necessity of collecting some such infomation for their
own guidance. Mr. Saunders, of Liverpool, told
the House of Commons committee, in 1853, that he
employed agents to travel over the corn district, and
report to him both the cultivation and the yield.
Now, what is the consequence of this partial knowledge
enjoyed by some few men to the exclusion of the mass?
Mr. Saunders and his class can operate on the market
for many days before we, the bulk of the sellers, become
aware of the true circumstances which regulate the
price of what we have to sell. Some ten years ago the
same advantage was enjoyed by the great money-jobbers
on the London Stock Exchange. They kept their
couriers travelling from city to city, and obtained
information five or six days in advance of the ordinary
post; they made rapid fortunes at the expense of the
public; but now the electric telegraph has placed all
upon a level. The publication of these statistics will
produce the same good on the Corn Exchange. There
is a further consideration which should influence our
judgments, and I therefore mention it, though it may
trench upon politics. Not only does the farmer sufler
for want of statistics in his contest for price with the
great dealer on the Corn Exchange, but he suffers also
from the same want in his contest for consideration and
political power with other classes on the great stage of
life. I have no doubt in my own mind but that the
capital we employ, and the produce we raise, exceeds in
value all the capitals and all the produce besides, raised
in this great manufacturing country; but I have no
figures to appeal to; I can only speak from conjecture.
When, therefore, next year, or when at any future
time, it shall be proposed to make a new apportionment
of power according to the importance and magnitude of
the several industries, our claims will be most assuredly
underrated. These statistics would obtain for us justice
in this respect—they would show that the contribution
of the foreigner to the subsistence of this country is as
nothing when compared to that furnished by us. They
would prove that, instead of being a backward unenterprising
race, bigoted to ancient practices, and incapable
of improvement, we were bringing every year more and
more acres into cultivation, and that we were every
year investing more capital, however small might be
the profit we derived from it. They would place the
small farmer more upon an equality with the great
dealer on the Corn Exchange. They would further
give to the trade such accurate information as would
diminish the danger of those fatal speculations which
ransack the world for corn under mistaken anticipations
of scarcity, and bring ruin upon all engaged. Actuated
by these impressions, I have long desired that we
should be put upon an equality with the other great
industries of the country, and I have done my best at
all times to induce the governments of the day to
advance the money requisite for the experiment which
is now before you. I remain, my dear Sir, yours
faithfully, ASHBURTON.

"Edward Hunt, Esq., Arlesford.

"I should add that our Scotch neighbours, who are
shrewd enough to detect what is and what is not for
their advantage, have made their returns without
hesitation. A still more searching return has been now
made for two years from Ireland, without complaint on
the part of the tenantry, who are as quick to perceive as
they are skilful to show up a grievance."

The new building for the Salford Mechanics' Institution
in its extended form, arising from the amalgamation
of the old institution with a new one which was originated,
was opened on the 14th with a tea party and
soirée. There were from 200 to 300 persons present,
among the guests being Joseph Brotherton, Esq., M.P.,
and Charles Hindley, Esq., M. P., together with Messrs.
Thomas Bazley, Alexander Henry, Alderman Sir E.
Armitage, and Sir John Potter. After tea had been
partaken addresses were delivered by Mr. E. B.
Langworthy, president of the institution, and to whom it
almost owes its existence, Mr. Brotherton, Professor
Scott of Owen's College, and other gentlemen. In the
course of his speech the chairman stated that the cost
of the building would be £1200. to £1300., and that
there was still a deficiency, but he subsequently
announced that Mr. Alexander Henry had very
liberally presented them with a cheque for £100. There is
already a flourishing day-school in existence in the
institution, under the management of Mr. J. Angel.

A National Association for the Vindication of Scottish
Rights has been recently formed, and on the 2nd inst.
its adherents held a crowded meeting in the Music Hall
of Edinburgh, to claim public support. The Earl of
Eglinton was called to the chair; and near him were
the Earl of Buchan, the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and
Perth, Sir Archibald Alison, Admiral Sir Charles
Napier, Professor Aytoun, Mr. Baillie Cochrane, and
several Burgh Provosts. Mr. Cowan and Mr. Baird,
who seem to be the only members of Parliament that
have joined the Association, sent apologies for non-
attendance. The resolutions which obtained the assent
of the meeting demanded the appointment of a Scotch
Secretary of State; complained of disproportionately
scanty representation for Scotland; of the "injustice
inflicted upon Scotland by its exclusion from the
advantages of participating in the public expenditure;" and
bound the meeting to support the Association. These
topics formed the subject of the speeches. Lord Eglinton,
elaborately disclaiming any intention of subverting
the Union, complained that centralisation is carried out
beyond the limits required by the Treaty of Union; that
Scotch affairs are placed in English hands; that while
England has Windsor, Buckingham Palace, Hampton
Court, Kensington, "we have only poor old Holyrood,
with her falling galleries, roofless chapel, wasted park,
and garden let to a market-gardener!"—only five
pounds was spent on it last year. Then there is not a
harbour of refuge from Wick to Berwick, while England
has Dover, Harwich, Jersey, Holyhead, Portsmouth.
He complained with equal bitterness that no Professorships
have been established; that representation is
unequal compared with England; that the quarterings
of the Scottish arms in the royal standard is corrupted;
and that Scotland has to submit to the anomalous and
irresponsible government of a lord advocate, to the great
neglect of Scotch business; he held that a great olficer
of state is wanted who should be responsible for the
government of Scotland. Among the other speakers
were the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Mr. Cochrane, Sir
Archibald Alison, Professor Aytoun, and Sir J. W.
Drummond; who each discussed the grievances of the
Scottish nation.

The Presbytery of Edinburgh having addressed Lord
Palmerston, asking whether the appointment of a
National Fast on Account of the Cholera was contemplated
by the government, have received from his
Lordship's private secretary the following reply;—"Whitehall,
October 19, 1853. Sir—I am directed by Viscount
Palmerston to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 15th instant, requesting, on behalf of the Presbytery
of Edinburgh, to be informed whether it is proposed to
appoint a day of national fast on account of the visitation
of the cholera; and to state, that there can be no
doubt that manifestations of humble resignation to the
Divine Will, and sincere acknowledgments of human
unworthiness, are never more appropriate than when it
has pleased Providence to afflict mankind with some
severe visitation; but it does not appear to Lord Palmerston
that a national fast would be suitable to the
circumstances of the present moment. The Maker of the
Universe has established certain laws of Nature for the
planet in which we live; and the weal or woe of
mankind depends upon the observance or neglect of those
laws. One of those laws connects health with the
absence of those gaseous exhalations which proceed
from over-crowded human beings, or from decomposing
substances, whether animal or vegetable; and those
same laws render sickness the almost inevitable
consequence of exposure to those noxious influences. But it
has at the same time pleased Providence to place it
within the power of man to make such arrangements as
will prevent or disperse such exhalations so as to render
them harmless; and it is the duty of man to attend to
those laws of Nature, and to exert the faculties which
Providence has thus given to man for his own welfare.
The recent visitation of cholera, which has for the
moment been mercifully checked, is an awful warning
given to the people of this realm, that they have too
much neglected their duty in this respect, and that those