The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-25 00:00:00

Harvest Home at Hughenden Manor,

One of these pleasing agricultural festivals took
place yesterday at Hughenden Manor, Bucking-
hamshire, the seat of the Right Hon. B. Disraeli,
M.P., when the tenant farmers, and the laboui era
on the estate of the right hon. gentleman, and those
of some of the neighbouring landowners, assembled
together for the purpose of innocent enjoyment and
recreation in the park, a short distance from Mr.
Disraeli's house. Tents had been fixed, in one of
which the dinner took place, but unfortunately the
frequent and heavy showers of rain prevented much
out of door enjoyment.
In the morning Divine service was held in the
old church of St. Michael's, Hughenden, the vicar-
age of which is attached to, and the vicarage house
in the park grounds. Owing to some slight indis-
position which at present confines the right hon.
gentleman to his room, Mr. Disraeli was unable to

be present either at the service or at the dinner
subsequently, but Mrs. Disraeli was present, and
took an active part in the proceedings. The quaint
old church was very prettily decorated with holly
and ivy leaves, and the Communion table with ferns
and flowers. Most of the farmers and labourers
had a small bunch of wheat, barley, and oats, tied
up with a white ribbon, attached to their coats. At
half-past twelve o'clock they proceeded in procession
to the church, being headed by
the High Wycombe
Volunteer band, and followed by the families of the
principal gentry of the neighbourhood.
The Rev. C. W. Clubbe, the vicar of Hughenden,
read the prayer, and preached an excellent sermon
from 104th Psalm, verse 24, " 0 Lord, how mani-
fold are thy works ! In wisdom hast thou made
them all. The earth is full of Thy riches." He
impressed upon his hearers the necessity of giving
thanks to Almighty God for the abundant harvest
which had been vouchsafed this season—an abun-
dant harvest almost unprecedented, and after repre-
hending the way in which the old harvest homes
used to be kept, when they were nothing more or
less than scenes of riot and drunkenness, he pointed
out that the movement which had been commenced
and adopted in almost every part of the country of
making them occasions of grateful thanksgiving to
God and scenes of innocent rustic enjoyment, could
not fail in greatly improving the manners and habits
of the peasantry.
Oa the conclusion of the service the procession
was again formed, and proceeded from the church
to Hughenden Manor House, round which it peram-
bulated, as well as in the adjacent grounds. After
leaving the Manor House the procession paraded
the ground in front of the vicarage, and then across
the lawn to a handsome marquee, where over 200
of the farmers, labourers, and gentry sat down to a
substantial but excellent dinner of hot roast and
boiled beef and plumpudding. Mrs. Disraeli en-
tered the tent shortly after the company sat down,
and remained (luring the whole of the proceedings.
She was loudly cheered.

In the absence of Mr. Disraeli the chair at the
dinner was taken by the vicar, and the loyal toasts
of " The Queen," " The Prince and Princess of
Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family" having
been given,
The Rev. CHAIRMAN said—l have now to give
Ban c andti our
proceedings
you "The health of our diAinguished Squire, Mr.
Disraeli." (Loud cheers.) 11r. Disraeli, ea you are
aware, occupies a most eminent position in public
life, and although that circumstance deprives us of
the advantage during a great part of the year of
having him among us as a resident, yet it does not
prevent us taking a lively interest in everything
that concerns the welfare of the parish of Hughen-
den. (Cheers.) I regret extremely that M. Dis-
raeli is prevented from being present Upon this
occasion, and I believe that no one regrets it more
than he does himself. Though, however, he is
ab.
sent per so natl
c.l v
d, a
y have h e
is withn o t onlyus in
his spirit,on
but
his warmest approbation. (Cheers.) I beg, there-
fore, to give you the health of Mr. Disraeli as the
lord of the manor and the owner of the principal
portion of the parish, and also to Couple the toast
with the health of the other principal proprietors
of Hughenden.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed the "Health of
the Tenant Farmers of the manor and
~ neighbour-
hood," expressing the obligations which
the clergy
felt towards them for coming forward and so power
fully supporting harvest homes.
Mr. HUSSY and Mr. COATES, two of the commit-
tee of tenant farmers who assisted In
getting up the
fete, returned thanks, and expressed the general
approval with which the farmers witnessed the in-
troduction of the new mode of keeping harvest
home.
The CHAIRMAN, in propos c-
-6 the " Health of
the Labourers," observed that he had been present
at many meetings in which the gentry and farmers
had dined together, but nevtr before at any at
which gentry, farmers, and labourers sat down at
the same table. He consideret that they were only
performing an act of duty in
thus assembling all
together, in order, in the first place, to offer up
thanks to God for His mercy, aid then to sit socially
down and partake of those good things
in the production of which they were all deeply in-
terested. By thus meeting together they formed a
new bond of union, while at the same time they
spent the day in happy and he hoped not unprofit-
able enjoyment.
JOHN TILRY, one of the farm labourers, having
been called on to acknowledge the toast, said—
" We thank you, geutletaen, :or your goodness to
us, and we hope you Will enjoy health. We thank
God for all things, and,
above all, for His mercy in
sending us such a good harvest." (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " The Health of
Mrs. Disraeli," which Was drunk wit • h loud
cheers,
to which Mrs. Disraeli bowed her acknowledg-
ments.

Mr. COATES then proposed " The Health of their
respected Vicar," and many thanks to him for his
kindness in promoting the harvest home movement.
‘, The Health of the Rev. Mr. Evett, the rural
dean,
townspeople
and
es ep tnehoep drunk,lg the proceedings concluded with
of the movement," was
a o originator
f
inator
also given and responded to; and some other toasts
h
a tea meeting, Whic,
was attended by a number of
the av
High Wycombe. Some rustic
sports had been prepared, but the weather was not
very favourable for that species of enjoyment.
ea

HUMBOLDT AND H7EB,NE's OAK.—I may men-
tion, as an interesting circumstance, what took
place when the
Emperors of Thissia and Austria and
the King of Prussia as6ertibled at Windsor Castle to cele-
brate the christening, of our Prince of Wales. The Queen
invited these potentates to walk in her grounds, but some
of their attendants remained at the castle. Instead of view-
ing, the objects in it,
the celebrated Baron Humboldt in-
quired his way to Herne's Oak. This was the first object
of his attention and curiosity, and probably of his venera-
tion. The splendour of the castle, its pictures, the noble
scenery which is to be seen from it, and the many historical
facts connected with it, were objects of inferior interest
compared with the shattered trunk of an oak, "dry and
dead," yet rich with recollections of the genius of our ire
mortal Shakspeare. On arriving at the interesting relic,
the Baron gazed upon it in silence; and at last gathered a
leaf from the ivy Which clung to the decaying trunk, and
deposited it in his pocket-book, as a relic to carry back to his
own country, to be exhibited there as one of no common in-
terest. The nobleman who accompanied him to the tree
acquainted me with this little anecdote, which I must con-
fess afforded me no small degree of gratification,--Edward
Mot): Oncy a ire4,':

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DEPARTURE OF THE CHANNEL FLEET
FROM THE MERSEY,
LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 25•
The Channel fleet left the Mersey at half-past
seven this morning.