130 SomE LETTERS OF PATRICK MILLER. 
himself on his son’s behalf, and the Tories seized on one of 
his actions to try to unseat his son by a Petition for Bribery 
and Corruption. Miller’s reply to the charge is given in one 
Ofmtnesemletteusi a. 
‘‘T have never submitted to the meaness of desiring 
a man to change or vote for you who had said he was en- 
gaged for the other Party. On the other hand, many of 
those who had promised again and again in the most public 
and explicit manner to vote for you, had voted against you. 
As for the affair of Mr Blair’s letter,49 I am satisfied that 
nothing but what is honourable for him and for me can 
arise from it. When this political contest had commenced 
I was not acquainted with Mr Blair personally. One day 
in the street of Dumfries a gentleman introduced me to Mr 
Blair, saying that he was happy to find that he had resolved 
to support your interest in Kirkcudbright. This, Mr Blair 
confirmed himself in the gentlest and most explicit manner. 
As he is a man of family and character, I considered this 
a most fortunate event, and I thanked him most warmly 
for this proof of his friendship for you and me, assuring 
him that both of us would be happy at all times to show we 
were not unworthy of his friendship. After this meeting 
and conversation I received the account of Mr John Gordon 
the writer’s death, who, you know, managed my business 
in the law way. Mr Blair being also a writer, I must have 
been a mean fellow if, after the recent mark of his friend- 
ship and my professions of gratitude, I had hesitated a 
moment to render him any little service in my power. It 
cannot be counted a great service, for my business in the 
writer way is not great, and Mr Blair for his trouble can 
only charge what the late Mr Gordon was in the practice 
of charging. Sloan, one of the magistrates of Kirkcud- 
bright, had been a servant to Mr Blair’s father, and to him 
owed everything. His language to the son was uniformly 
that he considered the political contest for Kirkcudbright 
as of no consequence to himself, but that he would be happy 
on all occasions to promote Mr Blair’s interest. Birk- 
whistle,20 as Sloan’s friend, spoke the same language. 
