Mr. Ellman returned thanks, who, alluding to the protection agitation, said, "they had not commenced this—they had been bearded in their own dens. In the town of Lewes a meeting was held by the Anti-Corn-Law emissaries, at which their itinerant orators invited the farmers to attend, and after much consideration, it was resolved not to attend, in order to prevent a breach of the peace, which would have taken place if the young farmers of Sussex had attended. It was on mature deliberation judged to be more prudent to refrain from attending. The meeting was held in the vicinity of a stream, and it was highly probable that some of the orators might have experienced an involuntary ablution if the young farmers of Sussex attended."
After this compliment to the taste, talents, and virtues of his neighbours, Mr. Ellman proposed the health of the Duke of Richmond, eulogizing his conduct as a soldier and civilian. In reply, the Duke, among other things, said, "I may be permitted to say, gentlemen, as an old soldier, in a few words, that in my humble career in military lifo I took a share in the battles, in the victories which took place; and I can state that I always found the private soldier anxious to save my life, because he looked up to me as his officer, as being the person to lead him to victory. * * * I knew that the soldiers were recruited from the ranks of our labouring classes; I saw that they were always inclined to preserve the life of their officer, for they knew that he was he man who was capable of rightly directing them, and leading them to victory." Passing from the soldiery and himself, the Duke went on to speak of agriculture and himself, and his famous fish, as follows. He said:—"So long as I have blood in my veins I will stand for the agricultural interest; and I will do so, gentlemen, from my firm conviction that if the agricultural interest be further attacked—and it has been too much attacked already—this nation, as an independent nation, cannot continue to exist. I came here as a freeman to
