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i ia 9° fIB IiEABDR. .^^408 , 3)ecsm»eb ...
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THE SIAMESE EMBASSY. The Embassy from Si...
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Australia.-—The condition of the people ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Smithfield Club Cattle-Show. Justice Sha...
i rksome debate of the St . James's Privy Council , "Farmer Geor & e' was speedily in the saddle— -for he always rode iiis hunter to and from Windsortrotting leisurely along , until he spied in advance some little inot of countrymen on their return , perhaps , from . Smithfield Cattle Market . Setting spurs to his horse , he was speedily in tie midst ; of them . Chatham and the Transatlantic squabble vere given to the four winds , and literally , in the ¦ words of our motto at the head of this article , he commenced a series of queries about the quality , quantity , and prices of stock , with a volubility which , seemed to disregard reply 3 and indeed rendered it impossible .
ThePBJNCi ! Consoex has , from the commencement of his connexion with this country ., manifested a similar penchant for the noblest of the arts of peace . Hitherto his judgment in selecting animals designed for the Smithfield Cattle Show has been as lucky as that of his Royal Consort in choosing a day for her open-air exercise . But the Club is now resolved on a wider field of operation ; The interest of the exhibition will hereafter no longer be absorbed by the few favourite breeds—such as his Royal Highness and Mr . Heath ' s IDevons and Herefords ; the Duke of Beaufort ' s , Earl Spestceb- ' s , Lord jLeigh ' s , and Mr . Sxbatton ' s short horns . The list of even this year comprises lone horns , Scotch horned , Scotch polled , Irish , Welsh , Norfolk , and Suffolk or Sussex , beasts ; with
the usual class for extra stock . Four classes are devoted to the Devons , Herefords , and short horns . The cross breeds have three , and the other breeds two classes each . In reference to the prizes , 405 / . and twelve silver medals have been awarded to the Devons , Herefords , and short horns . The Scotch , Irish , and Welsh , with the cross breeds , carry away 315 / . and seventeen medals as their share . One point we observed as especially corroborative of an opinion we have entertained , that Eiignah .. . stockbreeders are at length alive to what consti . tu . tea their own and the public advantage in reference to
the particular department of rural economy to whiqa they devote themselves . Greater anxiety is manifested to attain perfection ia shape and Symmetry , than to overload the animal with a burden of nseless fat . It is pleasing also to note , that the judges have so promptly given to this important step in the right direction the impress of their authority and approbation . Awards are no longer made as an encouragement to the creation of huge . fatty bumps and excrescences all over an animal ' s body ; shape and quality receive their meed
of praise ; and . feeding seenis to be more and more regulated b y the desire to produce a carcase profitable to the butcher and consumer— not merely to the tallow merchant . In short , animals are no lon ger prized for the exhibition of fat , but for their obvious capability of fattening . Moreover , no possible advantage can accrue to the farmer from breeding what is called , in and in , for why should we scrupulously maintain a purity of blood , when crossing has been made to exhibit the happiest results ?
It will , doubtless , be remembered that last year ' s exhibition was characterized rather by a certain average excellence than by any individual supeliority . There are ceTf , ainly this year no huge , asthmatic mountains of tallow , but , in its stead , plenty of substance—beef and beauty . We saw no one animal which , judged apart from the rest and on its own merits , would be considered an inferior specimen , or that was not , in the words of an old rustic saw ,
• A . 'grazier ' s without , and a butcher ' s -within . One exception , however—and it is the exception that proves the rule—must be allowed in reference to the Scotch pollecL These black , hirsute monsters , seemed a . mere agglomeration of suet ; " More like hippopotamuses than oxen I" as we once overheard a countryman observe , in the purest ' Zummersetsliire' Doric . Jm the cattle shows of fornaer years , one capital defect was too obvious in many of the Devous
exhibited Wo mean a certain uusightly laukness of hind quarter . Ear less of this is now visible . There is more promise of beef . Hereafter , in all our great cattle prizo contests , quality , not size or weight , will bo justly received as the only proper criterion of superiority . The . Hereford breed of oxen is worthy of special cominendatioxi , and the cows arc oven more beauiifiol than . the oxen . But the pride of tliis portion ( of ike show is No . 56 , of Class 7 , bred oy Mr . WaixxAM Racsteb , of Witbington Court , near , nerftfoK & , i exhibitor . Mr . Herat * Hiqgins . of
Woolaston Grange , near Lydney , who received a first class prize of 15 i ., and the breeder a silvar medal . -Many , like ourselves , will be inclined to quarrel with the judges for not making this award 25 / . Li the judgment of breeders and agriculturists this was regarded a perfect specimen of its class , exhibiting the very best points of breed and feed . Well clothed with meat , and promising noble rounds and rich , juicy , finely grained sirloins , it is not so fatted as to conceal its natural symmetry . One remarkable steer of Class 10 , short only in horns—for he towers like a "hillock above the
adjacent beasts—had a continual succession of admiring visitors . Most of his merits , however , lay in bis giant proportions , he being far from handsome , and certainly not in c extra' condition . We recollect seeing a much , larger and heavier beast—perhaps from the Ukraine—in the stall for pet farm stock , situated in the Park of Sarsko Selo , near St . Petersburg . The farmer stated his weight to be 30001 bs . and that the Emperor designed sending . him to the Smithfield Show of that yearis ^ . > y
J ? heSheep stock is , j ) erkaps , more numerous than that of last year . The ' Downs' bred by the Duke of Richmond and Lord Walsingham have the attributes of quality , beauty , and just proportions which belong to first-rate ' mutton . The cross breeds are greatly improved , their form and outline good . Indeed , perhaps they were . the best specimens , and prove that this breed may be advantageousl y contrasted with sheep of the purest race . The pigs number 120 , besides 10 extra specimens Finer , but not fatter , have been penned at this show in former years . Huge specimens of the porcine genus , some of them are perfectly white , some dark
and grisly as the wild boar . They seem mere shapeless masses of lard , and are enough to make one forswear pork—in s & cula saculorttm . Certainly , nothing further could be done to aid the process of fat -making in Jdis department ; still , their short and fleshy hind-quarters show what may be effected by careful crossing ; the more obvious to ourselves , who have shot and hunted the descendants of ' Gapinny Cooke ' s pigs , ' so named by tlie Maori of New Zealand . Long-legged and lank as greyhounds , still they were probably fair specimens of tlie best breed known in England when the great navigator visited the Pacific about a . d . 1776 .
A miscellaneous collection of roots and cereals rom the Royal Dublin Society attracted a ciowd of curious spectators . There are gigantic parsnips and carrots ; mangolds and turnips equally so , A young inquisitive damsel , who doubtless was familiar with the chiming of Bow bells , ran up , exclaiming to her party ia reference to the turnips , " Dear I see ! see ! here are sheej >' s heads . " Messrs . Gibbs , of Halfinoou-street , have also an extraordinary show . In the instrument department , the galleries exhibit a bewildering chaos of the most ingenious , often most beautiful contrivances for abridging
human toil . There are Stirling ' s steam-plough and portable steam-engines ; Warner ' s one horsepower irrigator ; Ltons ' s steamed root and vegetable pulper—used four times aweek , it feeds two hundred p igs ; Wilxiams ' s diagonal harrows , an undoubted improvement on the elder fashion , and chaff-cutters of the most improved and efficient construction . These agricultural aids , costl y only at first , cheap in the end , lose none of their interest to us from repeated inspection . "We are old enough to remember when broad cast was universal ; the best farms had no more efficient clod-crusher than the trunk of an old tree , when the chaff-cutter worked by hand and knife , and turnips ( mangold being unknown ) were . sliced by means of a spade Nous avotis cluinge tout cela .
I Ia 9° Fib Iieabdr. .^^408 , 3)Ecsm»Eb ...
ia fIB IiEABDR . . ^^ 408 , 3 ) ecsm » eb 12 , 185 ' 7 .
The Siamese Embassy. The Embassy From Si...
THE SIAMESE EMBASSY . The Embassy from Siam may have its farcical aspect ; but it is , nevertheless , an important incident in tlie history of our transactions with Asia . Maids of honour and gold sticks in waiting tittered as the jewel-bearing envoys saluted tlio British throne after the peculiar fashion of their race . There conld , scarcely be a more conclusive proof of the power of self-deception . The public , not tutored in royul ceremonies , has a right to make merry with a group of ambassadors advancing in . their own fashion ( Iho fashion of tortoises also' ) to lay the tribute of an Oriental kingdom at the feet of our QuniEN . But wliy should courtiers laugh ? Why should the Lord Chamberlain he scornful—lie who walks backwards out of the presence-chamber ?
Why should the German prints describe the s cene as comic beyond all conception ? Five gentleS from Siam creeping over a palace carpet Sht be moved to inextinguishable laughter bfthl sight of sixteen Prussian gentlemen daJoW backwards , with tapers m their hands , before a prince ^ and princess at Berlin . Lord GiJJ vilxe and the Count di Moem stood at the table of Alexander II . while he dined . The West hath its eccentricities as the East lias . Therefore ii is wise , especially m courtiers , not to suggest sarcasms upon the demeanour of ambassadors presenting themselves . to c Majesty . ' Tlie Siamese Ejlvo . ™ have come from the far East upon a serious mission which is likely to result in much political and commercial advantage to this country . Eor many years attempts had been made to open up relations with -ww ^ j \ jm- uiuni rtmrio
.... w . u , wu v . JJIUJOKLE , UUrill ^ LUC late reign , visited the country , and not only faile & to conclude a treaty , but met with a discourteous reception , some gentlemen in his suite being placed in actual danger by the brutality of the populace . Tlie present First King is a man of superior'edueation , and his friendly disposition is not unimportant at this juncture , considering the contiguity of Iiis territory with those of Burmah , and the influence exercised by Siam over the large seaboard range , as ' ar as the limits of Tonquin and Coehiii-China . with those countries our trade is extremely , restii » fced , but is capable of great extension . We have no doubt that merchants interested in the seargoing commerce of Asia regard with great satisfaction the friendly intercourse inaugurated between Great Britain and Siam .
Australia.-—The Condition Of The People ...
Australia .- —The condition of the people at THelbourne is better thanwhen the previous news -vvas received from Australia . The Government has provided temporary work for a large number of the unemployed , and others have found work in private establishments Still , according to the Melbourne Age , " Victoria is recarving from the Old . World more immigrants than , in the present condition of our land system , she can . readily absorb . It is calculated that at least 30 , 000 have been added to our population during the past year , and immigrants are still pouring ia at the rate of 1000 a week . If the land question were settled on a legitimate basis , this would be a source of real pleasure and profit to the country ; but , under existing circumstances , the
emigrant , full of hope and enthusiasm upon landing lere , too frequently quails before the impediments cast in the Tray of honest industry . " Collisions continue to occur bet-ween the Chinese and Europeans at the gold fields . Mr . Haines has obtained , the sanction of the -Home of Assembly to withdraw his ' Bill to provide for the residence of the Chinese in Victoria ; ' but some kind of legislation on the subject , with a view to checking Chinese immigration , will probably soon take place . A Mr . John Oakes has been lately in Goulburn , purchasing horses suitable for service in India , and the subject has been brought before the attention of the Legislative Council of South Australia , in order that Government facilities may be given for shipping one hundred horaes .
Stranok Occurrence . —A young lady was taken "by rail from London to Folkestone about a fortnight ago , in so utter a state of helplessness that she was quite speechless . She was placed in the carriage at London by a person who gave the guard a sovereign to procure her any refreshment she might want on the journey ; and she had some tea in the waiting-room- On arriving at Folkestone , she was taken on board the Boulogne boat by one of tha harbour policemen , and placed in the ladies ' cabin , where she was lcindly attended to by the passengers ; but she expired at Boulogne . A large label was found fastened to her dress , and in her purse ( which contained ll . ~ ) was found a piece of paper , stating that she was a governess , and that she was going to her brother-in-law at Amiens . Her friends were telegraphed to , and proceeded to Doulogne , but too late .
Tick Ladijcs ov St . Maugakkt- ' s . —Archdeacon Otter has addressed a letter to Miss Grearne , the Lady Superior of St . Margaret ' s , East Grinstead , in which he says : — " It is with great pain that I perform the necessary duty of requesting that you will remove my name from the list of the supporters of St . Margaret ' s Homo . The withdrawal of the Bishop ' s sanction would alone have compelled me to take this step . I could not , with a due recrard to his nuthoritv , have continviedto support am
institution which had fallen under his disapproval . But I must also declare that my own judgment leads me to the same conclusion , and that my convictions arc in full accordanco with the sentiments expressed in his Lordship 3 letter to you- This duty performed , I gladly turn to anotlicr , which ia to stato that my sense of personal obligation towards your society remains unaltered . The conduct of the two sisters who have boon emp loyed as nurses in my pariah has been such , ns to claim mj unqualified admirution and regard . "
A Rkadino Room at a Manufactouy . —The workmen at Mossts . TVfaudslay and Co . ' s , engineers , Lambeth , have held a general meeting at which they adopted an address of thanks to their employers for giving them ft well-furnished and lighted remding-room and library .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 12, 1857, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12121857/page/14/
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