The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-19 00:00:00

PRICE sd. .

moo lona

LORD STAIR AND HIS TENANT'S.

On Tuesday, the Bth instant, a dinner was givettl by
the Earl of Stair to his numerous tenantry on his
estates in Wigtownshire. The entertainment t ook
place at Culhorn, the Earl of Stair's seat in that cow ity,
and was attended by upwards of 400 individuals, co =-
prising nearly every tenant on the Stair estate.
Tuesday morning was rainy, but long before the ap-
pointed hour of meeting the day brightened up, and
the sun shone warmly and auspiciously on the int crest-
ing scene. Flags were hoisted on several points of
Culhorn House, and about half-past two, Lady Ann
INlurray's celebrated band, which had been brought up
from Gatehouse, led off to the Eastern Lodge, the ap-
pointed rendezvous of the Glenluce and East Inch te-
nantry. At the same time, a signal gun was fir. td,
which was repeated about three o'clock, when the spirit-
stirring sounds of the band were heard ; and, in a few
minutes, a noble sight presented itself on the lawn in.
front of Culhorn, viz., the approach of the numerous to-•
pantry of this portion of the Stair estates, consisting of at.
least 80 individuals, who now drew near to meet their ho-
noured landlord. The band then proceeded to meet an-
other portion of the tenantry coming forward by the North-
ern Lodge, while, in their absence, various other parties
from Kirkmaiden, Stoneykirk, and West Inch, drew
near those already on the lawn, and formed in line to
salute their brethren, whose approach was now heard.
Immediately on the meeting of all these parties, who
made a most imposing appearance, they moved across
the front of Culhorn House, preceded by the band,
to meet and welcome the tenantry from the estates re-
cently purchased by Lord Stair in the lower district of
the county, saluting, while they [passed, the Noble
Earl, who now made his appearance on the lawn, ac-
companied by his brother, and several other gentle-
men. They were then marshalled up to the entrance
of the dining apartment. 'I his entrance was beauti-
fully dressed off with laurels, &c., entwined with
branches of dahlias, and other choice flowers, while the
banner with the arms of Stair floated above the heads of
the party. The room itself is a spacious apartment,
and was decorated in beautiful style, being entirely
covered from roof-tree to floor with cloth in alternate
stripes of blue, white, and pink, while the pillars in the
middle were also covered and striped. The entire
room was occupied by tables and seats running from
cast to west, and were so exceedingly well planned,
that upwards of four hundred persons were accomo-
dated easily, while about fifty who dined in another
apartment for want of room, were introduced after
dinner.

The Chair was taken by the Earl of Stair, and was
supported on the right by Sir William Maxwell, Bart.,
of Monrcith ; J. M'Taggart, Esq., of Ardwell, M. P.,
and John C. Moore, Esq., younger, of Corswall ; and
on the left by Alexander Murray, Esq., of Broughton,
M. P., James Blair, Esq., of Penninhame, M. P., and
P. Murdoch, Esq., Dunragett. North Dalrymple, Esq.,
his Lordship's brother and heir apparent, acted as
croupier, supported on the right by Col. Hunter Blair,
of Dunskey, J. Dalrymple, Esq., heir-presumptive of
the Stair estates, the Right Hon. Edward Horsman,
M. P., one of the Lords of the Treasury ; on the left
by Stair Stewart, Esq., of Glasserton, Captain Hors-
man, and D. Ritchie, Esq., of Aires.

The Noble Chairman having given, in succession, the
usual loyal and patriotic toasts, which were all drunk
with acclamation, said, In rising to propose what I
conceive to be the toast of the evening, I may say that I
asked you, my tenants, to do me the favour to dine
with me here to-day, that I might explain to you the
system upon which I propose to act towards you as
our landlord. I also proposed this dinner that I
might get known to you all—and I know of no better
way or shorter way of getting acquainted, than that of
having a jollification together, ;when all hearts are
open, and with but one wish, and that is to give full
scope to every kind and affectionate feeling towards
each other. With such nnderstanding I rejoice to
find myself in the midst of my tenants. The cordial
reception I have met with amongst you, and your
kindness in coming here this day, both tend to rivet
the link that naturally unites us, and equally tend to
an increase of that interest which I am cli,pposed to take
in you as part of my family, and as my friends.—(Cheers.)
I have said before, and I cannot say it too often, that
no separate interest can subsist between landlord and
tenant. If you thrive, I thrive. On your well-doing
will depend my comfort, my honour, and my charac-
ter, for 1 shad stand high, or the reverse (and it is
right that it should be so) as I act justly or unjustly
by you. Entertaining such sentiments, my first du-
ties will consist in an encouragement of moral and re-
ligious feeling amongst my tenants, and a gradual im-
provement of my estates. The most likely way to
make them happy and good is to teach them when
young to know right from wrong, and that can only
be effectually done by education. Whenever, therefore,
I can encourage good and moral feeling, you will find
me anxious to do so ; and, as the best means of effect-
ing it, I will willingly contribute to the improvement,
or increase, of schools to be open to all, so that every
child on my estate may be brought to know his
God, and the duty he owes him.—(Great cheering.)
The next object of my solicitude will consist in an en-
couragement of improved agriculture. (The Noble Earl
enumerated the various improvements he recommended,
and the prizes he would give to the successful competi-
tors, and continued.) I have only one other subject
now to mention, which I do with less pleasure to my-
self, because it may be felt to have a political ten-
dency ; but I have no such intention ; and, as amongst
the Stair tenantry, of whom I understand there are 400
present, I must naturally expect to find some difference
of opinion, it is to such as differ from me, that I par-
ticularly propose now to explain my wishes. At any
rate, freedom of voting is what so nearly concerns all
tenants and feuars, that I feel called upon, on first
meeting mine, to be explicit, in as far as concerns
myself, on a subject so interesting to all. I said that
I wished to see my tenants comfortable and happy. I
hope I may be permitted further to say that I shall
have a pride in seeing them independent.—(Great
cheering.) Whatever is due to me I shall expect them
to pay—whatever is not due, I will never elect.
Whenever, therefore they arc called upon to exer-
cise their political privileges, I wish them to do so
honestly and manfully—not allowing themselves to
be dictated to by me, were I disposed to attempt
it, but only asking how their consciences bid
them vote—being assured that he who obeys his
conscience will never displease me.—(lmmense cheer-
ing.) This is the system that 1 have hither-
to acted upon in the county of Edinburgh—this is the
system that I wish pursued upon my estates in the
counties of Wigton and Ayr. I should feel degraded
myself, were I compelled to vote one way, while my
known opinion were in another ; and I shall never at-
tempt to inflict upon you what would prove humbling to
myself. I believe the poorest voter has his own no-
tions of what is good and right as deeply implanted in
him as I have—(Great cheering)—and it is by allow-
ing him to act up to his honest feelings that he is to be
made a happier and a better—a more prosperous and a
more thriving man. This is a subject on which I have
thought much, and it is one on which I have had ex-
perience. Reflection shows me that my rule, that my
system is just ; and experience shows me that it is poli-
tic, though I never think of it in that light myself ; for,
whilst tenants may be led by kindness and considera-
tion, I have always seen that the devil himself wont
drive them, and I like them all the better for it. Lord
Stair gave, with all the honours—" The tenantry on
the Stair estates ; and may every success attend them ;"
and sat down amidst loud and long-continued cheering.
Mr. M'BRIDE, Balker, returned thanks, and said that
all the tenants were determined to go heart in hand in
supporting his Lordship in improving the estates.„ir
Mr. HORSMAN, in a short speech, gave— sWil-
liam Maxwell, and the landlords of Galloway
•"
thanks,
..n
Sir WILLIAM MAXWELL, on rising o
said he was something like the man whotte sound of his was afraid of
his own shadow—he was afraid of the
own voice. If he had stood alone in this toast, he
would have borne his honours meekly, and said no-
thing—he would have told. his family of this honour,
and bid them rememberi tie felt a voice had been put
t; but now his name was
associated with others, and
into him, when he considered the honourable position
in which he was placed. as connected with the ether
well as he, had d what the
landlords. The y, as h
character of a good landlord should bear .
He trusted
that some of them knew what it was to be something
like it—at all events, there was a braw time coming,—
(Great cheering.) However, they would give Lord Stair
a defiance—and what was the nature of that defiance ?
That he and the other landlords were determined he
should not beat them in improvements. They would
earnestly encourage every improvement, and therefore
Lord Stair and his tenantry would not be able to beat
him and the others in this friendly race. One statement
he cordially responded to—that the interests of landlord
and tenant were one and indivisible—and the unanimity
with which the toast of the landlords had been received,
was certainly a compliment to them. He would hail
it as an omen of better and more agreeable times. He
knew that if the turrets of the landlord's house were
shaken, the meanest tenant on his domain felt it also.
If the tenant's coat was ragged, the landlords would
soon feel themselves out at elbow. They sometimes left
their own estates to seek other friends, but they never
found better or truer friends than those who had lived
with and known their fathers. But it was one thing to
begin a speech, and another thing to know when to stop.
He would now try to do so, and he would conclude by
dedicating a bumper, and a full one it was, to the in-
creased improvement, happiness, and prosperity of the
Stair estates, and of the rest of the county.--(Great