The Sun.
London, England, 1827-05-21 00:00:00

LORD REDESDALE.

We know no individual who has collected more facts
than his Lordship, or who is more liberal in communicat-
ing them. His speech on moving his Economical Resolu-
tions was quite a storehouse. The great astonishment is,
how he contrived to string his facts together; for the con-
nection certainly was not obvious. His Lordship kindly
informed us that, when there were no roads, there was
little travelling; and that, since the roads have been excel-
lent, people are constantly on the move. The number of
similar shrewd remarks be made almost surpasses belief.
In Sir Jonah Barrington's amusing Sketches of his Own
Times, Lord Redesdale is not forgotten. It seems the
Irish Bar and his Lordship were equally puzzled with each
other.
Sir Jonah is giving an account of a dinner to the Judges
and King's Counsel. The Chancellor (Redesdale) " sat,
for a while silent, until skating became a subject of con-
versation, when his Lordship rallied, and, with an air •of
triumph, said that, in his boyhood, all danger was avoided,
for, before they began to skait, they always put blown
bladders under their arms ; and so, if the ice happened to
break, they were buoyant, and saved.
"Ay, my Lord," said Toler (now Lord Norbury) "that's
what we call blatheram-skate in Ireland, (an Irish vulgar
idiom for nonsense.)
"His Lordship did 'not understand the sort of thing at
all ; and (though extremely courteous) seemed to wish us
all at our respective homes. Having failed with Toler, in
order to say a civil thing or two, he addressed himself to
Mr. Garratt O'Farrell, a jolly Irish Barrister, who always
carried a parcel of coarse national humour about with
him ; a broad squat ruddy-faced fellow, with a great
aquiline nose, and a humourous eye. Independent in
mind and property, he generally said whatever came upper-
most. ' Mr. Garratt O'Farrell,' said the Chancellor so-
lemnly, ' I believe your name and family were very re-
spectable and numerous in county 'Wicklow. I think I
was introduced to some of them during my late tour there?'
"' Yes, my Lord,'" said O'Farrell, we were very nu-
merous; but so many of us have been lately hanged for
sheep-stealing, that the name is getting rather scarce in
that connty.' "
His Lordship said no more
•

" I never saw Lord Redesdale more puzzled than at one
of Plunkett's best jeux d'esprits. A cause was argued in
Chancery, wherein the plaintiff prayed that the defendant
should be restrained from suing him on certain Bills of
Exchange, as they were nothing but kites. Kites (ex-
claimed Lord Redesdale), Kites, Mr. Plunkett? Kites
never could amount to the value of those securities; I
don't understand this statement at all, Mr. Plunkett.' •

" ' It is not to be expected that you should, my Lord,'
answered Mr. Plunkett. In England and in Ireland
kites are quite different things. In England the wind
raises the kites ; but in Ireland the kites raise the wind.'
" 'I do not feel any way better informed yet, Mr.
Plunkett,' said the matter of fact Chancellor.

" ' Well, my Lord, I'll explain the thing, without men-
tioning these birds of prey, and therewith he elucidated
the difficulty. ' "

The Lady who was so nobly distinguished in
the Highland garb at the Caledonian Ball on Monday, was
Lady Gordon Cumming. Her Ladyship wore a superb velvet
dress of the Cumming tartan, with a satin drapery of the
Gordon, richly finished with steel, and a Scotch cap of
black velvet and steel, with diamonds and black feathers,
surmounted with three eagles' plumes, the badge of Chief-
tanry. It was much to be regretted that so few Ladies
appeared in the full Highland costume, as, excepting her
Ladyship, there was not another Lady dressed in the full
national garb. Her sisters, the beautiful Misses Campbell,
exited universal admiration, one in the character of Mary
Queen of Scots, another 45 an Italian Peasant, and the
third as a Scotch Lassie.