protect the American trade with Europe by means of
consuls where they have no resident minister. The
committee submit, however, to your lordship, that
whatever hazards or inconveniences might attend so
decided a course of action, Great Britain, raised by
Divine Providence to the highest eminence among the
nations, lies under the strongest and most sacred obligations
to assert and uphold the rights of conscience, and
to employ her utmost influence with the Governments
of other countries to obtain the recognition of religious
freedom."

The Annual Cattle Show of the Smithfield Club was
held at the Baker Street Bazaar on the 6th, 7th, 8th,
and 9th inst; and it has been remarked that it was a
decided advance in usefulness and in matters of real
importance. There have been shows at which better
classes of Devons, Shorthorns, Herefords, Leicesters, and
even Southdowns have been exhibited, but none where
the tendency to overfatten has left so little ground for
complaint, where, if found, it has been so pointedly
noticed by the judges, and where excellence has been
treated so independently of mere purity of breed. The
Shorthorns have carried off' the two gold medals competed
forin the cattle classes; and Mr. Stratton's steer especially
was a very perfect specimen of his breed. The finest specimen
of Devon breed was a cow, fourteen years old,
exhibited by Lord Leicester. But Sir Harry Verney's
huge ox eclipsed even the prize animals in the number of
his visitors. Mr. Turner, of Barton, and other exhibitors,
showed fine animals, but on the whole, neither the "red
cattle" of the west nor the white-faced Herefords were
in such strength as on former occasions. Tlie muster of
Scots, both West Highland and polled Galloways, was
unusually poor. In sheep, the display of Southdowns
formed a good average both in quality and numbers.
The other pure breeds were hardly up to the mark of
former years, but there were many excellent pens of
crosses, and here again the increasingly useful tendency
of the Club show was favourably developed. The pigs,
as they always do, formed a leading feature in the show.
The ladies seemed to take special interest in these animals,
fat and unwieldy as they were. Prince Albert's pen of
pigs, which gained the gold medal, was much admired.
The galleries where the agricultural implements, roots,
seeds, &c., were exhibited, also attracted much notice.
There were specimens of all the different reaping machines
which have of late years filled so large a space in the
agricultural mind; but the one which drew the most
attention was a large machine on Bell's construction,
which gained the prize last autumn at the competition
on Mr. Pusey's farm. In the department of roots the
exhibition of the Dublin Society formed a conspicuous
feature, as well as a magnificent collection of specimens
of green crops from Mr. T. Gibbs. There were several
steam engines for agricultural purposes at work in the
yard outside, which had also their share of attention. A
committee was appointed to revise the rules and regulations
of the club, with a view to its more efficient working.
The committee that was appointed last year to consider
the propriety of adding a poultry show to the other
departments of the exhibition gave in their report,
stating that, from a regard to the limited accommodation
on the premises, it would not be advisable to have a
poultry show in connection with their usual exhibition.
The annual dinner, under the presidency of the Duke of
Richmond, took place at the Freemasons' Tavern on the
7th, and Mr. Philip Pusey, in acknowledging the toast
of "The Royal Agricultural Society of England," said
he believed that that society now represented something
like 5000 of the tenant farmers of England, and that it
had and was conferring a national benefit. Its operations
were scattered abroad from the Land's End to the cliffs of
Dover, and the next show was to be in a county in which,
through its instrumentality, and the energy of the
agricultural body, the greatest improvement had taken
place. They had heard much of the drainage of Holland,
but in Lincolnshire no less than 600,000 acres had,
by means of species of canals, been rescued from the
sea, and were now in a forward state of cultivation.
During the four days of the show the number of visitors
exceeded 100,000.

The Royal Agricultural Society of England held its
December meeting on the 10th inst. at its rooms in
Hanover Square; Mr. Pusey, the President, in the chair.
From the report we learn, that during the past half-year
the Society has lost by death or resignation 43 members,
but has enrolled on its list 156 new members: it now
consists of 88 life governors, 148 annual governors, 760
life members, 4073 annual members, and 20 honorary
members. Lord Ashburton succeeds to the vacancy in
the vice-presidents caused by the death of Lord Ducie;
and Mr. Leslie Melville of Lincolnshire, and Mr. Barthropp
of Suffolk, succeed Lord Ashburton and Professor
Sewell as members of the general council. The balance-
sheet of the society shows that on the 30th June
last there was a balance of £2249 in hand. In reply to a
question, Mr. Pusey stated that the council had adopted
a memorial to Lord Clarendon in reference to throwing
open the guano trade; and that Lord Clarendon had
consented to receive a deputation consisting of the Duke of
Richmond, Lord Berners, and Mr. Pusey. At the close
of the proceedings, Mr. Pusey mentioned that the next
meeting of the society will be at Lincoln.

The Governors of the Charterhouse met on the 11th inst.
to consider a memorial addressed to them by the "Poor
Brothers" of the Institution, praying for an increase in
the pension of £25 allotted to them, and representing
that the revenues of the hospital have greatly increased
since the hospital was founded. The governors decided
that they could not consistently with their duty make
any increase in the pension of the brotherhood. The
governors present were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the
Bishop of London, Lord Panmure, Mr. Justice Cresswell,
and Archdeacon Hale. The "Poor Brothers" of the
Charterhouse are eighty in number, neither more nor
less than when Thomas Sutton founded the charity. A
brother, on receiving his appointment, has to find furniture
for the apartment provided for him, with the
exception of the following, which are supplied for his use
by the Governors: A poker and iron shovel, an iron
fender, a pair of bellows, a deal table, and a wooden
chair. At the expiration of four years sheets and pillow-
cases are supplied for the use of a poor brother by the
authorities. The brethren dine together every day in
the hall. They are also supplied with coals and candles,
and bread and butter in their own rooms. The only
article of clothing furnished by the governors is a cloth
cloak, which is supplied once in every two years. The
pension, in money, is £25 per annum. In the above
mentioned memorial which the brethren sent in to the
governors they state this sum has been found wholly
insufficient to provide such daily needful comforts as are
essential to health, decency, and cleanliness, and which
are not furnished by the hospital, viz. clothing, linen,
washing, boots and shoes, groceries, &c., and that it is
especially inadequate when weighed with the greatly
increased revenues of the hospital since the time of its
founder. The petitioners also state that they have been
accustomed to something more than the necessaries of
life, and have been taught to consider Charterhouse as
an asylum for decayed gentlemen; and they offer this as
an additional claim to an improvement in their position.
The revenues of the Charterhouse are now thirty
thousand pounds per annum, or six times greater than they
were when the number of pensioners was fixed. Besides
the maintenance of the eighty old men, called the
brethren, the charity educates and supports forty boys.

Mr. Mechi, in the 14th inst. gave a lecture at the
Society of Arts, giving an account of the results of his
Agricultural Improvements on his Farm at Tiptree Hall.
His principal statements were to the following effect.
His leading principle is the application of steam to
cultivation. What he had said not long ago in praise of the
American threshing-machine caused the suspension of
orders for the old implement all over the country. Seven
years back, his views were the butt of ridicule: but he
could now appeal to his balance-sheet, which showed, for
the past year, a clear profit of £583 16s. 3d.; beyond
which he might in fairness claim something for the
improved soil. He had already startled farmers by
announcing that live-stock is a necessary evil. He
repeated it; live-stock does not pay except by the manure
produced: and the axiom includes the fashionable hobby
of the day—poultry. But the manure is invaluable.
This was the cause of the improvement in his balance-
sheet. Double your live stock, and you double your