140 



DICKSON ON THE 



success of their meeting. This was the largest party he had 

 ever seen collected together in that room, and he might 

 almost say, that to-morrow his ribs would be black and blue 

 in consequence of the pressure he had undergone from the 

 large number of Members of Parliament and noble gentlemen 

 who had been squeezed into that end of the room where he 

 was sitting. (Loud cheers and laughter, amidst which the 

 honourable gentleman sat down.) 



" Now, Sir, here is an English landowner, not only willing 

 but also able, as the result has proved, to elevate the working 

 classes. At his own expense he has introduced manufactures 

 into Wiltshire, and connected them with the agricultural 

 interest of that county, where such a combination was as little 

 thought of four years ago, as it now is in many parts of Ireland. 

 And can it be said that he had any knowledge of spinning 

 yarns from Flax, and of having it boiled, warped, and woven 

 into linen cloth ? No ; L but ' where there's a will there's a 

 way,' and Mr. Sotheron needed not to be spurred on towards 

 carrying out an object of such vast importance to the working 

 classes of the county he represents ; and as there is no way in 

 the world of testing the charitable dispositions of men, so as to 

 prove if they be sincere in their professions, equal to a call on 

 their purses, Mr. Sotheron has proved himself in the sight of 

 his constituents, worthy of the position he so deservedly holds 

 in the county of Wilts. 



" When those facts are brought before the eyes of the owners 

 of property in Ireland, how can they say that they know of no 

 way to employ the people who have unfortunately (?) been 

 born on their estates ? And these people are not by nature 

 assassins, but kind-hearted and full of gratitude to those who 

 would seek to improve their condition ; and as to their honesty 

 of disposition in general, I can only say, that had those in 

 higher circles — the Yankee merchants and the shippers of goods 

 in Belfast — behaved as honestly to me as did many hundreds 



