The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-05-11 00:00:00

MR. FARQUHARSON'S FAREWELL
ADDRESS.

[The following Address has appeared In two of our Contempo-
raries we take It as we Sod It, but are unable to vouch for
Its authentloity,)
Langton, May 3rd, 1863.
To all my kind and Sporting Friends in the Counties of
Dorset, Wilts, and Somerset.
Having now completed my fifty-second season as Mas-
ter of Hounds, and the time having arrived when I
announced my intention to retire from the field, I have
now to offer my sincere and grateful thanks to those
numerous friends who have so kindly throughout sup-
ported me.
There are but few now left of my early associates In
the field. Many valued and kind friends have been,
and some very recently, called away, whose memory will
be over dear to me, and for whose straightforward and
unflinching friendship and support I shall ever feel a last.
ing debt of gratitude.
The 011110011 which have led to my decision are to
patent that I need not touch more upon them than to
say that, having always tried to be guided by the
Rules and Laws of Foxhunting, I could not, in honour,
become a party to their violation, and that I had no
alternative but to retire.
Having announced iny determination I had hoped that
the matter would rest there, and that I should have
been allowed to finish the season without further inter.
ruption ; and better for all parties would it have been
If such had been the OWN. I saw the storm looming in
the distance, but hoped it would pass over. Not so, how-
ever, as the members of the B. V. H. gave natio. of •
meeting to be held at the Ash, (Henstridge,) on the 16th
of September, when certain resolutions were paned and
statements made respecting countries, which have been
so long before the public, that I need not comment upon
them beyond Baying that Mr. Yeatinan was under an
error when he stated "that Stock Wood, with the con.
sent of Mr. Farquharson, was allowed to constitute a
part of the B. V. country, when first established in
1826." I have letters in my possession from three late
masters of the B. V. H., as well as the present master,
Major Stanley, aoknowledging my right to that and other
ooverts.
I can recollect, when the Prince of Wales purchased
Mr. Calmat's hounds, and I can prove that Mr. Cal
-
craft hunted the whole of the country West of the Stour,
including Sherborne, the (Jaundice, and Stock Wood.
With regard to what is called the Houghton Country, if
my Lord Portman felt that he could call upon me to give it
up to him, and lie was no pressed to keep hounds—why
did he not do so? His Lordship speaks of having killed
as many as fifty-five foxes in a season, and that I could
hardly say, in the last two seasons I had killed ten. In
former days Houghton Wood itself was • metropolis for
foxes, and foxes were not destroyed, or litters taken in
the Houghton country, as they have since been.
In the report of the Noble Baron'm speech in the Sher.
borne Journal of the 17th of September (which I have
always considered to be one of the most correctly
reported papers), the Noble Lord is made to say, " that
in coins parts of the country coverts were surrounded and
foxes killed, to save the trouble of coining again. He
called that fox-killing not fox-hunting." My Lord
Portman, in a letter to Mr. Gerard Sturt, who, in his
speech at Dorchester, on the 10th of February, made
observations founded upon the statement in the Illus-
trated News, and whioli also appeared in Bell's Life on
the 27th of September, and had not been contradicted—
guys "it was the system of hunting followed by Mr.
Farquharson of which I spoke—and not the system of
, his servants." Now this I consider to be a slur upon my
character as a sportsman, and as his Lordship is fond of
facts I would beg him to prove the correctness of his
statement. As his Lordship has for many years known
that, should an opportunity occur, an effort would be
made to make Sherborne the Melton of the West, how
much better would it have been if Mr. Digby and his
Lordship had come to um and said, "Now you are get-
ting old andwe feel that we can hunt the country more effi-
ciently than you can, will you give it up to us? and we
will try to hunt it, as no doubt we shall satisfactorily."
Instead of that, all the best part of the country was to be
taken away, and I was to be left to what ?—why any.
thing they chose to give me.
After working half a century, and devoting BO couch of
my life in endeavouring to contribute to the promotion
of the noble science, I was not the man to be so treated ;
and although Iliad hoped to be enabled to contribute to
the amusement of the country for • few years more as
Master of Hounds, I oan only say, that in retiring I
shall feel more deeply than anything else the separation
which will necessarily follow from so many of those kind
and excellent friends, and those mutual greetings of
kindly feeling which, in the hunting field, I have been BO
long accustomed to. Imo only hope that those who succeed
me may be as little actuated by selfish motives as I have
been, and show as much seal in the cause, and as much
anxiety to please as I have done, and that with all the
fun of hunting there may be no leek of science. I once
more beg leave to express my grateful thanks for the
numerous proofs of kindness bestowed upon me, and I
beg to assure my friends in this and the adjoining
counties—who have, on every opportunity, so readily
offered and allowed me to partake of their hospitality—
that I never shall cease to acknowledge, with unfeigned
gratitude, their kindness and liberality.
To those friends who have been in the habit of "walk.
Mg puppies" I am, in a great measure, indebted for the
superiority of my pack, and I cannot be too thankful for
their aid and assistance. .

Before I conclude I beg to express to all those—not
omitting the Ladies—who have presented me with such
munificent testimonials of their regard and esteem, my
most heartfelt and unbounded thanks, and to assure
them that the conciousness of such testimonials being
given in real sincerity will make them doubly and trebly
valued by me. I oan now only bid you ell my kind and
good friends, farewell ; and that you may all live long
and enjoy every happineu, is the fervent wish of
Yours sinarely and faithfully,
J. J. FILRQUILUIBON.