiring improvements iu 

 the great arteries for carrying off water never had powers of 

 hat desrription given to them, because the necessity did 



not exist for them in former days. But in consequence of 

 the great exertions made of late years in drainage, land 

 now delivered itself at once from water that formerly re- 

 tained it, the water soaking into the earth, and therefore it 

 did not then signify what impediments might have existed 

 to the uninterrupted flow of water. Under these circum- 

 stances certain gentlemen considered it of the utmost im- 

 portance to organise measures with a view of getting a bill 

 passed for the whole kingdom, giving all the necessary 

 powers for the improvement and extension of arterial drain- 

 age (Hear, hear). Of course, powers would have to be 

 taken with regard both to the large and small arteries, as 

 on the condition of each depended the effectual carrying 

 out of any complete system. Objections were made by 

 some persons to this sort of legislation on the ground that 

 it was an interference with the rights of private property ; 

 but anyone who had considered the subject knew that 

 property should never be held by any person so as to be an 

 obstruction to public interests, and that private rights 

 must give way to great public convenience (Hear, hear). 

 It was so now, and had been so almost from the very 

 beginning. In ancient times, men held their land by virtue 

 of certain duties which they had to perform, perhaps at 

 great personal inconvenience. For instance, by their tenure 

 they were called upon to defend the kingdom against all 

 invaders ; and now a man could not so deal with his land 

 as to prejudice or to cause nuisance to his neighbours or the 

 public (Hear, hear). With regard to the oufal of water 

 on land, a man, by neglecting his duty, might do the public 

 a great injury. Supposing he had a stream running through 

 his estate, and he refused to allow his neighbours above to 

 come upon it to improve the outfal which remained checked, 



