The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-12 00:00:00

The toast was drunk in bumper glasses.
The CHAIRMAN thanked the proposer of the toast and
the company for the very cordial manner in which his
health had been received. He proposed " The Visitors who
have honoured us with their presence." (Cheers.)
Capt WETHERED returned thanks, and in doing so said
—I feel not as a visitor at all at these proceedings. I am
inclined to regard this festivity with more of homely feel-
ings. So happy do all the tenants appear to be, that I con-
fess I feel a sort of desire to be living among you.
A VOlCE—There is not a doubt but that we are con-
tented. (Loud cheers.)
Capt. WETHERED—I believe so most positively. There
are men who assert that it is impossible for the pea-
santry to be contented and happy in our country under
existing circumstances. (No, no.) If such persons would
visit this part of the country, they would soon ascertain that
the contrary was the fact--(applause)—and that a state of
things exists which is alike creditable to the landowner and
the tenants. (Hear, hear.) I see you all here comfortable
and merry. I have no occasion to ask the question whether
you are prosperous or not. I might contrast this scene with
others that I haie witnessed in the South of this country.
From what I know, I would say that the people of the
North are more energetic, more go-ahead, more progres-
sive, more easily induced to put desirable inventions and
discoveries to important uses—in short, they are more ready
to take advantage of what is for their own interests than are
the people of the South. (Hoar.) Here you can introduce im-
provements among farmers with comparative ease. And
here I wish to say that I don't agree with those who laud
one landlord or one agent to the depreciation of others.
(Hear, hear.) There are many difficulties that both land-
lords and agents have to encounter, which are happily un-
known perhaps in the Nortb, and instead of which are to be
found blessings which you cannot fully comprehend. Insome
places the facts are vastly different. I have lived a good deal
in the South. The people there are of a class different from
those found in the North. They are very difficult to deal
with. (Hear.) They have, comparatively speaking, no de-
sire to improve; they will not enter upon any new line of
improvement, I will give you an instance. I remember,
on one occasion during the famine, when the people had no
employment of their own, and no potatoes, nor was the seed
attainable, I was passing a hut, in the roof of which there
was a great hole. This was in a Southern district. There
was some straw lying about the place, and there was a little
garden greatly neglected, which was connected with the
house. Well, I was struck with the utterly neglected ap-
pearance of the place and the number of facilities th‘t were
at hand for improving it; and I asked the man who was
standing at the door, with a great big " lump of a son," as
the people there would have said, doing nothing, " Why
don't you do something to improve the condition of the
ground and the hut for your family ? Nsw that you are
receiving relief without payment, you should do some-
thing." Oh, bedad, Sir, what would you have me to do ?
he asked in reply. I told him. He refused to dig his
garden because the potatoes were gone ; he refused to plant
anything else, because nothing but potatoes would do for
Ireland ; and he refused to mend his hut because, as he
said, that his father and grandfather lived in it, and he did
not want to have a better house than they had. (Hear, and
laughter.) After referring to several kindred matters, the
speaker concluded amid applause.
" The Ladies " succeeded on the list of toasts.
Dr. CASSIDY responded to the toast in a humorous
speech, which elicited much applause and laughter.
The company separated, cheering for their munificent
Ldlady.