ble address be presented to his majesty, expressing the deep regret
this house feels at the continuing distressed state of the agricultural
interest of this country, to which the attention of parliament was
called by his majesty's most gracious speeches from the throne at the
commencement of the preceding and of the present session of parliament;
and humbly to represent the anxious desire of this house that the
attention of his majesty's government may be directed without delay to
this subject, with a view to the immediate removal of some portion
of those burdens to which the land is subject through the pressure of
general and local taxation." The motion was seconded by the Earl of
Darlington. Government opposed it on the ground that what was proposed
would give no relief, and that the suggestions at which it pointed
required deliberate consideration. The home-secretary moved an amendment
to the effect, that "the house would direct its early attention to the
recommendations of a committee which sat last session of parliament
upon the subject of county-rates, with a view to the utmost practical
alleviation of those burdens to which the land was subject through the
pressure of local taxation." Sir Robert Peel supported the amendment,
because the resolution pledged the house to objects which must excite
expectations on the part of the agriculturists which could not,
consistently with public credit, be fulfilled. The Marquis of Chandos,
however, pressed his motion to a division, which was lost by a majority
of two hundred and eleven against one hundred and fifty. In the course
of the debate on this subject, some members urged that all the evil had
arisen from the resumption of cash payments, and that it could only be
cured by some alteration of the currency. On the 1st of June, Mr. Cayley
moved the appointment of "a select committee, to inquire if there be
not effectual means within the reach of parliament to afford substantial
relief to the agriculture of the United Kingdom, and especially to
recommend to the attention of such committee the subject of a silver
standard, or conjoined standard of silver and gold." Sir Robert Peel
and Mr. P. Thompson opposed the motion; and Sir C. Burrell and Messrs.
Wodehouse, Bennett, and O'Connell supported it; but on a division it was
lost by a majority of two hundred and sixteen against one hundred and
twenty-six.

DISCUSSION REGARDING ORANGE SOCIETIES IN IRELAND.

During this ses