an exorbitant price for land, he placed himself on the high road to for tune. (Cheers.) He knew that the honourable member's only care was for the farmer, and that he perfectly understood his case; and, therefore he (Mr. Villiers) bad brought forward this motion to meet the honourable member's sentiments. He denied that the farmer's present position was attributable to the measures of the right honourable baronet's government. The farmer had long been subject to such attacks. In 1836 he was as badly off as at present, and then he was told it was all owing to the whig government. Prices were low, it was said, because the enemies of agriculture were in office. (Cheers.) But the farmer was equally badly off in 1822, when production was at its maximum. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Villiers) should be glad to hear from the chairman of the Protection Society what had been the matter with the farmer on those occasions, and how it was that he was so often indisposed? (Cheers.) It could hardly be said that he rowed in the same boat with his landlord, seeing that the latter seemed to be as well off as ever, and was equally profuse in his expenditure. He (Mr. Villiers) had not heard of a landlord having discharged a footman or groom in consequence of the low prices. (Cheers.) He believed there was great distrust among the different classes of the agricultural interest."
He then proceeded to ridicule the language used by speakers at agricultural meetings in different parts of the country, and to show that such meetings were now dividing themselves into two classes—one consisting of landlords claiming from the government further legislative protection, and the other of farmers claiming from their landlords something very different from legislative protection. That fact had led Mr. Cobden to declare that protection was injurious to agriculture, and to move for an inquiry to test the correctness of that declaration. That motion was refused, and the House was told by Mr. S. Herbert to trust to her Majesty's government, and to see what would happen, Great improvements in our system of agriculture were said to be required, but it unfortunately happened that before they could be made, the landlords required further protection from the government, and the tenants further consideration from their landlords, and neither the government nor the landlords would grant what
