BALLINA CHRONICLE Ballina, Co. Mayo Wednesday, September 4, 1850 AN ENGLISH LANDLORD IN IRELAND Lord Vaux of Harrowden has been for some time residing on his estate in the county of Kilkenny, where, it appears, he has been extending employment, in an improved system of farm labour and exerting himself to better the condition of the humbler classes. By one of the local journals the noble lord has been landed; by another, his lordship has been taken to task for certain alleged proceedings, having a tendency to reform the habits of the peasantry. In consequence of an attack of this latter character, Lord Vaux has addressed the following remarkable letter to the Kilkenny Journal:- "Ballyconra House, August 26 "Sir,- I find by hour journal of Saturday last that some person has thought it worth his while to make up the subject of an attack in the Kilkenny Moderator. "I have inquired what were the charges preferred against me in that paper, and I find that I was accused - first, of remonstrating with an old man for preparing to shoot an old house upon the high road; secondly, with having objected to a blacksmith lighting a fire on the roadside for the purpose of ringing a cart wheel; and thirdly, with scolding a boy for riding his jackass upon the footpath. "I plead guilty of all these charges, although two of them are pure inventions. I certainly object to an old man, or young man or any man, shooting a horse or other beast upon the public road, for the obvious reason, that in shooting the horse he might by some error in aim, shoot a man or woman passing by. "2. I object, when I go to walk out for fresh air, to being smoke dried as I go along the road. "3. I have an objection to being ridden down, even by a jackass. "These may be peculiar fancies of mine, and I by no means wish to enforce them on other people. "I can stand fire; and smoke, and jackasses, as well as other people. 'If we must endure them '- so be it. "I am told that I am also accused in general terms, of proposing to civilize and teach manners to the wild Irish. Bless the man! whatever could have put that into his head? I have come not to teach the people manners, I come to teach them how to drain their lands. I did not come to civilise them, I came to feed them. If the Moderator correspondent had only gone up to Phyrhoda, any time during the summer, he would have found no bowing and scraping, but digging and scraping the bottoms of the drains. "I wish that this gentleman, wherever he is, would ask to see my accounts, and he would find, that men who at first could only earn 3s. or 4s. a week, have now learned to earn 8s. or 9s. or even 10s. a week. These are the manners that I have been teaching. If the people will only learn them, which they have been willing to do. They may shoot old horses, ring wheels or pig's noses, or ride jackasses up to Dublin castle for anything that I care. "But I hear that it is also said that I am preparing to take out the commissions of the peace, in order the more surely to put down knackering on the high road, smoke drying and jackass riding. I have refused the commission of the peace, so that these charms of liberty may still be enjoyed and the Moderator correspondent may still shoot his old horse when he finds that he can no longer kick him along, or tinker up the wheel of the old car by the road side if it won't turn round, or mount his jackass as formerly. I would not for all California deprive people of such enjoyments, now that I understand their value. I ignorantly supposed such things to be public nuisances, but we live and learn.-- Your obedient servant, "VAUX OF HARROWDEN". Cathy Joynt Labath Ireland Old News http://www.IrelandOldNews.com/