70 TKANSACTIONS. 



A large portion of his speech abounded in the most brilliant humor 

 and flashing wit, but, in the more serious part of his remarks, he 

 gave us some of the most startling and interesting statistics relative 

 to the amount of the products of Massachusetts, in proportion to ber 

 population and area, compared with that of the other states, and the 

 countries of Europe, demonstrating to a fraction that the 3'early shoe 

 crop alone of this State exceeded in value the entire cotton crop of 

 the country. The speaker was constantly interrupted by loud and 

 repeated applause. He closed with the following sentiment, borrowed 

 he said, partly from General Jackson, and partly from the Consti- 

 tution : 



" Our Federal Union — It must be preserved. 

 The fourth regular sentiment was : 



Massachusetts — May her Laws and Resolves ever sustain her Agricultural 

 Societies. 



Hon. Francis DeWit, Secretary of the Commonwealth, spoke 

 of his pleasure in revisiting the hills and valleys of his native county, 

 expressed his regrets that he was called out on this occasion, saying 

 that his office and habit had accustomed him to write down what 

 others might speak, rather than to speak himself. He earnestly 

 urging his utter inability to make a speech, the truth of which he 

 proceeded at once to illustrate to the assembly by giving us a speech 

 relative to the productive industry of the State, a topic which his 

 official position enabled him to discuss with accuracy and eff"ect, and 

 which was listened to with interest. Among other things, he said 

 that Ex-Governor Clifford, many years ago, when the first book of 

 Massachusetts industrial statistics was printed, when the subject was 

 new and the returns and compilation of the documents very imperfect, 

 sent a copy to a friend in England, self-styled the first manufacturing 

 country in the world, and the friend wrote in reply : " I don't believe 

 there is another such a perfect bee-hive on the face of the globe!" — 

 Mr. D. closed with a sentiment complimentary to the Hampshire 

 Agricultural Society. 



The next sentiment submitted by the President was : 



The present Congress — In all their strikings, we are happy they have not 

 struck down the appropriation for Agriculture. 



Hon. Calvin C. Chaffee, of Springfield, member of Congress 

 for this District, rose to respond. Dr. Chaffee is a decidedly hand- 



