The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-26 00:00:00

THE MARCHIONESS OF LONDON-
DERRY AND HER TENANTR Y

The annual entertainment given by the Dowager
Marchioness of Londonderry to the tenantry on her
estate, took place on Thursday in the Town-hall of
the handsome village of Cairnlough. The village
was decorated with flags and banners, and a few
vessels which lay at anchor in the harbour had their
colours hoisted in honour of the occasion. A band
which was in attendance greatly enlivened the pro-
ceedings of the day. The dinner took place in the
Town-hall, which was tastefully fitted up for the
occasion. The lines of tables extended the entire
length of the room, containing banners represent-
ing the several townlands on her ladyship's estate,
and so arranged that each tenant should sit in the
immediate vicinity of his own townland. About
two o'clock Lady Londonderry, accompanied by
La 'ly Portarlington, Lord Adolphus Vane Tempest.
Sir E. Macnaughten, and R. Gordon, Esq., Florida,
arrived at Cairnlough, from Garron Tower, and
were loudly cheered as they entered the room. Lord
Adolphus Vane Tempest presided, and after the
usual loyal toasts,
Mr. MULLOY (tenant-farmer), said—My lord, I
am happy to have the high honour of proposing our
noble landlady's health—the Marchioness of Lon-
donderry. (Applause.) May she live a thousand
years, and may her shadow never grow lesq.
(Laughter and applause.)
Lady LONDONDERRY, who was received with
immense cheering, said—Another year has rolled
by, another milestone on my journey of life has
been passed, my friends, and I thankfully find my-
self once more among you. This season lam glad
to have been able to go round this little estate, and
(by visiting most of you who are accessible from the
road) to judge for myself of your real state and con-
dition. It is a source of pride and comfort for me
to feel that although I am forced to admit much,
much remains to be done, still, there is no doubt,
improvement is steadily going on. In Druncoon
especially, I see considerable industry and patience
evinced in reclaiming land, repairing houses,
and, above all, I found three water churning-
machines established, and a fourth in progress
of erection. (Applause.) It is by the energy and
resource evinced in such application, that the dffi-
culty of obtaining manual labour, of which I hear
much complaint, will best be met, and thus we may
hope that what at first appears an evil may ulti-
mately lead to good, by stimulating the invention
and industry of a population no longer, as in times
past, too numerous to live in welfare and comfort.
I also observe with satisfaction that a great deal of
exertion is making in Ballymacaldrick to
build improved dwellings, and also in Doonan.
Legnamanog, Ballyveedy, to reclaim waste land.
I am, believe me, glad to hear of the increased
crops of turnips, and, moreover, that some of the
tenantry have turned their attention to the cultiva-
tion of flax, Mr. Wilson having reported that this
valuable crop this year is double any previous one.
Still I must, in justice, say that nowhere do I re-
mark the same persevering, patient spirit of toil as
in Drumcroe, where the baposed situation renders
the climate more severe, and where the crops are
so much later in arriving at maturity. Their in•
dustry is bringing its own reward. I was not able
to go there last year; but where the heather
bloomed at my former visit, two years ago, a good
crop of oats is now raised. (Applause.) In Cairn-
lough, I trust, a new era has dawned. I trust its
prosperity will now increase. (Loud applause.)
The dredger has done its work ; .the harbour is
deepened and completed ; lighters are no longer re-
quired to ship the limestone, and vessels can enter
in all seasons. This will, no doubt, induce people
to build and settle,and I hope to see Victoria-square
and Havelock-terrace soon filled up, and other sites
taken. (Applause.) There is one subject which I
cannot entirely pass over • yet I approach it with
great diffidence, having always carefully avoided
interfering or entering into religious argument, and
respecting every one's conscientious belief in their
own creed—(cheers)—but, without at all presum-
ing to offer opinions, it is impossible not to observe
that one result of the much-talked-of revivals
has been the closing of the public-houses, and
the establishment of greater sobriety and
temperance. (Applause.) So far, at least, this
must have a beneficial effect on a population
where the reverse was the besetting sin.
Here, therefore, is another evident improvement
since last year. Let us hope that this change will
be lasting, and that it is not taken up in the enthu-
siasm or impulse of the moment, to be thrown aside
afterwards, but that it is a steady determination
and conviction that may mature into fixed habits
in the future. By the advice of your excellent,
agent, Mr. Wilson, the flower show and the exhibi-
tion of roots have been abandoned, as they were not
supported as he had hoped and wished. The cattle
show has also been discontinued in consequence of
the unequal distances, rendering it impossible for
the secretary to have fair competition ; but the
farm prizes have been awarded, thanks to the kind-
ness of Mr. Merlin and Mr. O'Neil, who have taken
thn trouble of assisting Mr. Wilson in judging the
most deserving individuals. (Her ladyship here
read the list of prizes and continued.) In conclu,
sion, I have to thank the gentlemen who have kindly
shown their friendship to me by attending this
little meeting. It is comforting on these occasions
to be supported and surrounded by old friends, and
I am truly grateful to them for taking the trouble
of coming, and I am sure you must all be flattered
and gratified by their presence. I thank you for
drinking my health, and for all your good wishes.
I fear you sometimes think me severe in lecturing
you, but this time I am afraid I have been too com-
plimentary. If I fall into either extreme it is but
from one motive, and that is an earnest and anxious
desire to see you progress and improve, turning to
advantage the blessings you possess, and becoming
an industrious, thrifty, respectable, prosperous, and
contented set of people ' • and with this fervent
prayer I bid you farewell. (Loud applause.)
A number of other toasts followed, and the com-
pany separated, after having sperkt a most agree-
able day.

THE SEARCH FOR SIR I. FRANKLIN

" An Arctic Navigator" writes to a contemporary
as follows :

" We Arctic officers of her Majesty's navy are a
great deal too well satisfied with the result of our
10 years' labour, a result which has been so happily
crowned by the gallant M'Clintock, and his noble
comrades in the yacht Fox, to wish to throw stones
at others, to complain at the unkind slap you have
lately had at our enthusiasm, or to prove that we
were right, and others wrong, in persevering to the
end. We will not squabble over the lonely graves
of our poor dear friends and comrades; but let mo
point out two important omissions in your own as
well as other influential journals in their recent re-
marks upon the results of the cruise of the Fox.
The successful expedition under M'Clintock was
equipped in 1857 against the recorded opinions of
the Admiralty, and the expense of it has fallen
heavily upon Lady Franklin, who has sunk in it all
her remaining fortune.
The reception of Capt. M'Clintock by the Admi-
ralty, and the unusual empressement with which the
Board placed at your disposal the information re-
ceived from Capt. M'Clintock, are cheering signs,
and lead Arctic sailors to hope that those bold ad-
mirals, though men of the sword and devoted to war,
think sometimes of the officers who strive
in the not less glorious fields of science, or,
may be, are not on this occasion unwilling to
escape from a dilemma. It behoves all men to
welcome repentance or reformation, and to point
out in what manned it may be most gracefully
accomplished. Let me place the following sugges-
tions before them and the public.
To recommend the Treasury to refund to Lady
Franklin the sum she has sunk in fitting out and
paying the Fox and her crew, somewhere about
£lO,OOO, and to move her Most Gracious Majesty
to grant the widow of the Admiral who fell in the
execution of his duty a home for her declining days
in her palace of Kensington. It is not certain that
Lady Franklin would accept the one, or that her
failing health, which now detains her in Southern
France, would allow her to avail herself of the
other, but the offers would be none the less graceful,
or better express the warm sympathy of the world
at large for her noble sacrifices and exertions.
Capt. M'Clintock should, by order in Council, be
allowed sea time as a naval officer while he com-
manded the Fox, and receive his well-merited
knighthood.

Tie officers and crew of the Fox ought to get the
remaining £lO,OOO reward for solving the fato of
the lost expedition. Lastly, as an act of common
justice, the Admiralty might offer some reparation
to the son of their old secretary, John Barrow, far
having rudely placed him, a young and able man,
upon the retired list, for no other offence than that
of having been the first man in 1847 to urge a
rescue of Franklin, the last to say that further
efforts to solve his fate were needless, and the tried
and faithful friend and supporter of every naval or
mercantile sailor who was willing to devote his
energy or ability to the solution of that glorious
problem—the fate of Sir John Franklin and his 140
followers.

DEATH OF THE CONSUL-GENERAL OF RUSSIA.-
Mr. George Krehrner,
.Russian Consul-General, died sud-
denly on Saturday morning at his residence, 2, Chester-
terrace, Chester-square. His physician, Dr. Aldis, was sent
for, who pronounced recovery to be hopeless. The lamented
gentleman had for a long period been engaged in diplomacy
in Russia, America, and England. On the day before his
decease he had dined out, and appeared to be in excellent
health.