THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



411 



of his own in the state — that when a question of vital 

 importance to hiin comes on, there is no one to press 

 it ; while, as likely as not, he will be opposed by 

 those very men he has sent up " to oblige his 

 friends," and in whom "his landlord is interested." 

 Lord Sidney Godolphin Osborne is talking here 

 on the duty of the tenant, and wo say that the tenant's 

 own duty to himself should teacli him to take a real 

 interest in an election, to assert his own conscientious 

 feelings, and to know something of the intentions of 

 those he has " the privilege" to select as his represen- 

 tatives. We do not counsel the farmer to fly willully 

 in the face of his landlord ; but we arc living out 

 of an age when men are to bo driven up to vote " as 

 the rule with the other tenants." As Lord Sidney him- 

 self says further on, " the duty of the tenant is to 

 respect the head of tlio estate under whom he occupies. 

 It is not his duty to sell this respect for the poor offer- 

 ing of a designing civility. lie must be free and inde- 

 pendent to offer what he feels for one, really induced 

 to feel anil act kindly towards himself." Precisely 

 so I But this advice, as to being free and independent, 

 scarcely agrees with the tolerably broad hints that the 

 man should have no political opinions of his own ; 

 but that as a matter of prudence it is his duty to go 

 with the drove, and vote as his lanfllord wishes. 



It will be seen that thus ftir we do not concur so 

 heartily with the reverend and noble lecturer, in his 

 interpretation of a tenant's duties as we did in his 

 exposition of the landlord's case. In a word, the oc- 

 cupier is treated of in a far milder tone, and more in 

 the language of the pulpit than that of the lecture- 

 room of business-men. Everything is made to depend 

 upon the cultivation of mutual good feeling, while 

 there is an evident care shown not to go too far beyond 

 this jthase of the question. Tlie force of the farmer's 

 example to others, and the worth of his moral charac- 

 ter, are tiuis amongst the other prominent features of 

 the sketch— dashed off as they are with more freedom 

 than when shadowing in the nice touches of political 

 conscience. Here is an every-day question, with a 

 straightforward answer to it ; — " Is a landlord justified 

 in getting rid of a tenant on grounds which only affect 

 that tenant's moral character? I hold it as a rule 

 that it would be as impertinent in a landlord to take 

 notice of the domestic life of a tenant as it would be in 

 the tenant to do so in regard to his landlord. But 

 there may, and will unhappily sometimes bo excep- 

 tional cases, in which interfereiice on the landlord's 

 part may not only be proper, but in my opinion impe- 

 ratively demanded. Where a tenant has, by open no- 

 torious dishonesty, or continued open profligacy in his 

 duily life, become so far a disgrace to the estate that he 

 exists on, openly defjing the laws of common decency 

 and morality, an example of evil, a disgrace to his own 

 class, I do think it is the duty of the landlord to remove 

 him." 



Perhaps, either from liaving been so much dis- 

 cussed of late, or from having himself spoken so often 

 of the labourer's condition, the third division of 

 the subject does not strike one so strongly in Lord 

 Sidney's lecture. The best "bit" is introduced 

 incidentally when still considering the tenant's 

 position, and his relative duties to those be- 

 low as well as above him. Indeed, as put, 

 it comes fairly enough under the second head, in 

 demonstrating the conduct of the employer to those 

 about him : " I am well aware that farmers are ex- 

 posed to a great deal of petty depredation. I say it is 

 your duty to at once in every instance check this by 

 all the means in your power, even with the utmost 

 severity, if necessary ; at the same time you are bound 

 not wantonly to expose your labourers to temptation. 



Bear in mind that the ' winking' at trifling crimes is, 

 in reality, sowing the seeds of great crimes. Many a 

 man whose stealing handfuls of corn daily was con- 

 nived at, has ended by stealing sheep or fowls. Let it 

 be understood upon your farms that it is with you a 

 principle of duty never to connive at anytliing wrong, 

 and you will thus soon raise and keep up an honest 

 tone amongst your men. I can quite enter into your 

 difficulties in tlie matter. Custom has, alas ! almost 

 sanctioned certain kinds of petty dishonesty ; and 

 there are those who now fear to check it. It may 

 require some little moral courage ; but that man is not 

 fit to hold up his head as honest in open market, who 

 from fear or favour willingly connives at dislionesty on 

 his farm. In whatever way you hire labourers, ever 

 make the terms of the agreement as clear as possible 

 to them, and then justly abide by them. The highest 

 character I ever heard given of an employer is that 

 ' He is a just man, but kind ; will have what is right, 

 but gives it himself." 



This is the second paper we have now devoted to 

 the Blandford Lecture; and we have done so alike 

 from the source it emanates as the matter it con- 

 tains. As we have said, the strength of the address 

 lies in the definition of the landlord's duties. There 

 is a boldness in dealing with the owner's rights 

 and wrongs that is not so observable when we 

 come to the occupier. In fact, it is not so easy 

 to reconcile the two, without we take one as 

 entirely dependent upon the other. Then, if every- 

 thing is to flow from the landlord, of course much 

 should be given where so much is expected. But this 

 is a reading which will be scarcely acceptable in the 

 present day, and wo should prefer, as we have placed 

 them, that either portrait should stand upon its own 

 merits. They are not, we repeat, of equal excellence, but 

 our columns would hardly have been complete without 

 the jmir, and we have thus again given his Lordship 

 the preference over the many able lecturers abroad. 

 Amongst others, Mr. Bond, the Secretary of the Suffolk 

 Agricultural Society, and well known by his previous 

 successes in this way, has been addressing the Framling- 

 ham Farmers' Clul) on " The Future of Agriculture as 

 deduced from the Past." Mr. Hannam, the Secretary 

 of the Yorkshire Society, has been talking to the Wake- 

 field Club on a kindred topic, " Agriculture, its Pro- 

 gress and Prospects"; and Mr. Huston, of Chatteris, 

 has been reading a most practical paper on an essen- 

 tially practical subject at the Central Club. The last- 

 named of these is, as usual, given in full, so that our 

 readers may themselves judge of its worth. 



DEATH OF LORD BERWICK.- Ou Friday, Aprill2, 

 after long and severe sufftring from an internal tumour, died 

 the Right Hou. Richard Noel Noel-Hill, fifth Baron Berwick, 

 at bis seat Crouhill, near Shrewsbury. The deceased was son 

 of the fourth Baron, the Hon. and Rev, Richard Noel-Hill, 

 Rector of Berrington, Salop, by tiie secoad daugliter of the 

 late Mr. Mostyn Owen, of Woodhouae, Salop. He was bora 

 at Betton. Salop, in 1800, was educdted at Rugby, and suc- 

 ceeded his father in 1818. He is succeeded in his title and 

 estates by his next brother. Colonel the Hon. William Noel- 

 Hill (now Baron Berwick), who entered the army in 1817 ; 

 served in the Burmese war iu 1825-6, and was present at the 

 battles of Prome and Tandwayn. In 1854 he attained hia 

 Colonelcy, and retired iu 1855. The deceased nobleman de- 

 voted himself almost entirely to agricultural and mechanical 

 pursuits. He was one of the most successfid breeders iu Eng- 

 land of Hereford cattle, and his farm-buildings are models of 

 order and neatness. He has obtained numerous prizes at 

 the shows of the Royal Agricultural Society, at Birmingham, 

 at the Smithfield shows, and several places in the provinces. 

 His genius as a mechanic was extraordinary, and he was a first- 

 rate rifle shot. He took no part in politics, but the family 

 are Conservative, 



