The Sun.
London, England, 1831-05-19 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sta,—Turning over the leaves of my common-place
book, I observed the song of " Garry Owen, Garry
Owen," and recollecting a curious anecdote attached thereto
I read it through. It is so curious, that I think it may
interest the public ; but it certainly will the gentlemen at-
tached to the establishment of your paper. '1 he House of
Lords is not now sitting, therefore your printer need not
fsar nga'n to be called up to the bar of their Lordsi.ips. I
could not but remark upon the comments made in this
matter by the Learned Serjeant Pell at the Midd'esex
election. This Learned Gentleman, who was ever as
much distinguished by the liberality of his sentiments as
he was for his knowledge of the law, was, if I mistake
not, the rival Serjeant in the Common Pleas of my Lord
Wynford, and his forensic powers in as high estimation.
Mr. Serjeant Pell never changed his political opinions
as did Mr. Serjeant Best; but, content with the fortune
which his talents and legal reputation had gained him,
retired into the honourable enjoyment of that fortune, and
makes himself useful as an active and reforming Magistrate
iaf the county. The doubts expressed by the Learned
Serjeant of the authority of their Lordships to commit
your printer for the observations which appeared in your
columns on a certain Noble Member of their Lordships'
House, emboldena me to relate my anecdote. No one the
least conversant with the unfortunate history of the first
rebellion, c,n have forgotten the battle of Vinegar-hill.
My Lord Roden's corps, known by the name of the
Hunters, greatly distinguished themselves in that action.
My Lord Roden was a no at gallant person, but there was
another Noble Lord who did not share his warlike spirit :
however, he was equally pleased with the trappings of
parade. The latter was observed to be leaving the field as
the action began. " Holloa," cried my Lord Roden to
him, " where is your Lordship going ?" The reply was—
" My horse has thrown a shoe ; I ant going to find a
farrier." " Ala, now," exclaimed the gallant Hunter, "by
J--, no farrier will be found until the fighting is over."
The search for the farrier went on,—for the A id- de-Cans p
of the General, as wild but as brave a boy as ever left the
borders of the Curragh, conveying orders, passed the re-
tiring soldier, and observing his body well covered under
the near side of the horse's neck, drew his sabre, and ap-
plied it heartily to the seat of honour of the withdrawing
soldier, accompanying it with the exclamation—. Hsads
up, my boy, what the devil a bit are you afraid of?" His
Lordship, smarting with the pain of the blow, could not
resist rising to his proper seat in the saddle, when the wild
Pat burst out into a loud fit of laughter, singing out,
" Alt ha ! ah ha! is it then your Lordship ? 1 hope I
did not hurt you ? But my issoi 2E,ulvfl lassleSistotlsSnl
venture to his General. The story was too good not to
be re-toll, and it got into general circulation.
The Noble Lord was more distinguished as a politician
than as a soldier. The elder branch of his family had
been ennobled, as the Speaker of the Irish House of Com-
mons—his father was a Bishop. In those days of Irish
gossip, it was said the nephew and the elder niece were to
have been married, and the honours and the property to
have been preserved to the family; but the caprice of one,
or both, broke off the marriage, and the lady settled after-
wards in England. At that period the traffic in seats for
the Irish Parliament was notorious, and three or four votes
regularly
obtained a peerage. The Bishop was persuaded
by his son, for the purpose of his being elevated to the
peerage, without the necessity of his becoming the partner
of his cousin, to purchase the return of several estates. He
did so, and was created a Peer. The Union advanced the
son in the peerage.
S
Union the Noble Lord came to England,
a
field of action, having been named one of the
representative theo
wider
the
Peers. It is said that Lord Roden and
others of his kind friends hired some of the travelling
musicians always t4 attend where bis Lordship dined, to
salute hint with " Garry Owen."
on afterider
This ots • was even played on him, as it is said, at
Je
Carlton-house, to which he was soon introduced. Though
play the buffoon, and to indulge ha mimick-
descended to
possessing very considerable talents, yet he bad early con-
ing quite below his mental powers. Every one who had
the least knowledge of the late King must be aware how
difficulties:
the greatestfficultles: he carried this passion even to
The Noble Lord of whom I have said so
pleased he was to show up his guests, and to place them
maliciousness.
much was invited to a large dinner party, one of whom
V. •
anecdote of mega!, ,he attempted to avoid
relate the
led hard, he gave the whale relation with his
was my Lord Roden. The Prince called upon him to
The Noble Lord, with great presence of mind,
it, but, pus it
humour. " Ah, ah, is that true?" asked the
accustomed ou---
Prince.
Royal Highness, by G—, it is very true.
and to make the laugh as little cutting as possible, replied,
My m Pleaseire r
tytouhttirireann,
a shoe, and I rode away to find a farrier
and was not in the action." Could.the curtain but be
lifted, and the great world be fairly exhibited, what a pie-
Id there be for the public to gaze on !
Rutland and Earl of Westmorland--the adven-
turTehweoisacene,
that took place in Ireland in the time of the
of Lord Glandower, the Earl of
Duke of
Ormoa trLtholii•dr ICVaerlhleasliney;ton, &c.,—and I will not name
were they all to e ralated,—could my com-
ld h • h
Nee book be given to the wor t e misery tat
mon-
rPeigas throughout Ireland would be easily undet stood.
now vet was greater profligacy in any part of Italy
There never atunyresiaodfideesAr_
than prevailed in Ireland. The people were only looked
as cattle to drag on an existence for the benefit of
prcprietors of lands,—creatures solely to produce rents
upon .
the
to he wasted in boundless dissipation.
The property of the Noble Lord in question is now very
large ; some of his family were the agents of the Fitz-
maurices, of the Earl of Kerry, whose possessions are now
a mere nothing. If I mistake not, only a few hundreds
accompanied the title when it passed into the hands of the
fse Alarquis of Lansdowne. There had been a certain
fmale of the family, who was, as was often formerly the
name id Ireland, a lawyer in petticoats.
The Speaker,—the uncle,—whose property was origi-
nally small, had the boldness and the ability to have the
walls of that city thrown down (where the son of Garry
oven is well known) that his own lands, which were
p maketo se himself shwieei lhi f:s as ;feel
without the wall, might be brought within the town, and
ek
let out by the foot instead of the acre. There is a con-
siderable degree of talent, though much folly, in the family
of the Noble Lord,
feelingscon spiconspicuous
Iu
us woulda the
et
owpopuonnd. n
tnor
f
whose weaknesses I would not have noticed, did not his
L
s
low-Man. Since his Lordship
retirement
of England, I am
vicious that his Lordship should •
live in quiet, and never
more hear the tune of Garry Owen.
May 13.
RADICAL.
theso pleaseddsh ameliorationi

MAJOR KEPPEL'S JOURNEY ACROSS THE
BALKAN.—We have been frvoured with several books of
travels in the Turkish empire, but we have met with none
which we have perused with so much satisfaction as the
work before us. The general remarks of Major KxrrEr.
upon the state of the Turkish empire are highly valuable ;
they
supply additional confirmation of the opinion beginning
to be commonly entertained of the approaching dissolution
of the Turkish power in Europe. The narrative of his
excursions into Asia Minor—a country, both in ancient
and modern history, pregnant with extraordinary interest,—
forms a part of the work, which deserves particular attention.

PRICE 7D.

GENERAL ELECTION.

NORTHAMPTON, Mcr. 18.
Mr. Cartwright continued to gain uron Lord
Milton yesterday.
The Reformers, I am happy to say, have not re-
'axed in their exertions, and if they ate only properly
seconded by the freeholders, not only success, but
triurnphanc success, mil,t attend the cause of the
'oeople. in this hitherto Tory-ridOen courey. Lard
!lithorp is of course safe, and a very little exertion
will make Lord Milton so also. Among the devices
which the Anti-Reformers have had recourse to,
that of putting the freeholders'. oath to Dissenter,,
is not the least characteristic of their liberality. They
found that the Dissenters objected to take the oath,
on the ground that it seemed like- sweariug to a
matter of law, not of fact. The oath, therefore,
has been rigidly enforced on the part .or the Tories;
but the. Dissenters have seen through this pitiful
trick, and have not. allowed the enemies of this
great cause to obtain an advantage by shocking reli-
sgeinnutesr,and
I
the oath.
u ncdoenr ss
ct
enndt, ohnass .acbrsnopl ul et
sel y 43 nl
refusedyn teo Di
take
ki

One o'clock.—The polling, though it still pro-
ceeds but slowly, is all in favour of the Reformers.

PEMBROKESHIRE.

Owing to some mismanagement on the first day,
on Tuesday last, Sir John Owen secured a ma-
jority of 71 on that day's poll. This has been since
gradually reduced, and he stands now in a gross
majority of 38 only. The interest for Mr. Greville
is intense, and to-morrow it is expected that the ma-
jority will stand, on the gross state of the poll, for
Mr. Greville. A more ardent contest, divested of
personal feeling as regards the popular candidate,
never before occurred in South Wales. This is die
result of the efforts at the Carmarthen election,
where the once popular Member, Mr. John Jones,
who held the place as if under the wand of a
mighty magician, was ousted, and Captain Philipps
elected, but whose return has been gainsaid by the
sheriffs, in the interest of the corrupt corporate body
of that place. If that had not happened, the Anti-
Reformers of Carmarthenshire would have uplifted
their crests in this county ; but their glory there has
been extinguished for ever, and 1 trust it will be so
in Pembrokeshire. The Reform party are confident
of success. The election may last till Thursday.